Fenjiu sees the UK as its key European market and has launched five different expressions to reflect this, including: Qinghua Fenjiu 30 Years Old 48%, Qinghua Fenjiu 30 Years Old 53%, Zhu Ye Qing Jiu 5 Years Old 38%, Zhu Ye Qing Jiu 30 Years Old 45% and Fenjiu 10 Years Old 45%.
Qiqi Chen from Fenjiu’s distributing company, Cheng International, said: “We see big potential in the UK market for our premium baijiu because the market is mature and open to trying new things.”
In February this year Fenjiu collaborated with chocolatier William Curley to create special edition Fenjiu-infused chocolates exclusively for Harrods, where the baijiu was first retailed.
There is more baijiu in the world than any other spirit and traditionally it was consumed in short serves in China, but according to Chen this is changing among younger local consumers and now she wants this to translate in Europe.
Cheng added: “The trends are changing in China. My grandparents’ generation are still quite traditional because they like to shot baijiu, whereas the younger consumers are adopting the western style of sipping drinks.”
Last month Fenjiu hosted the first UK baijiu cocktail competition which was won by Andrea Dionori, but Chen isn’t putting all of the focus into cocktails.
“We aren’t just targeting cocktails because we want people to see baijiu as a lifestyle drink to be enjoyed neat. What we’re trying to do is make one of the oldest, most historical spirits in the world fashionable.
“Our spirits are complex but not complicated and we think there is a real opportunity for baijiu to get more exposure in the UK spirits sector."
