Coolpis, Korea’s iconic probiotic drink, just added a new flavor to its lineup. The timing feels right: as spicy K-food continues its global takeover, thirst-quenching beverages that calm the heat are suddenly in demand.
On March 30, Dongwon F&B announced the launch of the new product, ‘Coolpis Saeng (Fresh) Banana.’ It’s the brand’s boldest flavor move since 2011—roughly 15 years in the making. The new variant balances banana’s natural sweetness with Coolpis’s trademark tang and contains probiotics cultured for 44 hours.
Introduced in 1980 as Korea’s first probiotic beverage, Coolpis celebrates its 46th anniversary this year. Over the decades it has built its reputation around fruit flavors—peach, pineapple and plum among them—and now sells about 80 million units annually.
Recently, Coolpis has become the go-to drink paired with spicy dishes like tteokbokki, boosting its presence in restaurants. Industry experts say that as K-food’s global popularity spotlights heat-forward dishes, Coolpis’s ability to neutralize spice could help it expand into overseas markets.
A Dongwon F&B spokesperson said the company created the new flavor to refresh the long-running brand and will continue investing in R&D to strengthen the product’s competitiveness.
From the start, Coolpis used its strong name recognition to help shape Korea’s probiotic drink market. Imitators that copied its design and flavor once flooded the market—around 1987 some 10 rival brands released similar products—yet Coolpis has maintained the No. 1 market share.
Sales have steadily climbed. Company data show an average annual growth rate of roughly 10% in recent years. A quirky part of that growth is the ‘freeze-and-eat’ habit: in the 1980s and ’90s, Coolpis slushies sold at stationery shops outside schools became a teenage craze and a cultural touchstone.
Most importantly, pairing with spicy food has broadened Coolpis’s appeal. Tteokbokki shops often sell it alongside their dishes, and many restaurants include it as a must-have in set menus. The brand has leaned into targeted marketing—printing drinking tips on packaging to match how people actually enjoy it.
The product line has evolved with the times. After the original fruit-based offerings, the brand launched ‘Coolpis Tok’ in 2014, adding carbonation for a fizzy kick. Consumers embraced it for mixing into fruit punch or freezing into icy snacks.
Riding the ‘healthy pleasure’ trend, the company also introduced ‘Coolpis Tok Zero’ with reduced sugar and calories. Available in peach and pineapple, the line includes postbiotics to help it stand out.
As spicy Korean dishes—from hot ramen to mala soups and tteokbokki—win fans around the world, interest in Coolpis has surged again. People are rediscovering it as the ideal follow-up to fiery meals.
A Dongwon F&B spokesperson added that the spread of K-food and a growing taste for spice have driven renewed interest, and the company plans to keep launching new flavors while pursuing active R&D.
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