V (with lychee) gives Chinese a boost

V, the energy drink that began life in south Auckland, is heading for China.

There's a twist: pick up a can of V in China and it will include flavours such as grapefruit and lychee. The energy drink has been reformulated to suit Chinese tastes but still contains the guarana and B vitamins that helped it take off as a pick-me-up here.

V is a home-grown brand developed by former New Zealand Apple & Pear board spin-off Frucor, a company swallowed by Danone in 2002. It is the second drink from Frucor to make the leap into the huge Chinese market. The first, Mizone, now sells hundreds of millions of units a year.