Can coffee make you feel drunk, and why does it happen?

Coffee cannot make a person drunk in the way alcohol does. What people describe as feeling drunk after coffee is usually a reaction to high caffeine intake: jitteriness, lightheadedness, racing pulse, and a foggy, disconnected sensation. Large doses, low tolerance, poor sleep, or drinking coffee on an empty stomach make these effects more noticeable.

The feeling is not intoxication from alcohol but nervous system overstimulation. Caffeine blocks adenosine, the compound that promotes calm and sleepiness, so alertness rises while coordination and mood can feel off. The effect fades as the body metabolizes caffeine over several hours. Cutting back on cups, eating first, and staying hydrated usually settles it.

1点点 (1 Dian Dian) recently added a fan-created secret drink, "Orange Sea," to its official menu. This drink, made with grapefruit green tea as the base and topped with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, quickly went viral on social media thanks to its bright orange appearance. However, after the launch, many customers found that the actual product differed greatly from the promotional images—large amounts of white flocculent matter floated in the liquid, the layers were cloudy and murky, and the taste was a disjointed mix of sour, bitter, and sweet, drawing complaints that it was like a "loveless marriage" of flavors. Supporters, however, argued that only when made fresh and drunk immediately can you appreciate its refreshing sweet-and-sour taste. This controversy over appearance versus taste reflects the quality control challenges that arise when secret menus are commercialized.

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Recently, many 1 Dian Dian customers noticed when opening their delivery apps that the menu had gained a new item labeled "secret way to drink," named "Orange Sea."

According to longtime customers, Orange Sea was originally a secret recipe that fans figured out themselves. It has a bright orange appearance that looks quite tempting, but there is actually no orange among its ingredients—the method is to add two scoops of vanilla ice cream to the regular grapefruit green tea, then add toppings like tea jelly according to personal preference, creating a unique flavor.

After a consumer shared this secret recipe online, many netizens were drawn in by its "pretty and tasty" description, eagerly tried to recreate it themselves, and gradually fell in love with this special tea drink. So at the beginning of this year, the brand took the opportunity to add Orange Sea to its official menu and even designed a product card specifically for it, letting more people learn about this secret way of drinking at 1 Dian Dian.

The product photos circulating on social media had distinct layers and alluring colors, and combined with the effusive praise in reviews from those who tried it, many users craving novelty couldn't resist following the trend and ordered a cup through official channels to try.

But when they took the eagerly anticipated drink out of the bag, they were instantly stunned, saying the real thing was worlds apart from the product photos.

Some customers posted their own buyer's photos. In the pictures, besides the layers formed by the liquid and the unmelted ice cream, a large amount of white flocculent matter could clearly be seen floating in the liquid of the Orange Sea in their hands. Appearance-conscious consumers were put off by this unimaginable look at first glance, admitting they simply didn't dare take a sip of such a drink that gave them goosebumps.

Some, thinking "it may not look good but might taste fine," mustered the courage to stick in a straw and take a small sip. But the sour and bitter taste instantly spread through their mouths, making them involuntarily put on a "mask of pain," and they quickly posted to warn others: "Everyone, please spare your own stomach," "After drinking this new 1 Dian Dian product, I feel like I've experienced everything in life," "Can the secret way to drink please just stay secret next time?", "If you didn't know better, you'd think I was drinking Huoxiang Zhengqi water because of heatstroke."

According to customer feedback, the base of 1 Dian Dian's Orange Sea is grapefruit green tea, and the two scoops of ice cream were originally meant to soften the tartness brought by the grapefruit and green tea. However, once dairy products are mixed with fruit juice, leaving it for even a short while will cause white flocculent matter to separate out, ruining the beautiful layers the drink had when freshly made, making its appearance cloudy and affecting appetite.

As for the taste, many netizens said the ice cream scoops did not neutralize the sourness and bitterness of the grapefruit green tea as expected. Instead, as one taster described it: "Grapefruit green tea and ice cream—though the two are married, their hearts are apart." In a single sip, the sour, bitter, and sweet flavors each went their own way, not blending at all, so much so that many people gave up decisively after a few sips and dismissed any thought of buying it again.

However, "Orange Sea supporters" believe this drink is better suited to being photographed and drunk immediately after the staff makes it; getting it through delivery not only drags down its appearance but also affects the overall taste. As for the flavor, it's simply a matter of individual preference. Some say outright that customers who like Orange Sea will find it refreshingly sweet and sour on the palate, but those who can't accept it will find this particular flavor hard to stomach.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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