Will baijiu become the cocktail world’s next obsession?

“As the bar scene progresses, drinkers may feel fatigued by repetitive flavours and there is a growing curiosity to try something new, leading more people to discover baijiu cocktails, hence helping to shift perceptions and broaden appreciation for the spirit,” he added.

With scant information available abroad, many of the early movers innovating in the baijiu cocktail scene are those who first learnt about the spirit in China. Take American Nick Lappen, head of bar at Jing at The Temple House in Chengdu, who was introduced to Moutai by his former boss while in Guizhou. He has been a fan ever since.

“I find baijiu compelling because of its diverse styles. Misconceptions about baijiu often mirror international perception of goods from China. Before I moved to China, I thought I knew a lot about the country, but I quickly realised much of that was based on inaccurate assumptions. There is a common perspective that views everything from China as strange, exotic or low quality – which simply is not true,” he said.