Coffee Cherry Ingredients

The Kirin Holdings Company's Institute for Future Beverage successfully developed a fermented ingredient derived from coffee cherries that enhances body and aroma, and has the potential to improve the drinking satisfaction of non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beverages.

Kirin’s proprietary wine aroma enhancement technology, originally developed for wine, was applied to fermenting juice extracted and concentrated from coffee cherries using lactic acid bacteria and yeast. According to Kirin, "This fermented material was found to enhance various sensory qualities—such as warmth, fermentation character, alcoholic impression, fruity notes, and richness—across a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages."

The pulp and skin of coffee cherries, the red fruits of the coffee plant, are commonly discarded, but the company incorporated this waste-reducing ingredient into limited-time offerings like the Kirin Tokusei Melon Soda Sour, released in May 2025, and the Kirin Tokusei Mikan Cider Sour, set to be released on November 25th.