Chinese baijiu giants launch lower-alcohol serves
Some of China’s biggest baijiu makers, including Wuliangye Group and Yanghe Distillery, have launched lower-alcohol products to keep up with changing habits among younger consumers.
Traditional baijiu, China’s national spirit, has an alcohol content which can range from 40% to 65% ABV.
However, a number of big players have recently released products with significantly lower alcohol content. Wuliangye, the second most valuable spirits brand in the world, this week launched a baijiu with an ABV of 29%.
The Chinese spirits firm has partnered with Hong Kong singer-songwriter G.E.M. to front the campaign, designed to reengage younger drinkers with the baijiu category.
And Wuliangye isn’t the only baijiu producer tapping into lower-alcohol serves. According to Yicai Global, China’s Yanghe Distillery has also released several baijiu products with an ABV of 33.8% this year.
Fellow baijiu maker Gujinggong Liquor also debuted a 26% ABV spirit earlier this month.
Demand for baijiu has been softening in recent years, and producers have been looking for new ways to reinvigorate the category.
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Kweichow Moutai, China’s biggest baijiu producer and the most valuable spirits brand in the world, posted its slowest profit growth since 2015 in August.
However, the company’s results still remain far ahead of its global rivals. Revenue for the first six months of 2025 rose 9.16% year-on-year to 91.09 billion yuan (US$12.68 billion), while net profit attributable to shareholders increased 8.89% to 45.40 billion yuan (US$6.3 billion).
Earnings per share jumped 9% over the year to 36.18 yuan, roughly matching analysts’ forecasts. The consensus opinion is that the group will meet its full-year forecasts of growth just below 10% compared with 2024, itself a year of slowdown.
Chinese alcohol brands continue to assert their dominance on the international stage, with many baijiu producers now turning to international markets to increase sales.
Moutai, for example, has begun to focus its international expansion across 66 countries through its “One Country, One Strategy” approach, building recognition with consumers overseas.
As previously reported by db, Scott Chen, managing director, Brand Finance China, has said: “As more Chinese players reach global audiences, they are redefining perceptions of quality and authenticity across the alcoholic drinks sector.”
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