New Chinese-Style Coffee Trend Creates Baijiu-Infused Coffee! Young People Are Also Drinking Moutai and Wuliangye

Humanity has gone to extraordinary lengths in pursuit of a little neural stimulation and the thrill of a buzz. Alcohol + coffee may be the most extreme combination of both body and mind — and it's entirely legal.

Back in the 1940s, foreign bars began popularizing hot coffee combined with spirits — spirit-led, coffee secondary — deepening the flavor and layers of the spirit itself. From there, the alcohol-and-coffee pairing gradually spread into cafés.

Baristas, unlike bartenders, focus on letting the coffee show more flavor and structure. As specialty coffee culture has matured, drinkers pay ever more attention to how spirits and coffee pair — and to the individuality of each — hoping that after fusion their respective characters surface at different moments, unfolding across three stages: front, middle, and back.

The Rise of Alcohol Coffee in China

There were never many shops in China selling alcohol coffee, but as younger consumers increasingly chase a state of gentle tipsiness, alcohol coffee has become one of the mainstream specialty products in domestic coffee shops — a shift that began when consumers started picking up alcoholic drinks and coffees from convenience stores in broad daylight.

Why do young people want that slightly tipsy state? Partly it's the search for a way to relax; partly it's that a small amount of alcohol genuinely eases anxiety. So demand for alcohol coffee runs heaviest in the morning. Which is why not only independent cafés but also chain coffee shops have launched coffee drinks containing alcohol, available any time of day.

The "New Chinese Style" Trend

And with the "New Chinese Style" trend, the alcohol in the glass has shifted from foreign spirits to Chinese ones. Moutai and Wuliangye have become the classic representatives of New Chinese Style alcohol coffee.

Compared with assertive spirits like whiskey and brandy, the aroma of these two Chinese baijiu is far gentler. Combined with coffee, they deliver the mild buzz of alcohol without overwhelming the coffee's taste, and they lend a hint of sweetness plus a fermented aroma. Since Chinese spirits + coffee launched two years ago, it has stayed a constant focus for coffee brands — from the independent cafés that first poured Moutai Dirty to major chains rolling out Wuliangye specialty coffee. Whatever the version, the pairing reliably draws crowds.

Beyond the novelty, the appeal is access: it's a chance to taste precious Chinese spirits in an affordable form. As one netizen put it: "I can't afford thousands of yuan for Moutai, but I can afford a few dozen yuan for a Moutai Dirty!"

The Future of Innovation

From today's vantage, the "Coffee + x" category keeps reinventing itself, and this kind of product extension looks set to become a lasting trend — future innovation will keep producing new combinations without end.

That doesn't make tradition the enemy. Tradition and innovation aren't in conflict — innovation is built on tradition's foundation, improving on it to create greater value.

Whether "Coffee + x" wins consumers through taste buds, drives the market forward with novel creativity, or simply becomes a passing combination fad, it must eventually answer to the consumer. "Tastes good — and holds up to scrutiny" is the only standard that matters.

Image source: Internet

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Novelty drinks come and go, but a classic mellow pour-over never does. If you'd rather savor the coffee itself, these FrontStreet Coffee classics are the enduring answer:

FrontStreet Brazil Queen Estate — Where Mandheling represents power, Queen Estate stands for gentleness and balance: prominent nut, cocoa, and caramel aromas in a rounded, smooth cup, with low acidity and standout sweetness. Stable in pour-over, moka pot, or espresso — the long-term daily bean for lovers of traditional coffee flavor.

FrontStreet Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 — From the Clifton estate in Jamaica's certified Blue Mountain growing region, where high-altitude mist, volcanic soil, and a mild climate let the cherries ripen slowly into that famously harmonious cup: smooth and rounded, with cream, caramel, chocolate, nuts, and honey in a clean, lingering finish. Roasted medium-dark, it's a classic you can trust for daily drinking or gifting.

FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling — The representative of top-grade Mandheling: beans screened above 18-mesh size, fewer than 3 defects per 300g sample to meet the highest G1 grade, then hand-sorted three times for exceptional cleanliness and sweetness. The wet-hulled Sumatran character — thick body, earthy and herbal depth — is exactly the taste that coffee veterans fall for and never quite leave.