[Edaily Reporter kim mi-kyung ] “I hear that a major conglomerate is set to launch a soju-beer mix can—a blend of Terra Beer and Chamisul—in the soju-beer can market that we’ve worked so hard to pioneer.”

This is a handwritten post that Cho Woong-rae, Chairman of Seonyang Soju, uploaded to his Instagram on the 12th. In his handwritten message, Chairman Cho shared the news of HITEJINRO’s soju-beer can launch and wrote, “Please continue to look favorably upon our Seonyang Oak Soju-Beer.”

Chairman Cho added, “Last June, our company launched ‘Seonyang Oak Soju-Beer’ in cans—a blend of oak-aged soju and oak-barrel-aged concentrate mixed with Sevenbrau, a craft beer specialist. The product is available at the nation’s four major convenience store chains, and 2 million cans were sold within three months of its launch. We sincerely thank you for your overwhelming support.”

This move is seen as an expression of the company’s determination to compete on taste in an increasingly fierce liquor market—where the nation’s leading liquor company, HITEJINRO(000080), has entered the canned soju-beer market—while also responding to consumers’ continued demand for its products.

Seonyang Soju, a Chungcheong-region liquor company led by Chairman Cho, became the first in the domestic liquor industry to launch “Seonyang Oak So-maek”—a blend of soju and beer—last June. Following the July launch of “Ki-so-maek” by Saenghwal Beer, HITEJINRO also joined the fray, signaling the onset of a “soju-beer can competition” in the liquor industry. Now that consumers can enjoy soju-beer—which used to require buying soju and beer separately and mixing them—in a single can, retail channels for home consumption, such as convenience stores and large supermarkets, are expected to emerge as the new battleground.

Seonyang Soju partnered with Sevenbrau, a craft beer specialist, to develop “Seonyang Oak So-maek.” Each 500-milliliter can contains 450 milliliters of lager, 40 milliliters of Seonyang Oak Soju, and 10 milliliters of rice-distilled soju concentrate aged in oak barrels. The alcohol content is 5.7%. Cumulative sales surpassed 1 million cans just 40 days after launch, and 2 million cans were sold within three months. Chairman Cho personally appeared in an advertisement at the time, shouting, “Pop! Just open it and enjoy~” to highlight that the drink is ready to consume as soon as the can is opened.

HITEJINRO will launch “Terra & Chamisul” on the 17th, a product that actually blends the beer “Terra” with the soju “Chamisul.” It comes in 485-mL cans with an alcohol content of 6 degrees and will be sold as a seasonal limited edition at convenience stores and large supermarkets nationwide. HITEJINRO developed the product after reviewing various mixing ratios and conducting consumer blind tests and interviews. It is aimed at meeting the demand for a convenient way to enjoy soju-beer mixes during year-end house parties, camping trips, and solo drinking sessions.