Earlier this month, Suntory released the newest iteration of its ready-to-drink Hakushu Highball, made with the signature spirit produced at its Hakushu distillery. That’s not the only canned whisky cocktail Suntory is serving up this summer, though.
Next on the schedule is the Suntory World Whisky Ao Highball. Ao gets its “world whisky” designation by being a blended whisky that sources its components from five famed whisky-producing regions in which Suntory operates, drawing from the Suntory Yamazaki and Hakushu Distilleries in Japan, Ireland’s Cooley distillery, the U.S.’s Jim Bean Clermont Distillery, Canada’s Alberta Distillery, and Scotland’s Ardmore and Glen Garioch Distilleries.

In Japanese, the word ao means “blue,” and Suntory says the name was chosen to symbolize “the sea that unites the continents,” and that instead of blending Ao’s component whiskies to homogenize their taste, this mixture is crafted to smoothly layer and highlight their respective characteristic qualities.

This is Suntory’s first time to offer an Ao-based ready-to-drink canned beverage, and it promises an aroma with an inviting touch of sweetness, rich flavor, and a comfortably smoky finish, all with no mixing or stirring required on your part before you partake of the 9-percent-alcohol cocktail.

The Suntory World Whisky Ao Highball is priced at 350 yen and goes on sale, in limited quantities, at stores across Japan on August 5.
Source: PR Times
Insert images: Suntory, PR Times
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
-- Suntory’s prized Hakushu whisky is going into a can for the Premium Highball Hakushu
-- Suntory’s famous Yamazaki whisky returns to canned cocktails with new highball version
-- Famous Japanese whisky Hakushu canned cocktails coming back with new recipe
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- https://soranews24.com/2025/06/16/suntorys-new-canned-whisky-cocktail-is-its-first-for-world-whisky-ao/
4 Comments
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3RENSHO
Brilliant marketing!
Harry_Gatto
Sacrilege to do this to any decent whisky.
1glenn
"canned whiskey cocktail." The title says it all. Although, in defense of a long tradition of Japanese high quality, I am willing to try it. Might be better than canned beer, or canned soda pop.
kurisupisu
Ao is not one of Suntory’s better creations.
It is just about fit enough to be watered down and put in a can though…