Beer and soft drinks giant Asahi Beverages, which owns the Carlton & United Breweries business which makes Victoria Bitter and Carlton Draught, has acquired premium low-calorie soft drinks and mixers group StrangeLove nine years after it was established.

Asahi Beverages chief executive Robert Iervasi said StrangeLove had been growing fast in a broader category which would largely be immune from an economic downturn as consumers continued to trade up to higher-end products.