South Korea: Lotte Chilsung to expand its non-alcoholic beer lineup

Lotte Chilsung is set to expand its non-alcoholic beer lineup nearly one year and seven months after launching Cloud Non-Alcoholic, introducing a new lemon-lime flavor, Heraldcorp.com reported on August 13.

According to industry sources Thursday, Lotte Chilsung has completed a product manufacturing report for "Cloud Non-Alcoholic Lemon Lime" with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and is reviewing a launch timeline. The manufacturing report is a regulatory procedure in which companies submit product details — including name, type, ingredients and raw materials — before production and retail distribution begin. It is generally considered the final step before a new product hits shelves.

The new product is the first follow-up to Cloud Non-Alcoholic since the original launched in January last year, a gap of about one year and seven months. Cloud Non-Alcoholic is a non-alcoholic beer with an alcohol content of 0.3 percent or below, classified as a carbonated beverage under food regulations. It uses a special yeast that suppresses alcohol production during fermentation while preserving the taste and aroma of the Cloud brand.

This marks the first time Lotte Chilsung has introduced a fruit flavor in its non-alcoholic beer range. The company's zero-sugar soju brand Saero has expanded into fruit varieties — including apricot, hardy kiwi and omija berry — but no such attempt had been made on the beer side. Last year, the company streamlined its beer portfolio by discontinuing Cloud Clear, Cloud Clear Zero and its draft beer business, and folding the Krush brand into Cloud.

The lineup expansion is a strategic response to growing consumer preference for non-alcoholic options. According to Euromonitor, South Korea's non-alcoholic and alcohol-free beer market grew from 8.1 billion won ($5.72 million) in 2014 to 70.4 billion won in 2024, and is projected to approach 100 billion won next year. Sales of Cloud Non-Alcoholic have risen about 40 percent compared with the original product.

The "sober curious" movement — a trend, particularly among younger consumers, toward mindful or reduced drinking — is spreading, prompting brewers to broaden their non-alcoholic offerings. OB Beer last month relaunched Cass Lemon Squeeze Zero, a non-alcoholic version of its Cass Lemon Squeeze. Hite Jinro also released a new non-alcoholic beer-flavored drink, Hite Zero 0.00 Lemon & Yuzu, last month, following the March debut of its alcohol-free Terra Zero.

"We are reviewing the launch of a new Cloud Non-Alcoholic flavor to actively respond to the growing non-alcoholic beer market," a Lotte Chilsung official said. "The exact release schedule is still under internal discussion."

14 August, 2026