UCC Cold Brew BLACK PET500ml and UCC Cold Brew LATTE PET500ml, Featuring 'Mizui-ire' (Water Brewing) Technology, to be Relaunched on March 30th!

UCC Ueshima Coffee Co., Ltd. (Head Office/Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Capital Stock/100 million yen, President/Hiroshi Shibutani, hereinafter UCC) will relaunch its PET bottle coffee products, 『UCC Cold Brew BLACK PET500ml』 and 『UCC Cold Brew LATTE PET500ml』, which feature a smooth, easy-to-drink, mellow taste achieved through UCC's unique 'Mizui-ire' (water brewing) technology, on March 30th (Monday).

At UCC, we have been referring to iced coffee brewed carefully with water, which takes time and effort, as 'Mizui-ire' since last year. By brewing with 'water' without applying heat, it is characterized by its clean taste and rich aroma with minimal off-flavors.

In recent years, due to the effects of climate change, Japan's annual average temperature has been rising, with an increase in extremely hot days. It is expected that we will continue to suffer from severe heat in the future. According to long-term weather forecasts from the Japan Meteorological Association, this year's rainy season is expected to start and end earlier, with the hot season arriving sooner. Furthermore, the lingering heat from late summer into autumn is anticipated to be severe *1. As the hot season is thus prolonged throughout the year, the market for thirst-quenching beverages is continuing to expand. Demand for iced coffee, which combines thirst-quenching properties with a pleasant taste, is also on an upward trend, with its stable sales at convenience store counters, the spread of 'Cold Brew' menus in cafes and coffee shops, and an increase in users enjoying quickly chilled iced coffee brewed from beans at home. Against this market backdrop, UCC has been developing a wide range of 'Mizui-ire' coffee products and menus as a new standard for iced coffee across all UCC group sales channels, including global markets, household, commercial, and food service, since last year. This is to allow many people to enjoy 'Mizui-ire' coffee, which has a clean, mellow taste with a rich aroma and minimal off-flavors. In particular, for household consumers, in addition to offering bag-type products in the regular coffee category and PET bottle-type products in the beverage category, we have continued activities to communicate the merits of 'Mizui-ire' coffee through in-store promotions and sampling events. As a result, the recognition rate of the term 'Mizui-ire' has reached approximately 40%. Considering that the recognition rate for general 'Mizudashi' (cold water brewing) is about 70% and for 'Cold Brew' is about 40%, this has been a year of steady progress in the recognition of 'Mizui-ire'. (According to UCC research)

'Cold Brew～Mizui-ire' - Aromatic and Refreshing Coffee, True to Iced Coffee The PET bottle products under the 『UCC Cold Brew』 brand are loved by many for their clean, mellow taste with suppressed off-flavors, as well as the concept of 'Mizui-ire' coffee and their stylish packaging. The annual sales volume for 2025, following the relaunch, significantly surpassed the previous year's annual sales volume.

This relaunch maintains the original aroma and mellow taste of regular coffee while further pursuing the clean aftertaste and drinkability unique to 'Mizui-ire' coffee. Additionally, the package design has been renewed to more clearly convey the brand's world view. The blend of coffee beans with fruity characteristics and UCC's unique roasting profile*2 remain unchanged. For BLACK, we have increased the proportion of coffee beans with fruity characteristics and revised the extraction conditions to pursue greater clarity and drinkability. This enhances the coffee flavor at the beginning of the sip, resulting in an iced coffee that is smooth on the throat yet has a rich body. For LATTE, the sweetness has been low...