Is the Luckin Loopy Watermelon Cold Brew Worth Trying?

Luckin launched its Loopy collaboration on Monday, releasing the pink Big Watermelon Raw Coconut Cold Brew plus themed merchandise. Some customers were told to wait 18 minutes because the cold brew liquid had to be steeped fresh. Early tasters reported strong watermelon and coconut flavors with little coffee presence, and some compared the taste to watermelon rind or overripe juice.

Staff explained the drink itself is simple, just several ingredients mixed in proportion and finished in minutes once materials are ready. The delay only happens when the cold brew concentrate runs out, since coffee grounds need an 18-minute steep. The case echoes a recurring question about whether cold brew drinks mask the coffee, an effect some drinkers describe as a cold brew that tastes like alcohol.

On Monday, Luckin's collaboration with meme top star Loopy arrived as scheduled, simultaneously launching the pink new product Big Watermelon Raw Coconut Cold Brew and themed merchandise. Fans were enthusiastic, but some consumers who went to the store to pick up their orders were told they had to wait 18 minutes, because the cold brew liquid needed to be freshly brewed on the spot. What sparked even more discussion was that the first wave of tasters reported the drink had strong watermelon and coconut flavors, but almost no coffee taste, with some even describing it as tasting like watermelon rind or juice squeezed from nearly spoiled watermelon. How did this collaboration new product actually perform? Has the issue of cold brew coffee's presence once again become a point of criticism? This article takes you to find out.

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Monday has arrived, and Luckin's new round of collaboration has appeared on schedule. According to official information, Luckin has once again joined hands with the "top female star" of the meme world, Loopy, to launch the new product Big Watermelon Raw Coconut Cold Brew, which is as pink as Loopy, along with a series of themed merchandise.

As soon as the menu was updated, many loyal Loopy fans quickly placed orders, afraid that if they were even slightly slow, they would miss out on the "female star" merchandise. Of course, besides consumers coming for the merchandise, Luckin's regular customers were more concerned about how this new product tasted, and many placed an order for a cup on their commute to try it.

However, when some consumers arrived at the store this morning to pick up their drinks directly, they were told they still had to wait 18 minutes before it could be made. This differed from the public's perception of Luckin's drink-serving speed, forcing office workers rushing to clock in to switch the new product for other coffee.

In response, Luckin staff explained that the production of Big Watermelon Raw Coconut Cold Brew itself is not complicated; it only requires mixing several ingredients in proportion, and when the materials are ready, it can be completed in a few minutes. But if the most critical cold brew coffee liquid happens to run out, they must prepare it on the spot, letting coffee grounds steep for 18 minutes to obtain the cold brew liquid needed to make the drink.

According to official regulations, cold brew liquid can only be brewed and used on the same day, so the morning shift staff began hurriedly making cold brew coffee liquid as soon as they got on duty today. They just did not expect fans to be so enthusiastic that customers had already come to pick up their orders before the cold brew was ready.

After hearing the staff's explanation, some customers in the store stopped urging and waited patiently. But after more than ten minutes passed, they received the newly made product, took a sip, and many could not help but frown.

The first batch of tasters reported that the new product had a prominent watermelon flavor, and mixing in coconut milk made the overall mouthfeel thicker, but the cold brew coffee liquid added at the end seemed only to provide color, with almost no presence on the palate: "Very strong watermelon flavor, very strong coconut flavor, no coffee flavor at all," "Could not taste any coffee flavor at all."

Customers who waited more than ten minutes on site said bluntly that if they had not seen with their own eyes the employee pouring freshly extracted coffee liquid into the drink, they might have thought they had received a mistaken "watermelon milk tea" rather than a new coffee product.

Interestingly, in addition to the lack of coffee flavor, some others gave reviews after tasting such as "It tastes like watermelon rind," "It tastes like juice squeezed from watermelon that has been bought for several days and is about to go bad," and admitted they found it hard to accept Luckin's collaboration drink this time.

In fact, when Luckin first launched cold brew coffee last year, it was sharply criticized by netizens because of the short steeping time and the drink's weak coffee flavor. Unexpectedly, a year later, the cold brew series, with adjusted production methods, was launched again, yet the taste and flavor still had not improved noticeably. However, some also pointed out that after cold brew coffee is mixed with watermelon juice, it is normal not to taste a clear coffee flavor.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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