As the largest producer of tea in the world, the drink has dominated the Chinese market for years without much change. But as new players are experimenting with the beverage, cheese tea is emerging as a way of getting young consumers into tea-drinking sooner.

Luckin Coffee has been made public on Nasdaq. Positioning itself as the rival to Starbucks in China, it offers less expensive coffee and a more tech-savvy way to order with locally-inspired flavours. As people's expectations of service become increasingly high, Luckin's strategy caters to new demands.

Beer has been part of Chinese history for thousands of years, yet locals tend to see it as cheap, simple booze. Drinking Buddies is hoping to shift cultural perceptions and expand palates in the country by delivering carefully chosen craft brews from around the world on a subscription basis.

Just one liquid is trusted to complement Chinese cuisines; ‘lü chá’ – green tea. In a bid to lure drinkers of China’s native firewater Baijiu, Bacardi believes it can transform Chinese dining and drinking culture by distilling green tea leaves to create a pure tea spirit. Will it catch on?