By Jin Yuhan

Wine recipes, marketing strategies, location planning—on a small blackboard inside the "Suyuki Suiyueke Beverage Mixology Institute" in Yuyao, Ningbo, detailed notes on the beverage industry fill every corner.

The founder, Zhou Ding, was born in 2001 in Yuyao. On this day, he's demonstrating how to craft a signature orange juice Americano to a group of eager learners. His content has a distinctive trendy flair: matching drink flavors to MBTI personality types, naming specialty beverages after the 12 zodiac signs, and tips on short-form video shooting.

As a mixologist, marketer, and brand strategist, Zhou seamlessly shifts between roles. His confidence is backed by six years of entrepreneurial experience.

In 2019, after enrolling in university, Zhou, fascinated by mixology, used his spare time to work across foodservice venues. Starting with basic tasks like washing glasses and taking orders, he paid close attention to how each establishment drew traffic and developed popular products. After a year of observation and trial, Zhou pitched a business plan to his parents and won their support.

"What weighed on me wasn't pressure to succeed, but the unspoken expectations," Zhou recalled. Determined not to disappoint, he opened Daniel Club—a bar serving Western food and cocktails. Over the next three years, the once-shy student who had trouble selling membership cards transformed into a confident manager. "My WeChat contacts grew from about 400 to nearly 7000," he said.

In 2023, amid the rise of modern Chinese-style tea drinks, Zhou opened Suiyueke, a tea shop near West Lake in Hangzhou. Within three months, nearly a hundred customers asked the same question: "Can I learn from you?"

"I realized the market lacked mentors with real experience to share," Zhou said. In 2024, he returned to Yuyao to launch the Suyuki Suiyueke Beverage Mixology Institute, shifting his focus to providing industry-relevant training. Classes centered on tea, coffee, and cocktails, with added lessons in social media marketing to help students understand the market and run their own shops.

Today, Zhou has taught over 100 learners from more than 20 provinces across China. He proudly recounted their success stories, "One student from Ningbo opened a Chinese-style tea shop in Ethiopia, pulling in over 9,000 yuan in daily sales. Another, based in Guangzhou, designed a product line inspired by 'Dream of the Red Chamber', a classic 18th-century Chinese novel, and it topped the rankings on a major food delivery app!"

Chief Adviser: Zhao Qingchuan

Proofreader: Jin Yuhan