'Cass Family' beers win 2021 Superior Taste Award
The three products of the 'Cass Family' of beers: Cass Fresh, Cass Light and non-alcoholic Cass 0.0 / Courtesy of OB
By Kim Jae-heun
The first half of this year has been a tremendous time for Oriental Brewery (OB), as its flagship beer brand Cass has swept awards both here and outside the country.
There are three types of Cass beers: the recently redesigned Cass Fresh, the low-calorie Cass Light, and the non-alcoholic Cass 0.0. Together, the company has named the group of beers the “Cass Family.”
On June 1, the Cass Family won the Superior Taste Award from the International Taste Institute (ITI).
The ITI has been rating more than 15,000 food and drink products from around the world since 2005. Its jury includes renowned chefs and sommeliers, and they give marks to evaluate products and grant independent certification for the most outstanding products.
Cass beers have received decent grades in various areas, including: taste, scent and first impression. They were the only Korean beers to have won an award at the event. Cass is proud to share this achievement as it believes the award has raised its reputation.
Cass Fresh and Cass Light received one and two stars, respectively, winning the Superior Taste Award for the second consecutive year. Cass 0.0, which was first introduced this year, also earned one star.
Meanwhile, the Cass Family has consolidated its position as the best-selling beer brand in Korea.
According to Nielson Korea, Cass Fresh took about 38 percent of the domestic market share in the first quarter to lead the household market. This figure is over double the No. 2 domestic beer's market share.
“It is a big accomplishment, considering that hundreds of alcoholic beverages, including craft beers, imported beers and local beers, are fiercely competing in the local market,” an OB official said.
Cass Light made it to the top 10 list of bestsellers in the first quarter of this year as well. This achievement is meaningful as the beer market has been shrinking due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, as people have been drinking less beer at restaurants and nightclubs over the last year.
Cass 0.0 is making its presence known as a non-alcoholic beverage in Korea. About 1 million cans of Cass 0.0 were sold online in March, only four months after its launch.
Cass 0.0 is an alcohol-free beer but it provides the typical fizzy and fresh taste of beer.