Ever enter a Chinese supermarket or convenience store hoping to grab a thirst-quenching drink, only to be greeted by an overwhelming selection of mysterious bottled beverages? With all colors and flavors imaginable covered, the decision to branch out from bottled water or green tea can be a tough move. Taste aside, how can you be sure it’s not saturated with fit-inducing levels of sugar, sweeteners and flavorings? We scoured supermarket, convenience store and restaurant shelves to bring you our picks of interesting and weird bottled beverages in China. Give them a try, if you dare!

 1) Peanut milk (花生奶)
Served in a little glass bottle, and available at smaller restaurants or convenience stores, peanut milk is great for those who love peanuts, peanut butter, and everything related to peanuts. However, it could be potentially deadly for those with a nut allergy, and maybe a bit too sweet for those not too big into sugary drinks. It complements spicy food well though, so give it a try next time you visit your local Sichuan restaurant.

2) Wanglaoji (王老吉)
Personally, this drink was my biggest mystery before I learned to read Chinese characters, and I still have not got used to the distinct taste of this cold herbal tea. Originally called Wong Lo Kat, in Cantonese, the drink was first created by a doctor called Wong Chat Bong in Guangdong in 1828. Although there have been some trademark disputes, the drink is now available as Wanglaoji and Jiaduobao in both red cans and green cartons.

3) Ice cream soda (冰淇淋苏打)
Sickly sweet, this drink is available at many Haolinju outlets as well as in the larger 7-11 stores. It is literally what it sounds like: a fizzy drink that tastes just like vanilla ice cream, and makes an interesting substitute for the usual fizzy drinks, and especially great in hot weather.

4) Beibingyang (北冰洋)
Also nicknamed ‘street-fanta’, Beibingyang comes in little glass bottles and is served in most smaller and cheaper restaurants throughout China, especially Beijing. In reality, I found it to taste even better than fanta, and definitely a responsible substitute for beer, which seems too easy to order when out at dinner. It is also a lot cheaper, and if you buy it in a shop and return the bottle you get a few Mao back! 

5) Aloe vera milk (真果粒)
A good substitute for those who don’t like plain milk is aloe vera milk, which promises all of the benefits of aloe vera, a plant known for its healing powers throughout the entire world. It tastes good, albeit a little bit sweet, and has a lot of aloe vera pulp in it too. Beware, as I nearly choked on my first sip. Other flavours are also available from the same brand, such as strawberry, chocolate and other fruits.

6) Differently flavoured fantas; grape fanta, peach fanta (芬达)
Although we probably all know Fanta (or Mirinda in some countries) from back home, China has a whole bunch of different Fanta flavors on offer, such as the purple grape Fanta, a light pink peach Fanta, a yellow pineapple Fanta or even a green apple Fanta. Although as sweet as the original orange Fanta, and sometimes perhaps even sweeter, they are all good substitutes and fun drinks to try, especially when you drink it chilled in the summer.

7) Almond milk (杏仁露)
This almond milk is extremely sweet, and reminds me of marzipan; so perhaps the ideal drink for marzipan addicts. Almond milk does not contain any lactose and is therefore a perfect milk alternative for those who are lactose intolerant. It also contains no animal products. Some different brands also produce almond milk with vanilla or chocolate flavours.

8) Pudding and pearl milk tea (布丁珍珠奶茶)
Originating in Taiwan, bubble tea comes in a staggering range of flavors throughout the entire country. The best one, in my opinion, is pudding and pearl milk tea which is available at most bubble tea chains and independent shops. Also available, and amazing, is the chocolate milk with pudding and pearls. Both are great hot and cold, so can enjoyed throughout all seasons.

9) ‘Bomb’ Baijiu (白酒)
A special from the convenience stores, ‘bomb’ baijiu is one of the cheaper baijiu’s. Therefore, and as expected at 56% vol, it tastes absolutely horrific – there really is no nice way to describe this. However, if you are on a budget it can be mixed with one of the above sweeter drinks, improving the taste ever so slightly. Bomb tastes fairly similar to its more common sibling, Erguotou.

10) Maidong Sports Drink (脉动)
This isotonic water is one of my favourites, and comes in tons of different flavors from lime to mango to blueberry. It’s one of the few Chinese bottled beverages that aren’t sickly sweet, and works well on hot days as the perfect thirst quencher.

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Keywords: weird bottled beverages bottled beverages in China