Maotai Latte Is a Hit—When Will Maotai-Flavored E-Cigarettes Take Off?

If there’s Maotai-flavored coffee, are there Maotai-flavored e-cigarettes too?

[Original by Liangge Zhishang] On September 4, Luckin Coffee and Kweichow Moutai officially launched their co-branded “Sauce-Flavored Latte.” Priced at 19 yuan per cup and marketed as containing less than 0.5% alcohol, the drink immediately attracted widespread attention.

Image source: Liangge Zhishang

If there’s Maotai-flavored coffee, are there Maotai-flavored e-cigarettes as well? On September 4, Hu Xin, CEO of Yunshuo Technology, told Liangge Zhishang that there are indeed Maotai-flavored e-cigarettes. 

Maotai-flavored e-liquid | Image source: Yunshuo Technology 

Hu Xin explained that Maotai-flavored e-liquid falls under the category of alcohol-inspired e-liquids. Other flavors in this category include Margarita, Godfather, Louis XIII, whisky, brandy, pomegranate-pineapple-orange punch, grape punch, and lemongrass lemon mint liqueur.
However, unlike the suddenly viral “Sauce-Flavored Latte,” alcohol-flavored e-cigarettes have remained a relatively niche segment in the market, and are currently more popular only in certain European markets and in Russia. Even so, Hu Xin believes that although alcohol-flavored e-cigarettes have not become a major trend, they are definitely a promising category.

Regarding the development trend of alcohol-inspired e-liquids, Hu Xin believes the outlook for cocktail flavors (also referred to as fruit wine flavors) is more optimistic. This is because cocktails both continue the flavor preferences of fruit-flavor consumers and benefit from trend-setting in the beverage market. They can not only satisfy users’ demand for fruit flavors, but also provide a more enjoyable experience.

Hu Xin said that any flavor capable of giving users a pleasurable experience has market potential. Users’ flavor preferences and consumption habits require continuous promotion and cultivation by all sides of the market. After all, flavors like watermelon and mung bean popsicle were not widely available from the beginning; they emerged gradually as the market developed.