Spirit of the age: why Chinese distillers are toning down their baijiu

Spirit of the age: why Chinese distillers are toning down their baijiu

China’s struggling distillers are creating milder versions of the nation’s fiery baijiu, trying to appeal to a younger generation of lighter drinkers. The country’s economic malaise, coupled with Beijing’s crackdown on boozy banquets among government officials and businessmen, is forcing distillers to rethink the grain-based spirit that traditionally contains more than 50 per cent alcohol. In August, Wuliangye Yibin, which has seen sales growth …