A limited-edition ready-to-drink cocktail from Islay whisky brand Big Peat has sold out across 15,000 Japanese stores within weeks of its mid-August launch.
Douglas Laing & Co. Brings Big Peat Highball to Japan
The collaboration between Scottish independent bottler Douglas Laing & Co. and Japan Import System (JIS) marks the first RTD offering from the Big Peat brand. The canned highball combines the brand’s signature smoky Islay character with carbonation, creating a 7% ABV beverage that merges traditional Scottish whisky with Japan’s popular highball format.
Big Peat blends single malts from Islay distilleries including Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Bowmore, and Port Ellen. The brand bottles its whiskies without coloring or chill-filtration, maintaining what it describes as an “unmistakably maritime and smoky style.”
Big Peat Highball Success Reflects Japanese RTD Demand
The rapid sellout demonstrates strong consumer appetite for premium RTD formats in Japan’s whisky market. Japanese consumers responded positively to both the product’s bold packaging design and its flavor profile, which delivers smoky sweetness, peat smoke, and coastal notes in a carbonated format.
Social media posts and video content helped drive nationwide awareness of the product following its launch. Consumer feedback highlighted the immediate smokiness upon opening the can and the refined quality despite the convenient format.
“Big Peat has built his reputation as a seriously smoky Islay Malt, adored by Whisky fans around the world,” said Cara Laing, Managing Director at Douglas Laing & Co. “To see ‘him’ take this bold new step into RTD, in a market as important and pioneering as Japan, is incredibly exciting.”
The success of this limited release suggests growing opportunities for premium whisky brands in the ready-to-drink category, particularly in markets where highball consumption is already established.
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