Suntory–Inspiring The Brilliance Of Life

The third-largest maker of distilled beverages – Suntory Holdings Limited is a Japanese multinational brewing & distilling group. This group has been enriching people’s lives through their diverse and top-quality products. Suntory is known for its premium spirits, beer & wine along with brewed teas, soft drinks, ready-to-drink coffee and various other products. While excellent as an all-rounder, the highlight of this group is their award-winning spirit and rich history which made the group reach peak popularity today. The international presence of this group is magnificent and the one thing that keeps pushing them towards success is their mission – ‘To create harmony with people & nature

The spirit of Suntory

The story of Suntory started in 1899 when Shinjiro Torii established Tori Shoten, where he produced & sold wine. His hard work is stated as the – ‘A Pioneer Spirit that Paved the Way for Western Liquors in Japan’. In 1907, the cornerstone of Suntory – Akadama Port Wine was launched and later on in 1973, it was renamed as Akadama Sweet Wine. In 1921, Kotobukiya Ltd. was founded and after two years the company set out to create an authentic whisky that had Japanese origins & was suitable for Japanese palates. Japan’s first malt whisky distillery – Yamazaki Distillery was built in 1923. 6 years later, 1929 witnessed the launch of Japan’s first authentic whisky – Suntory Whisky Shirofuda (white label). The launch of Suntory Whisky Katkubin (Square bottle) took place in 1937, this whisky envisaged everything Shinjiro had dreamed of.

The time between the 1960s and 1980s was all about the opening of the Suntory Art Museum, the launch of Suntory beer, the establishment of Hakushu distillery & the launch of the Save the Bird Campaign. In 1983, Suntory expanded its reach by managing the Château Lagrange winery in Bordeaux, France, this move enhanced the popularity of wine in Japan. In the 1990s – Suntory set its sights on becoming Japan’s leading food and beverage company. To support human health, Suntory’s health and wellness business was established in 1996, based on the research of polyphenols.

In 2003, Suntory’s Natural Water Sanctuary Project was launched which was followed by the launch of Mizuiku – Suntory’s exchange program for Nature and Water in 2004. Suntory is also praised for its advancement in the technical field – In 2004, based on fundamental technological research – Suntory developed the world’s first blue rose.

‘The Premium malts wins Japan’s first Grand Gold Medal* for the beer category at the Monde Selection in 2005, and continues on to win this prestigious Medal for the next two consecutive years.’ – Suntory.

A new corporate logo was adopted in 2005, the significance of the new logo is ‘water’, an indispensable source that is the foundation of Suntory. In order to increase its growth, Suntory acquired the Frucor Group and the Orangina Schweppes Group in 2009. Lucozade Ribena Suntory Limited was established in 2013. In the same year, Suntory Beverage & Food Limited was listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Beam Suntory Inc. world’s third-largest premium spirits company was established in the year 2014

2018 – Mizu to Ikiru

“Mizu To Ikiru”, literally “living with water”, is the promise we make to our customers and the voice of our philosophy. From here flow all our other brand attributes and every facet of our business. We value the blessings of water and deliver them as goodness that touches every part of our world. We protect water in all its forms. Like water, we change and adapt. Every day, we turn into something new.” – Suntory

Suntory Group has won a lot of awards and titles in the past years. The most recent one – the 2021 International Spirits Challenge bestowed this group with the title of – Japanese Whisky Distiller of the year along with many awards for its premium range of spirits. The most premium win was a Double Gold win for Hibiki 21. In this competition, Suntory won 21 medals including 13 gold medals.

The diverse portfolio of Suntory

Alcoholic drinks

Beers
Malts
Wine (Akadama, Delica Maison, Château Lagrange, Les Fiefs de Lagrange)
Brandy (Centenario, Courvoisier, Fundador)
Gin (Gilbey’s, Larios, Roku, Sipsmith)
Rum (Cruzan, Ronrico)
Tequila (100 Años, El Tesoro, Hornitos, Sauza, Sauza Tres Generaciones)
Vodka (Effen, Kamchatka, Pinnacle, Vox)
Whisky
American whiskey
Blended whiskey (Beam’s Eight Star, Kessler)
Kentucky Bourbon
Jim Beam (the top-selling brand of Kentucky bourbon)
Jim Beam small batch brands (Baker’s, Basil Hayden’s, Booker’s, Knob Creek)
Maker’s Mark
Old Crow
Old Grand-Dad
Rye whiskey (Jim Beam Rye, Knob Creek Rye, Old Overholt, (ri)1)
Canadian whisky (Alberta Premium, Canadian Club, Tangle Ridge, Windsor)
Irish whiskey (2 Gingers, Connemara, Grenore, Kilbeggan, Tyrconnell)
Japanese whisky (Hakushu, Hibiki, Torys, Suntory, Yamazaki)
Scotch whisky (Ardmore, Auchentoshan, Bowmore, Glen Garioch, Laphroaig, McClelland’s, Teacher’s)
Spanish whisky (DYC)
Cocktails and liqueurs
Calico Jack flavored rum
Midori Melon liqueur
Rubis Strawberry liqueur
Lena Banana liqueur
Mohala Mango liqueur
Blue Curacao
Skinnygirl pre-mixed margarita
Aki (discontinued in 1988)
Pavan
-196˚C Strong Zero