Luckin Coffee's New Moutai Liquor Lattes Are Like Soy Sauce In A Cup

Coffee kicks off many a morning, while alcohol winds down many a night. And with its latest latte flavor, Chinese coffee conglomerate Luckin Coffee is bringing the two together. Moutai coffee, which marks a collaboration with one of the country's signature spirits, Kweichow Moutai, goes beyond classic coffee liquor to merge a more savory and distinctive flavor with the morning's trademark beverage. 

The use of Moutai liquor has resulted in a sauce-flavored latte, with a taste often likened to soy sauce. Moutai is a common brand of baijiu, a strong Chinese spirit, though it clearly has purposes beyond sipping neat. Who knows? Maybe Moutai will earn its place in the coffee realm, right alongside cream and sugar.

Of course, the spirit is an alcohol, but Luckin's coffee drinkers don't necessarily need to worry about its strength. On its own, Moutai's liquor contains around 53% alcohol, but the latte as a whole has an alcohol content that hovers around 0.5%. Still, Luckin advises pregnant women, teenagers, and anyone driving a vehicle to steer clear of the latte. The drink is funky and unique, but, so far, all signs point to success. The numbers — and coffee cups — speak for themselves. 

On just its first date of launching, Luckin sold more than 5.42 million cups of the latte flavor. These numbers exceeded previous drink debuts; the company's cheese latte and coconut cloud lattes respectively sold 1.31 million and 660,000 cups on their individual launch dates. 

It's no surprise then that the latest numbers represent a new record for Luckin, which was established in 2017. As of early 2023, the coffee company had more than 9,000 stores across China, sharing coffee with a country that has, traditionally, been all about its tea. 

Granted, Luckin's newest latte isn't the first coffee drink to take full advantage of alcohol's flavors. Italy, for example, has long been known to spike its caffeine with something a little stronger. However, Luckin's latest drink is unique in flavor — and already slated for success. If you like your coffee as strong as your liquor, this may be the drink for you.