A fizzy lemon-flavored alcoholic drink that went on sale in Japan on Monday marked Coca-Cola Co.'s KO 0.66% first fling at selling alcohol in its 132-year history.

At a sampling event in Fukuoka on Saturday, hundreds of people lined up for a taste, including some who didn't expect to find the U.S. company experimenting with Japanese-style booze.

Hiroshi Tsukano, 59 years old, a financial planner, thought one of Coca-Cola's competitors was relaunching an old favorite. "I'm a bit surprised that this is a Coca-Cola brand," he said. "It's nice, but I would add a splash of grapefruit or more lemon to it."