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Through the ages Scotch whisky has been the drink of kings, politicians, entertainers and those who aspire to the finer things in life.
It’s traditionally drunk with a splash of water, straight up or with the debonair “on the rocks” byline.
As with everything that’s new and fashionable in modern China, Scotch whisky is taking off in a big way and locals have given drinking the amber fluid a distinctive Middle Kingdom twist.
In many trendy bars, karaoke lounges and clubs across Shanghai and Beijing, where mainstream revelers gather to drink, there’s a revolution going on. They fill jugs with ice, pour in whisky and top up with green tea to make a cool long drink with a murky color.
This is green tea and Scotland’s finest tipple in an interesting combination, that by all accounts has tills ringing overtime on the mainland where luxury consumers are a growing breed.
The emerging Chinese middle class whitecollar worker isn’t drinking the cheap stuff either. What’s being mixed with the tea are timeless brands such as Chivas Regal, Johnny Walker Black Label and Teachers. Price, it seems, is no object in the chase to be different.
Figures published by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) show that China’s imports rose from $2.9 million in 2001 to more than $85 million in 2010 while annual consumption volume jumped from 142,250 nine-liter cases (a case contains 12 nine-liter bottles) to 1.72 million over the same period. That makes it the fastest growing Scotch market in the world.
“Scotland has greatly boosted its whisky exports over the past decade as the Chinese get a bigger buzz from it,” said Martin Bell, SWA’s international affairs manager.
People that drink green tea and Scotch in combo regularly say it offers the best of both worlds.
“I heard the drink started out as a joke when someone tried to ‘spoil’ his friend’s traditional Scotch and water drink,” said Zhou Li, a long time whiskey drinker in Beijing.
It seems the joke backfired as the taste caught on rapidly and now it’s gone from fashionable to widely accepted.
“The Chinese are always being accused of copying trends. So this time we made our own. As far as I’m aware, drinking green tea and Scotch whisky is unique to the country, and besides, we get the benefits of our favorite alcohol, with the medicinal qualities of green tea,” said Zhou.
He was referring to the fact that drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful for medical conditions such as high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, infection and impaired immune systems. In 1994, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly 60 percent.
So getting a hangover now comes with the added bonus of knowing you’re healing yourself.
Zhou laughed. “No we don’t drink it to get drunk. We like the taste of the bitter tea and smoky Scotch. It’s a very sociable way to relax.”
Apparently, the antioxidant-rich green tea properties are a great way to prevent hangovers. Perhaps they’ve stumbled onto something here.
Traditional Scotch dealers didn’t ever imagine their drink would be subjected to occupying the same glass as a tea leaf, but ultimately, it’s all about choice.
As a spokesman of the SWA commented,“Personally, I wouldn’t touch it for all the tea in China, but different people have different tastes and there’s a range of ways to enjoy Scotch whisky.”
Whisky drinking with Chinese characteristics. In China, anything is possible. Let’s drink to that!
It’s traditionally drunk with a splash of water, straight up or with the debonair “on the rocks” byline.
As with everything that’s new and fashionable in modern China, Scotch whisky is taking off in a big way and locals have given drinking the amber fluid a distinctive Middle Kingdom twist.
In many trendy bars, karaoke lounges and clubs across Shanghai and Beijing, where mainstream revelers gather to drink, there’s a revolution going on. They fill jugs with ice, pour in whisky and top up with green tea to make a cool long drink with a murky color.
This is green tea and Scotland’s finest tipple in an interesting combination, that by all accounts has tills ringing overtime on the mainland where luxury consumers are a growing breed.
The emerging Chinese middle class whitecollar worker isn’t drinking the cheap stuff either. What’s being mixed with the tea are timeless brands such as Chivas Regal, Johnny Walker Black Label and Teachers. Price, it seems, is no object in the chase to be different.
Figures published by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) show that China’s imports rose from $2.9 million in 2001 to more than $85 million in 2010 while annual consumption volume jumped from 142,250 nine-liter cases (a case contains 12 nine-liter bottles) to 1.72 million over the same period. That makes it the fastest growing Scotch market in the world.
“Scotland has greatly boosted its whisky exports over the past decade as the Chinese get a bigger buzz from it,” said Martin Bell, SWA’s international affairs manager.
People that drink green tea and Scotch in combo regularly say it offers the best of both worlds.
“I heard the drink started out as a joke when someone tried to ‘spoil’ his friend’s traditional Scotch and water drink,” said Zhou Li, a long time whiskey drinker in Beijing.
It seems the joke backfired as the taste caught on rapidly and now it’s gone from fashionable to widely accepted.
“The Chinese are always being accused of copying trends. So this time we made our own. As far as I’m aware, drinking green tea and Scotch whisky is unique to the country, and besides, we get the benefits of our favorite alcohol, with the medicinal qualities of green tea,” said Zhou.
He was referring to the fact that drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful for medical conditions such as high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, infection and impaired immune systems. In 1994, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly 60 percent.
So getting a hangover now comes with the added bonus of knowing you’re healing yourself.
Zhou laughed. “No we don’t drink it to get drunk. We like the taste of the bitter tea and smoky Scotch. It’s a very sociable way to relax.”
Apparently, the antioxidant-rich green tea properties are a great way to prevent hangovers. Perhaps they’ve stumbled onto something here.
Traditional Scotch dealers didn’t ever imagine their drink would be subjected to occupying the same glass as a tea leaf, but ultimately, it’s all about choice.
As a spokesman of the SWA commented,“Personally, I wouldn’t touch it for all the tea in China, but different people have different tastes and there’s a range of ways to enjoy Scotch whisky.”
Whisky drinking with Chinese characteristics. In China, anything is possible. Let’s drink to that!