Master Kong Bing Hong Cha (康师傅冰红茶), one of China’s most iconic ready‑to‑drink iced black tea brands, serves as a strong case study in how established RTD products can evolve to reach wider audiences.
Recently, Uni‑President expanded the Bing Hong Cha line into the energy drink segment. While retaining its signature iced lemon tea flavour, the 420ml beverage now delivers five times the natural caffeine content — exceeding 200mg per liter sourced from black tea — and is further enhanced with a five‑plant energy blend. This innovation combines natural caffeine with plant‑based energizing ingredients, offering consumers a functional option for a natural uplift in energy.
The five‑plant energy blend consists of polygonatum (huang jin, 黄精), ginseng, red dates, goji berries, and astragalus root (huang qi, 黄芪).
Surprisingly, the drink retains the familiar flavour of Master Kong Bing Hong Cha without the typical taste profile of energy drinks, making it approachable for consumers seeking an energy boost with a taste they already enjoy.
Southeast Asian RTD tea and energy drink producers can explore the concept as a pathway to innovation — blending familiar, culturally resonant flavours with functional benefits — to attract younger consumers seeking both taste and energy in one product.
