What the San Pellegrino Tea Controversy Means for Coffee Culture

1 Dian Dian's limited-edition San Pellegrino sparkling tea collab, sold as a combo set with a made-in-store sparkling tea, a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water, and limited packaging, drew complaints after buyers found the included sparkling water already opened and partly empty. Some delivery orders also arrived without the water or packaging. The chain has not publicly addressed the hygiene and delivery concerns.

Commenters noted the complimentary bottle was leftover material from preparing the sparkling tea, a common practice in tea beverage shops. Critics countered that opened sparkling water loses carbonation in transit and asked for sealed bottles instead. The episode touches on wider specialty coffee and coffee culture questions about transparency, packaging promises, and how drinks reach customers.

Recently, 1 Dian Dian partnered with the Italian mineral water brand San Pellegrino to launch two limited-edition new products, "Grape Sparkling Tea" and "Double Grapefruit Sparkling Tea," sold as combo sets. Consumers could simultaneously receive a sparkling tea made in-store, a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water, and limited-edition packaging. However, after the new products launched, many consumers discovered that the San Pellegrino sparkling water included with their order had actually been opened, and little liquid remained in the bottle, sparking concerns about beverage hygiene and delivery safety. Some delivery users also reported not receiving the sparkling water and limited-edition packaging, which did not match the official promotion. In response, some netizens explained that the complimentary sparkling water was actually leftover material from making the sparkling tea, a routine practice in tea beverage shops. But some consumers still believed that once opened, the carbon dioxide in the sparkling water easily escapes during delivery, greatly diminishing the taste, and suggested that the brand directly give unopened products so customers can mix it themselves. This article will delve into the ins and outs of this incident and the views of all parties.

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Recently, 1 Dian Dian teamed up with the Italian mineral water brand San Pellegrino to launch two limited-edition new products—"Grape Sparkling Tea" and "Double Grapefruit Sparkling Tea." According to the official promotional poster, this limited-edition new product from 1 Dian Dian is sold as a combo set. Customers not only receive a cup of sparkling tea freshly made in-store, but also a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water and limited-edition packaging materials designed specifically for the collaboration.

This novel "buy-one-get-one combo set" quickly attracted a large number of fans' attention, and many people immediately placed orders after the new product launched, eagerly awaiting their delivery. However, the first batch of "early adopters" soon discovered upon receiving the products that the San Pellegrino sparkling water included with the order had already been opened, and the amount of sparkling water in the glass bottle was not much. This unexpected situation made many people worry whether the sparkling water they received had been opened and drunk by someone during delivery.

In addition, some delivery users posted their buyer shows, stating that they actually only received a cup of prepared sparkling tea and did not receive the San Pellegrino sparkling water and limited-edition packaging. They frankly expressed disappointment that the store did not produce the items according to the official promotional style.

In response to this feedback, some netizens pointed out that although the product poster did not prominently indicate it, the official introduction of this new product mentioned that the San Pellegrino sparkling water included with the order was actually leftover material from making the sparkling tea, not an independently packaged product for sale as some consumers had imagined.

They said that some tea beverage shops give customers the leftover sparkling water along with the glass bottle after making drinks, allowing customers to add sparkling water themselves while drinking to adjust the taste, and frankly stated that this practice by the brand is actually just "routine operation," and consumers need not worry too much.

However, although in some people's view, the store giving customers the leftover sparkling water is a service that makes them feel they got value for money, some netizens still believe that 1 Dian Dian's way of presenting the product is not only abstract but also somewhat affects customers' consumption experience.

As is well known, once sparkling water with intact packaging is opened, the carbon dioxide contained in the liquid will gradually dissipate over time. After the gas has completely evaporated, the taste of the sparkling water is not much different from ordinary mineral water. In fact, after a long delivery time, many users found that when they received this 1 Dian Dian sparkling tea and the remaining sparkling water, the drink no longer had the "sparkling sensation" they had eagerly anticipated, and the taste was quite disappointing.

Therefore, sparkling water enthusiasts suggest that the brand should perhaps change the way the new product is presented, directly giving customers unopened sparkling water and letting users themselves pour the sparkling water into the drink, to ensure that the taste is not affected by long delivery times and other factors, so consumers can still enjoy refreshing sparkling tea.

Moreover, some netizens believe that this way of presenting the product, firstly, will not make uninformed delivery users mistakenly think that the sparkling water they received has been opened and drunk by someone else, and secondly, it can avoid accidents such as bottle caps bursting open due to the sparkling tea being shaken during delivery.

Image source: Internet

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