Coca-Cola is launching the first alcoholic drink in its history with a canned liquor product in Japan.

The drinks giant will experiment with a canned beverage called Chu-Hi, made up of distilled Japanese drink shochu, sparkling water and flavoring.

"This is unique in our history. Coca-Cola has always focused entirely on non-alcoholic beverages, and this is a modest experiment for a specific slice of our market," said Jorge Garduno, president of Coca-Cola's Japan business unit, in a post on the company's website.

Japan is a fiercely competitive market, Garduno added, with Coca-Cola launching 100 products a year in the country. "Experimentation is almost like a day-to-day ritual here. You can't fall behind the rapid product cycle in Japan," he said.