China's coffee lovers go crazy for liquor-laced latte

A Luckin Coffee employee prepares baijiu liquor-flavoured latte, the latest product in collaboration with Chinese liquor brand Kweichow Moutai, at a Luckin Coffee shop in Beijing on September 4, 2023. The coffee company which rivals Starbucks on September 4 launched the beverage containing extracts of the popular Chinese distilled liquor, causing a rush in stores and enthusiasm on social media. (Photo by Jade GAO / AFP)

A latte laced with throat-scorching liquor has proved a hit in China, with coffee lovers crowding stores in Beijing on Monday to get their hands on the exclusive drink.

The boozy beverage – a collaboration between coffee chain Luckin and distiller Kweichow Moutai – mixes milky coffee with a flavouring based on a traditional firewater that is around 50% alcohol and retails at up to 2,500 yuan (RM1,600) for a half-litre bottle.