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Rebrand opens doors for Indonesia’s Anggur Kolesom Premium

17 October 2024 By Michael Huband

A new look and careful targeting of the on-trade are supporting future growth for Anggur Kolesom Premium, a leading ginseng wine.

Having produced Anggur Kolesom since 1948, Orang Tua knows a thing or two about the classic Indonesian drink. The combination of sweet wine and ginseng is part of a long tradition of herbal-flavoured alcoholic beverages in Indonesia, with Orang Tua one of the nation’s leading producers.

However, after 75 years on the market, the company is making a change. With the recently released Anggur Kolesom Premium, it is updating the brand for the 21st Century. Whilst retaining the much-loved recipe, Orang Tua is proving it can take pride of place in Indonesia’s modern food and drink industry.

Updating a classic drink

The origins of Anggur Kolesom – a name which directly translates to ‘Ginseng Wine’ stretch far back. Herbal drinks, used as medicines, have been drunk in the country for centuries. Jamu, for instance, is a traditional herbal remedy that dates back to the 8th century AD. Such is its significance that Jamu Wellness Culture was registered on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2023.

Ginseng has also long featured as a traditional infusions and medicine. Proponents believe it can boost energy, improve circulation and help with relaxation.

Anggur Kolesom pays homage to this long tradition by adding real ginseng to its grape-based wine. The ginseng adds a pleasantly bitter and warming note, much like wormwood or gentian might in European drinks.

However, Orang Tua has matched that traditional appeal to a modern look with the release of Anggur Kolesom Premium. The update is helping the brand compete in a global marketplace.

Instead of the colourful label of the original version, Anggur Kolesom Premium has a luxurious black and gold design, featuring a weighty base, embossed text and a gold coin detail. The bottle is sold in a gift tube and comes with a branded shot glass, the suggested way to enjoy Anggur Kolesom Premium.

Modern ways to sell tradition

As part of the new product launch, Orang Tua is capitalising upon its position as one of the leaders in Indonesia’s drinks trade. With both expertise and history behind it, it is continually finding new ways to introduce the product to drinkers.

Its recent collaborations, for instance, have seen it partner with restaurants. These listings have seen it served both by itself and as a cocktail ingredient. The offerings are varied too, with the establishments ranging from Indonesian to Chinese to Italian cuisines.

However, Anggur Kolesom Premium is still making the most of a key asset, the heritage behind Orang Tua. ‘Warisan Tradisi’, which translates to ‘cultural heritage’, is central to the Indonesian food and drink scene.

That can mean revered cultural practices that stretch back generations, but at its simplest the tradition is one of passing things down through generations. The ideal of ‘Warisan Tradisi’ is for one generation to pass knowledge, traditions and, indeed, business to the next.

That is the case for Orang Tua, which has passed down generations as a company, and for the drinking practices it represents. From grandfather to father to son, it has become a meaningful tradition. Even the company’s name, Orang Tua, means parent. As Anggur Kolesom Premium opens new doors for the company, that generational heritage is not being forgotten.

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