The Coca-Cola Company is possibly the world's most popular brand, and for good reason. As the originator of the modern day soft drink, Coca-Cola has always been at the forefront of innovation. And it seems they are continuing to do so with the introduction of some rather odd, but somewhat trending infusions, including the return of a coffee-infused Coke, a Japanese influenced beer-like Coke as well as a non-psychoactive, wellness version of Coke with a cannabis infusion.
In recent years, Coca-Cola has been selling Coca-Cola Plus Coffee or Coca-Cola With Coffee in other countries, and it contains more real coffee and caffeine than the original Coca-Cola Blak did, which was introduced at the turn of the 21st century. However, the product failed to entice customers in the US, so after just two years, it was discontinued. Although Blak may have been a non-starter back in 2006, the company is "pleased with the initial response" they've seen in the international markets where the drink is available-Australia, Italy, Spain, Thailand, and Poland. So pleased, in fact, that the company plans to release the product in 25 other countries by the end of 2019.
The company has also taken a dive into the Japanese spirits industry, the drink is considered an alcopop, referred to as Chu-Hi or Chūhai. In other words, it's a low-alcoholic spirit with flavoring. Chu-Hi canned drinks typically have three to eight percent alcohol content, putting them in direct competition with beer. However, the company has limited the distribution of the alcopop, it will reportedly be sold exclusively in the Japanese market.
"The Chu-Hi category is found almost exclusively in Japan," the company's Japan president, Jorge Garduño said. "Globally, it's not uncommon for non-alcoholic beverages to be sold in the same system as alcoholic beverages. It makes sense to give this a try in our market. But I don't think people around the world should expect to see this kind of thing from Coca-Cola."
With recreational marijuana becoming increasingly popular as laws become laxer, it makes sense that pretty much everyone is looking for a piece of the action. The Coca-Cola company is once again, at the forefront, hoping to develop some cannabis-infused drinks with Aurora Cannabis Inc., and both companies have already seen a surge in stock prices.
"We are closely watching the growth of non-psychoactive CBD as an ingredient in functional wellness beverages around the world," Coca-Cola spokesman Kent Landers said in a statement. "The space is evolving quickly."
The Canadian-based Aurora saw their shares jump multiple points following the report. Coca-Cola, meanwhile, saw a rise of 0.72 percent. In other words, it looks like investors are excited by these developments.
