Oriental Brewery launches zero-sugar soju Chalrang to diversify beyond beer

Oriental Brewery, the long-time leader of Korea's beer sector and owner of the Cass brand, is debuting its first domestic soju, Chalrang, on Monday. The 15% ABV, zero-sugar spirit is produced by OB's Jeju Soju subsidiary, which the company acquired from Shinsegae L&B in 2024 after using it mainly for export. An OB spokesperson said the rollout will begin in a limited number of regions and sales channels, with any expansion dependent on market feedback.

Chalrang aims to give Cass its own partner for the popular somaek cocktail, challenging the duopoly of Hite Jinro (66.2% share) and Lotte Chilsung (17.6%). The soju market is contracting, with shipments dropping to 793,000 kiloliters last year, down 2.8%, amid an aging population and health-conscious trends. OB hopes its extensive restaurant and bar network built around Cass will accelerate distribution, and it has launched a Jeju-themed outdoor and online campaign to promote the new brand.