MILAN – Luckin Coffee said it sold over 5.4 million cups of a new sauce-flavored latte with a jolt of Moutai liquor on the first day of its launch, setting a new sales record for the company. The Chinese coffee giant has joined forces with Kweichow Moutai, the maker of China’s fiery national liquor baijiu, for this unusual offering, which is priced at 38 yuan ($5.20).
Customers who order with an online coupon will be able to receive 50% off for a limited time, it said.
The new drink, offered to customers with a spurt of whipped cream on top.
Luckin said sales of the single item on Monday topped 100 million yuan ($13.72 million).
The new drink has already created strong buzz in China, with “Moutai coffee” a top trending subject on social network Weibo late on Monday.
The question “Can we drive a car after drinking that Moutai coffee?” was the number one subject on social network Weibo on Monday, with 430 million views.
Known as the national liquor of China, Moutai is a potent, colourless, throat-tingling spirit that typically contains 53% alcohol.
Each cup has just a tiny fraction of liquor, with an overall alcohol content of about 0.5%, according to Luckin.
Food and drink analyst Zhu Danpeng thinks the partnership between Moutai and Luckin Coffee could provide a strong boost to the sales and brand exposure of each company in China.
The launch of the Moutai-flavored coffee is not the first time a major coffee chain has offered alcoholic mixed drinks. Starbucks launched Bar Mixato in China in 2019.
