7-Eleven Introduces Self-Serve Alcohol-Coffee Mixing Station! Can Alcohol and Coffee Be Consumed Together?

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The Rise of Convenience Store Cocktails

As lifestyles change, the trending drink of the past two years hasn't been holiday specials or brand collaborations but a personal creation of convenience store shoppers: the convenience store cocktail.

A box of soft drink, a cup of coffee, and a miniature bottle of liquor. As the saying goes, nothing is difficult in this world if you set your mind to it, and netizens set about building "brutal" cocktail concoctions.

The method: buy a box of soft drink, take a couple of sips, cut a larger round opening next to the straw hole, and force an entire miniature bottle of liquor in. Voila, a cocktail. Or buy an Americano or latte from a coffee shop, take a couple of sips, push a whole miniature bottle through the straw hole, and you've got a coffee cocktail.

Why the Trend Went Viral

Easy to make, cheap, and good-looking. With netizens imitating each other and innovating constantly on social platforms, convenience store cocktail posts have racked up over 400 million views since the trend took off.

7-Eleven Responds

As demand grew, 7-Eleven recently decided it couldn't sit on the sidelines any longer. Rather than watch netizens' "brutal" methods take over, 7-Eleven began trialing a self-serve cocktail mixing station at a Beijing store. The station offers four base spirits: Jameson Irish Whiskey, Kahlua Coffee Liqueur, Havana Rum and Malibu Coconut Rum, the most popular DIY bases among netizens.

Previously, netizens had to buy a cup of coffee or another soft drink at full price (3-20 yuan) and then a miniature bottle at full price (20-40 yuan for 50ml). The self-serve station cuts the cost of DIY dramatically: for just over ten yuan on average you can build many of the popular convenience store variations. 7-Eleven also thoughtfully posted popular cocktail coffee and cocktail recipes at the station. All you do is buy a 7-Eleven Americano or latte, and for an extra 3 yuan you can add one pump (about 30ml) of base spirit, with four choices available.

How It Works

If you don't care for coffee, you can also buy an ice cup and add a pump of base spirit for an extra 7 yuan, then mix in soft drinks to taste; you can even mix the liquor straight with ice. If one pump isn't enough, add another for 7 yuan more. After buying your coffee or ice cup, just press the cup against the top of the dispenser and the stand releases a measured amount of base spirit. Compared with the "force it in" approach, this is clearly far more elegant.

Public Reaction

Once it launched, netizens elsewhere grew envious and eagerly asked 7-Eleven to roll the self-serve station out to more stores. Some said the reason convenience store cocktails became so popular is precisely that people enjoy the "brutal" process of forcing a liquor bottle in, and that although the station is much cheaper, it's also too gentle.

The Cultural Significance

Convenience store cocktail mixing may look like youthful mischief, but it actually reflects how people today no longer care about context when drinking coffee or alcohol. That is likely to be a future direction for both the coffee and the liquor industries.

Changing Consumer Behavior

Today, the main consumers in both industries are those born in the 1990s. Convenience, value and DIY are what this young generation wants. Compared with the past, when drinking coffee and alcohol was mostly about work and socializing, more people now focus on the products themselves. Drinking is no longer about getting drunk but about a pleasant buzz for relaxing and healing; coffee is no longer for showing off but for staying alert, going with breakfast, or aiding digestion after lunch, an ordinary daily drink. Compared with the offerings and prices of many coffee shops and bars, convenience store cocktails clearly appeal more to young consumers. Whether it tastes good doesn't matter much; what matters is that the process of making it brings joy.

Important Reminders

Finally, as always: minors should not drink alcohol.

If you've been drinking, don't drive.

Alcohol harms the liver, so drink in moderation.

Image source: Internet

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If mixing coffee with spirits has you experimenting at home, the coffee base is worth choosing carefully, and FrontStreet Coffee's milk-friendly blends hold up to the job. FrontStreet Classic Blend is designed for espresso and moka pot alike, and its real strength is a superb layer of crema that even beginners can pull on a basic home machine; a traditional Mamba-style recipe keeps it mellow and smooth enough for lattes, cappuccinos and Dirty.

For a nuttier, more balanced base, FrontStreet Premium Blend and FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend are the best companions for milk, with Brazilian coffee in the lead providing almond, walnut and macadamia notes over a silky body. And if you'd rather build a fruit-forward, cocktail-style drink, FrontStreet Strawberry Candy blends Arabica from several regions into a bright strawberry-gummy sweetness that works as a daily cup at home or as a signature drink in a shop.