限定「白酒入りコーヒー」　中国のコーヒー好き大注目

【北京ＡＦＰ＝時事】中国・北京で今週、世界的に知られる同国の白酒をベースに作られたフレーバー入りコーヒーに注目が集まった。（写真は中国・北京の店舗で、「貴州茅台酒」のフレーバー入りコーヒーを準備する従業員）
　このコーヒーは、地元コーヒーチェーン「瑞幸珈琲（ラッキンコーヒー）」と酒造会社「貴州茅台酒」のコラボレーションで誕生した限定品。瑞幸珈琲のラテに、アルコール度数約５０％の白酒ベースのフレーバーが入っている。
　茅台酒自体の値段は５００ミリリットルで約２５００元（約５万円）と安くはない。ただ、限定品のコーヒーは、アルコール度数１％以下で価格も２０元（約４００円）以下とリーズナブルだ。
　中国のＳＮＳでは４日、このコーヒーが話題となった。市内の店舗で購入した女性（２５）は「アルコールは強くはないし、おいしいと友人から聞いた。自分も試したくなった」と投稿。
　「くらくらする」ので普段は白酒をあまり飲まないが、「これにはアルコールがあまり入っていないので頭も痛くならない」と感想をつづった。
　瑞幸珈琲の従業員はＡＦＰに対し、当日のオーダーの「約８割」が新製品に集中していると話した。同日午後には、注文が集中しすぎたため、新規の注文受け付けが打ち切られた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/09/06-17:23）

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 percent alcohol and retails at up to 2,500 yuan ($345) for a half-litre bottle.
Mercifully, the cream-topped, caffeinated concoction has a far lower alcohol content of under one percent and sells for less than 20 yuan.
It quickly became one of the most-discussed topics on Chinese social media on Monday, with hashtags about the limited-edition product racking up tens of millions of views on the popular Weibo platform.
My friends said it tastes pretty good, not too harsh. So I wanted to try this new product, said Yan Yumeng, 25, as she collected her order from a Luckin store in the centre of the Chinese capital Beijing.
Yan, who usually avoids drinking pure Moutai as she can't stand the heady brew, said she had previously sampled other trendy coffee products mixed with whiskey or mojito cocktails.
I'm not afraid of getting tipsy at the office, no! she smiled, having bought her latte during working hours.
There's hardly any alcohol in it, so it won't give me a headache.
Four staff members inside the store buzzed back and forth, frantically preparing dozens of lightly spiked coffees for delivery across the city.
A cashier told AFP that around 80 percent of the orders received so far that day had been for the limited-edition beverage.
How can we explain such huge sales? I think it's the 'Moutai effect', said customer Lian Chonghui, 37.
It's the national liquor, the most famous. This new coffee can attract people who haven't drunk it before, he said.
A notice on the window urged minors, pregnant women, drivers and people allergic to alcohol to avoid consuming Moutai coffee.
The outlet visited by AFP said it had stopped accepting new orders by Monday afternoon due to high demand.
Coffee was not traditionally consumed in China but has soared in popularity among younger people in the last two decades or so.
Wealthier cities boast large numbers of cafes selling everything from standard-issue americanos to complex creations flavoured with coconut milk or watermelon juice.
But while some drinkers enjoyed the dash of something stronger, others wrinkled their noses at the addition of a tipple that can be an acquired taste.
Frankly, there's nothing special about it, Beijing resident Alison Zhao, 38, told AFP.
It's just that there's a slight whiff of alcohol. I prefer regular coffee! she said.