Manner's New Drinks Spark Debate Over Taste and Originality

Manner recently introduced two new drinks: Green Tonic and Arctic Ocean Orange Americano. Green Tonic combines tonic water and matcha, creating a layered look that appeals to matcha fans. However, many customers found the taste overwhelmingly bitter and sour, with some comparing it to the stress of a crowded train in extreme heat. The simple preparation also led some to feel it was overpriced for basic ingredients.

The Arctic Ocean Orange Americano was criticized for being too similar to the existing Iced Orange Americano. Some loyal customers expressed disappointment, noting that the new items seemed like mere rearrangements of existing ingredients. This raises questions about whether americano-style drinks are inherently bitter, especially when mixed with sweet or sour components. Despite Manner's reputation for quality, these launches left some fans wanting more innovation.

Manner recently quietly launched Green Tonic and Arctic Ocean Orange Americano, but they sparked heated discussion among coffee lovers. Green Tonic is made with tonic water and matcha liquid, with an attractive layered look, but the first sip is both sour and bitter, described as "the mood of squeezing onto a packed train in 42°C heat." Arctic Ocean Orange Americano was criticized for being highly similar to the existing Iced Orange Americano. Some fans complained that the new products were merely rearrangements and combinations of existing ingredients, and even calculated for the brand that it could still make 33 more drinks. Manner has always been known for stable quality, but these two new products left some loyal users disappointed.

▲ Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Workshop Yesterday, many consumers noticed that Manner quietly launched a refreshing drink called Green Tonic, and matcha lovers were thrilled when they heard the news, placing orders as soon as the menu was updated.

According to footage taken by customers on site, the staff's process was to first pour a sufficient amount of tonic water into a transparent takeaway cup, then top it with a layer of pre-made matcha liquid, and the drink was complete. After receiving it, some fans immediately entered photo-taking mode and hurried to capture a few beautiful shots while the layers were still clear enough to post on social media.

But after they contentedly put down their phones, inserted a straw, and took a small sip, the intertwined sour and bitter taste hit them straight in the head, and their whole face instantly scrunched up. Fans had not expected at all that this new product with such a fresh appearance would taste so bitter. "So bitter it reaches the root of the tongue, more bitter than my life," "After my colleague who likes matcha took one sip, she went from urban beauty to ferocious woman in seconds." Many people reported that tonic water itself has a sour and bitter taste, and when mixed with rich matcha liquid, the sensation after drinking it is like "the mood of a worker who still has to squeeze onto a packed train in 42°C heat."

In addition, customers who watched Green Tonic being made from start to finish also noticed that the ingredients and steps for this drink are extremely simple. As long as you have ice cubes, tonic water, and matcha ready, you can recreate an identical drink at home. Now looking at the Arctic Ocean Orange Americano that quietly launched last week, it is actually Arctic Ocean brand orange soda plus a shot of espresso. Some netizens said they had tried this way of drinking it long ago and had also made it at home several times, but they had not expected that this niche homemade special drink would be launched by the brand as a new product.

In the eyes of veteran fans, Manner is one of the representatives of specialty coffee brands, and its product development has always been able to bring users some surprises. For example, the previously launched Wampee Tonic series happened to coincide with the wampee season, and with its refreshing flavor it became a favorite among sparkling water lovers.

But looking back at these two recent new products, some people said bluntly that they are merely rearrangements and combinations of the ingredients Manner currently has on hand—orange soda mixed with espresso becomes Orange Americano, and matcha poured into tonic water becomes a cup of Green Tonic. So netizens let their imaginations run wild and "developed" all of Manner's new products for the next few weeks on its behalf: "(Green Tonic) with Arctic Ocean orange, called [Green-Yellow Gap Tonic]; with preserved plum syrup, called [Green Plum Tonic]; with grape juice, called [Green Grape Tonic]; with dried ginger, called [Green Sauce Soup]." Enthusiastic people also made some calculations based on the types of ingredients Manner is known to have, jokingly saying that the brand could still make 33 more drinks with the materials on hand.

In addition to complaining that Manner's new products are too casual, some loyal users also believed that this Arctic Ocean Orange Soda Americano "clashed" with the already existing Iced Orange Americano. After trying it, some people said the two tasted extremely similar, leaving people puzzled as to why Manner would develop a "competing product." Compared with other peers, Manner's beverage update frequency is not particularly fast, and in fans' minds its quality has always been guaranteed. If it happens to match market preferences, it becomes a hot-selling item that customers repeatedly repurchase. However, these two recently launched drinks seemed "a bit lacking" to users, and also made people feel disappointed with Manner's recent new product development. Image source: Xiaohongshu Disclaimer: Some images in this article are from the internet. For some content on the website, such as images, we will respect the original author's copyright and indicate the source. However, due to the large volume, there may be individual images or texts that have not yet been credited in time. Please understand. If the original author has any disputes, they may contact the website for handling. Once verified, we will correct it immediately. Compiled and edited by "Coffee Workshop." Please indicate the source when reposting. If there is infringement, please inform us for deletion. Thank you~!

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.