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Why get drunk when this app lets someone else get drunk on your behalf?
June 16, 2025
It’s the beginning of China’s holiday season, which means people will be out and about, having more than just a few drinks. That temptation will be strong — the Chinese culture places plenty of weight on being able to hold your alcohol — but a new app lets you bypass the bodily effects of alcoholic drinks by having someone else deal with them instead.
Called eDaihe, which is Mandarin for “to drink on behalf of,” the app connects you with “surrogate drinkers,” or other people who, well, will drink on your behalf. Once you put in your location, you may pick these surrogate drinkers based on where they are, how much alcohol they can consume, and even how clever their introductions are.
According toSouth China Morning Post, the app, developed by Chinese startup eDaijia, is an effort to tap into China’s increasing on-demand and gig economies, as well as the company’s drinking culture. Regarding the two economies, it is predicted they will produce 400 million self-employed people by 2036, with the country’s drinking culture creating a $2.4 billion industry in recent years.
eDaijia spokesperson He Dongpeng says eDaihe also taps into the power of friendship:
As for the app itself, the surrogate drinking service is being used in 36 cities across China, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. It’s been a popular app so far, since over 100,000 people signed up to be surrogate drinkers within 24 hours of its launch.
There are a few things that still need to be ironed out, such as the pricing structure. The company spokesperson says there is no set price list for the app’s services, though users and surrogate drinkers can communicate and settle on prices.
Finally, because of eDaihe’s cultural implementations, we’re not sure if it will make its way outside of China. In China, the amount of food and alcohol you take in is directly proportional to the respect guests have for hosts. As such, guests are expected to take in as much as possible, so having an app like this is helpful for those without the stomach to do so.
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