Introduction:Luckin Coffee is set to launch a brand-new fruit tea beverage called "Snow Cheese Grape," which bears an uncanny resemblance in appearance to Heytea’s classic "Light Cheese Juicy Grape." This has sparked widespread discussion in the market. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the similarities and differences between the two drinks in terms of ingredient combinations, flavor profiles, and production techniques. It also explores Luckin’s strategic shift toward tea beverages and gathers firsthand feedback from staff regarding the increased complexity of the new product—helping readers fully understand the market positioning and potential impact of this new offering.
Luckin Coffee recently announced the upcoming release of a new fruit tea product named "Snow Cheese Grape." Shortly after the news broke, it quickly became a hot topic on social media platforms. Based on the currently available information and images, this new product features a rich grape juice base, paired with a fresh and delicate jasmine tea liquor, and is topped with a layer of smooth and creamy snow cheese topping. Its overall appearance closely resembles Heytea’s popular "Light Cheese Juicy Grape," leaving many consumers saying they “can hardly tell them apart.”
This newly launched fruit tea beverage showcases a distinctly tea-based style, both visually and in taste. According to reports, its tea base is made with jasmine tea, which offers a natural floral aroma and a subtle sweetness, complemented by freshly squeezed grape juice—adding layers of tartness and sweetness with a hint of tea fragrance. The top layer of snow cheese topping provides a velvety texture and rich creaminess, further enhancing the overall flavor complexity.
However, the visual design of this new product immediately reminded many consumers familiar with the tea drink market of Heytea’s classic "Light Cheese Juicy Grape." In fact, the "Juicy Grape" series was first introduced by Heytea in 2018, gaining instant fame for its visible abundance of real grape pulp and smooth tea base, quickly becoming a favorite in the tea drink scene. By 2022, Heytea further upgraded the product by adding a "Cheese Cloud Top"—similar to what is now seen as the cheese topping—making the drink even more diverse in both texture and flavor.
Some netizens have pointed out that Luckin’s recently launched beverages mainly focus on fruit teas and milk teas—for example, previous releases like "Good Persimmon Duo Fruit Tea" and "Belgian Dark Chocolate Black Tea." In contrast, the proportion of purely coffee-based new products has noticeably decreased. This shift in product strategy has led some consumers to joke that Luckin seems less and less like a coffee shop and more like a tea beverage brand.
Not only are consumers discussing this at length, but Luckin’s store staff have also voiced practical concerns about the rollout of this new product. Feedback from multiple store employees indicates that the production process for "Snow Cheese Grape" is relatively complex. While the overall steps remain standardized, it requires the preparation of multiple ingredients—including jasmine tea liquor, grape juice, and the snow cheese topping—in advance, with strict requirements for the proportions and order of addition for each component. This change has added to the workload for staff who are accustomed to simpler and faster preparation routines.
One employee recalled that the Light Brewed Milk Tea series launched in 2024, while initially met with complaints from many staff, now seems relatively simple by today’s standards. They expressed concern that as new products become increasingly similar to tea beverage production processes, not only could daily work efficiency be affected—especially during peak sales periods like Chinese New Year—but complicated preparation steps might disrupt the usual workflow when handling large volumes of orders. This could negatively impact overall serving efficiency, even hurting the store’s KPI performance and ultimately affecting staff evaluations.
Overall, Luckin’s launch of "Snow Cheese Grape" not only demonstrates a further strategic move into the tea beverage market but has also sparked extensive discussions among consumers and internal staff regarding brand strategy and practical operations. For coffee enthusiasts eager to try new flavors, this fruit tea that combines grape aroma, jasmine tea notes, and a cheese topping undoubtedly offers a refreshing taste experience. However, it also raises questions about how Luckin will continue to balance its focus between coffee and tea beverages in the future.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
