Income tax paid by the business was relatively flat at $42.3m for the year, although the company did pay a dividend of $125m to its parent Coca-Cola Europacific API Partners.
Overall the business reported a net profit of $109.2m, up 9.7% from $99.5m the year prior.
Coca-Cola New Zealand has been approached for comment.
Category expansion
Coca-Cola launched its first branded alcoholic beverage in New Zealand earlier this year, including pre-mixed Jack Daniel’s whiskey and Coca-Cola drink, as well as an Absolut Vodka and Sprite mix.
The collaboration between the major brands was made possible after Coca-Cola entered a global partnership with Brown-Forman, the owner of Jack Daniel’s, in late 2022.
The decision to bring the products to New Zealand was made later in 2025.
Coca-Cola vice-president and general manager of alcoholic ready-to-drink (aRTD) for Asean and South Pacific, Matthias Blume, said the collaboration made sense.
“How often do you get to enter into a country with a portfolio of brands where the consumer really understands the category?” Blume said.
“You often build something from scratch, and here it’s coming into a market that’s quite mature. We know New Zealanders are quite loyal, but at the same time, especially over the last three years, we’ve seen a lot more innovation come in.”
Sales of the products “significantly exceeded forecasts” by the company; it later confirmed its Absolut Vodka/Sprite had nearly sold out.
Blume said Coca-Cola could consider collaborations with local producers in the future, and the release of the alcoholic products wouldn’t be the last in New Zealand.
Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism.
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