Popularity of nation's maturing whisky industry uncorked(2)

Visitors attend a whisky festival on Sept 5 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, with 45 domestic and foreign whisky producers, distributors and suppliers taking part in the event. (YANG BO/FOR CHINA DAILY)

Leading distillery

Leading this revolution is Laizhou Distillery, deep in Sichuan's green hills. Owned by Shanghai Bacchus Liquor Co, it has emerged as a powerhouse in China's burgeoning whisky industry. Today, it accounts for roughly 80 percent of China's whisky production and oak barrel supply.

In 2016, Bacchus Liquor, which had long imported spirits for its cocktail business, realized the untapped potential in China's whisky production.

"China is a vast country with all the ingredients and climatic conditions necessary for whisky production," says Shen Anqi, the distillery's vice marketing director. "That realization sparked the idea to craft our own whisky."

Laizhou began operations in 2021, with production ramping up quickly. Located in the "30 degrees north latitude" distillation belt — a region renowned for its favorable brewing conditions — the distillery benefits from a unique combination of factors.

The area's basin climate, marked by warm winters and cool summers, creates ideal conditions for whisky maturation, with some studies showing the process is faster than in Scotland.

The location also has links with China's history of alcohol making. Qionglai, where the distillery is based, is known for its fine liquor. It was a key stop on the ancient Tea Horse Road and boasts over 2,000 years of distilling traditions. The region is also home to one of China's largest baijiu production bases, and many famous baijiu brands trace their roots to the area.

Laizhou Distillery now produces around 30,000 tons of whisky a year — enough to fill more than 40 Olympic-size swimming pools. According to Shen, the distillery houses over 400,000 oak barrels — a rarity in China, and a testament to the scale of its operations.

Laizhou even operates its own cooperage, still crafting barrels by hand, a meticulous process that cannot be fully automated. "Our team handcrafts each barrel, which adds a level of craftsmanship that's increasingly rare in the global whisky industry," Shen says.