In Japan, Coca-Cola is more than just coke. In fact, one of it most successful products in the local market is its lineup of Georgia canned coffee. It also makes unique Japanese coke variations, such as the Coca-Cola Peach, Coca-Cola Plus health drink, and Coca-Cola Frozen Lemon.
Now Coca-Cola has released its first ever alcoholic beverage and it has done so in Japan through a product with a decidedly classic look.
Exclusive to Japan, Lemondo is a canned chu-hi (chuhai) drink, a shochu highball with carbonated water. In this case, of course, the flavor is a sour lemon that should prove very refreshing in the hot summer months. There are three types: standard, salty, and honey. Cans of chu-hi are somewhat notorious for their potent booze kick, though Lemondo is more moderate in this regard than most with “only” up to 7% depending on the type you get.
Readers with sharp eyes will spot that Lemondo’s name is written in the rather archaic kanji for “lemon” (and the “do” means “hall,” here implying a restaurant). The blue and yellow packaging, complete with retro fonts and illustrations, seems to hark back to a Japan’s prewar period before the likes of Coca-Cola were even in the local market.
Lemondo went on sale in Japan on May 28th, initially just in the southern region of Kyushu. And the best thing? Like most chu-hi, Lemondo is priced very reasonably at a mere 162 yen ($1.50) per 350ml can.
