Suntory

Suntory is the beverage and spirits house people reach for when they want Japanese whisky, beer, soft drinks, tea, and a very broad drink portfolio. By our assessment, its real strength is range: few companies move so comfortably between premium whisky, mass-market cans, and everyday drinks. The downside is that such breadth can make the brand feel less single-minded than a specialist producer, and the whisky side also carries the pressure that comes with global demand. In practice, Suntory is the kind of company that shows up in shelves, bars, vending machines, and export bottles, with a reputation built on both drinks and the craft image around some of them. Compared with smaller distillers, it is far more diversified and industrial. The company is Japanese, and that is part of why its name is tied so closely to modern Japanese drinks culture.