EXHIBITOR NEWS :Jiangxiaobai
Baijiu certainly doesn’t lack history. However, in a world of rapid change as sole constant, unprecedented challenges await any enterprise hoping to persist in the long run. Tradition and innovation need to find and maintain a precarious balance. China’s alcohol export #Jiangxiaobai tackles the future challenge in its own way, leading the innovation department of modern baijiu producers.
Tradition in the Face of Time, How Jiangxiaobai is Transforming the Baijiu Business
In November of last year, once more, the venerable walls of Guildhall – testimonials of centuries, seeping with history and tradition – provided the ideal setting for the 49th IWSC Awards Banquet to honour passion-crafted and artful representatives of large and small artisan and big-player spirits makers.
Just a few years ago it would have seemed a far stretch to imagine a Chinese baijiu brand reaping the highest awards at an authoritative competition with global acclaim such as the IWSC. From far stretch to actual reality, Jiangxiaobai have come a long way on their self-labelled journey of “Renaissance of the old flavour”, to help baijiu gain the recognition many think it originally deserves. Since its founding in 2012, the Chongqing native brand have had a rapid rise through the ranks of established producers of baijiu, owing to their clever mix of marketing and reverence of tradition. Keeping in mind the long history and times passed, one still needs to consider innovation. By repositioning towards a new target audience Jiangxiaobai delivered a genius play and got a foot in the door of the future market. Nonetheless, tribute to tradition is important and handing down long-developed craft to a younger generation is one of the brand’s missions.
Jiangxiaobai spirits are currently produced in two time-honoured distilleries that were taken over in pursuit of restoring local craftmanship. Located in the renowned baijiu belt of the Chinese Southwest, Jiangji and Lvxi distilleries make use of the beneficial regional conditions for sorghum agriculture. Baisha is an area famed for its traditional liquor production, inheriting century-old fermentation technique and distillation mastery, long ago developed on the riverbanks of the mighty Yangtze. Jiangxiaobai’s expert distillers are dedicated to capturing the very essence of the river; just as the river has seen the ebb and flow of times, there’s also the constant anticipation of things ahead, the river never ceases to flow.
The sole use of red sorghum as mash material, an ancient fermentation agent called Qu, fermentation in pits from limestone, and ageing in special ceramic vessels are just a few of the methods applied to achieve an authentic result. Technical finetuning throughout the entire production process has further altered the final product. By lowering the alcohol content of their baijius – a challenging and tedious task – Jiangxiaobai have sought innovation in yet another area and just hit a nerve in the domestic market of China.
Having been on the international market for over 2 years, Jiangxiaobai specifically dedicated new product series PURE to the global audience.
In its product design, PURE takes the modern simplicity of urban aesthetics and combines it with the strong symbolic value of the Yangtze River, the natural force endowing Jiangxiaobai production site Baisha town with its optimal conditions.
Jiangxiaobai and baijiu might finally also have managed to find international appeal. Due to the fresh, more modern design of the liquor body, a result of purposeful development, refined techniques and technological upgrading, Jiangxiaobai baijiu now offers a more suitable base for mixing drinks.
Fashionable preparations of the old spirit are the focus of Jiangxiaobai’s new mixed drink project Jiang Mix. By carefully selecting ingredients and materials that have been known by the Chinese of different dynasties – therefore giving the cocktail a characteristic note of ancient China – and complementing them with aromas that bring the best out of sorghum spirit, mixologists have created a series of uniquely flavoured potions and thirst quenchers.
After 2 years of exploring the international market, Jiangxiaobai has entered over 20 countries. Now, Jiangxiaobai is ready to amaze South Africa.
International Honors
2017
The International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC)
Silver Outstanding: Gold Label of Jiangxiaobai;
Silver: JOYOUTH (Gold Medal), S100 and Intimate Friend;
Spirits Selection by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles ( CMB)
Gold: S300 of Jiangxiaobai and JOYOUTH (Gold Medal);
Silver: DANCHUN GAOLIANG;
Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition (HKIWSC)
Trophy: JOYOUTH (Gold Medal);
Gold: JOYOUTH (Gold Medal);
Silver: YOLO, DANCHUN GAOLIANG, S300 and Gold Label.
2018
San Francisco World Spirit Competition
Double Gold (Design Competition): MR. BOX & JOYBO
Silver: S100, JOYOUTH (Gold Medal), YOLO, Intimate Friend, Black Label, LvxiJiangjin Shaojiu Classic Version
Bronze: DANCHUN GAOLIANG, Jiangji Distillery Blue 5-Star
International Wine & Spirit Competition ( IWSC)
Silver Outstanding: LvxiJiangjin Shaojiu Classic Version, LvxiJiangjin Shaojiu Standard Version
Silver: S100 of Jingxiaobai, Joyouth 500, Danchun Gaoliang, Intimate Friend, Lvxi Jiangjin Shaojiu
Craft, Jiangji Distillery Blue 5-Star, Black Label Pure Taste 168, Jiangji Distillery 408, Jiangji Distillery 508
Bronze: YOLO
Spirits Selection by Concours Mondial Bruxelles ( CMB)
Gold: Danchun Gaoliang, Jiangji Distillery Blue 5-Star, Black Label Pure Taste 168
Silver: LvxiJiangjin Shaojiu Classic Version, Jiangji Distillery 408
Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition（HKIWSC）
Gold & Special: Jiangji Distillery 508
Silver: Joyouth 500, Danchun Gaoliang, Black Label, LvxiJiangjin Shaojiu Classic Version, Lvxi Jiangjin Shaojiu Craft, Jiangji Distillery Blue 5-Star, Banjin Baliang + Dream
Bronze: S100 of Jiangxiaobai, Black Label Pure Taste 168, Jiangji Distillery 408
