China’s fiery baijiu spirit evolves to attract younger drinkers

BEIJING AP The centuries-old fiery Chinese spirit baijiu long associated with business dinners is being reshaped to appeal to younger generations as its makers adapt to changing times Mostly distilled from sorghum the clear but pungent liquor contains as much as alcohol It s the usual choice for toasts of gan bei the Chinese expression for bottoms up and raucous drinking games If you like to drink spirits and you ve never had baijiu it s kind of like eating noodles but you ve never had spaghetti revealed Jim Boyce a Canadian writer and wine expert who founded World Baijiu Day a decade ago The annual event aims to promote the traditional liquor which is far less known internationally than whiskey or vodka Moutai a kind of baijiu made in mountainous Guizhou province in southwestern China is known as the country s national liquor Perhaps its biggest endorsement came in when U S Secretary of State Henry Kissinger banqueted with Deng Xiaoping who would later become China s top leader I think if we drink enough Moutai we can solve anything Kissinger announced Then when I return to China we must take moves to increase our production of it Deng replied according to an archived document from the U S State Department s Office of the Historian Price fluctuations of Feitian Moutai the liquor s preponderance famous brand serve as a barometer for China s baijiu field This year its price has dropped by after four consecutive years of decline according a statement by the China Alcoholic Drinks Association The analysis forecast China s baijiu production will likely fall for the eighth straight year in Baijiu consumption has dropped as people spend more cautiously cutting back on banquets and drinking due to a weaker business sector Perennial anti-corruption campaigns by the ruling Communist Party targeting lavish official dinners have taken a harsh toll In May the party issued new rules banning cigarettes and alcohol during work meals China s drinking tradition is evolving with younger people keen to protect their wellness and less inclined to overindulge or be bound by rigid social conventions Faced with far more choices they might instead opt for whiskey wine or non-alcoholic alternatives There is an old saying in China No banquet is complete without alcohol It means in the past without alcohol there is no social lubricant -year-old Chi Bo noted while having cocktails with friends in Beijing s chic Sanlitun area People no longer want to drink alcohol or tend to drink less but they can still sit together and even discuss serious affairs Chi revealed Most of of the people don t want to drink alcohol unless they have to Baijiu makers are responding with creative innovations like baijiu-flavored ice cream Kweichou Moutai partnered with China s Luckin Coffee last year to introduce a Moutai-flavored latte that reportedly sells million cups a day across China Bartenders also are designing cocktails using a baijiu base There are so various choices right now Boyce revealed It s just about fighting for attention in terms of choice Jiangxiaobai a newer brand made in southwestern China s Chongqing has targeted young consumers from the beginning It offers fruit-infused baijiu with an alcohol content below packaged in smaller more affordable bottles adorned with philosophical or sentimental phrases meant to resonate with Chinese youth such as Unspoken words In my eyes in drafts in dreams or downed in a drink Our promotion of products combines the values and lifestyle young people advocate Jiangxiaobai marketing director Fan Li revealed From our products to our branding it s a process of embracing the younger generation Shirley Huang out with friends on a Friday night in Sanlitun declared she had never touched baijiu at age preferring cocktails But that night something new on the menu caught her attention a baijiu-based cocktail Baijiu is quietly making its way into our lives We just haven t noticed she mentioned It may not appear as itself but it reemerges in new forms Associated Press video producers Olivia Zhang and Wayne Zhang in Beijing contributed to this account Source