Laizhou Distillery, a significant player in the global whisky sector, has received four awards for its achievements in Innovation, Research & Development, Product Launches, and Marketing in the 2025 Just Drinks Excellence Awards. With a focus on developing “China’s own whisky,” Laizhou has introduced new approaches to multi-cask blending, advanced flavor development, and consumer engagement.
Laizhou Distillery won the Innovation award in the Multi-cask Blending category for its pioneering approach to multi-cask whisky blending. Its dedication to advanced flavor development and ingredient sourcing earned Laizhou the Research & Development award in the Flavor Development category. The distillery received the Product Launches award for bringing its first whisky products—the Laizhou Single Malt Whisky Inaugural Edition and the Blender Single Blended Whisky Inaugural Edition—to market with clearly differentiated concepts. Additionally, Laizhou’s effective consumer engagement strategies and creative brand-building initiatives led to its Marketing award in the Consumer Engagement category.
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Multi-cask blending innovation: Advancing whisky complexity
Laizhou Distillery’s award for innovation reflects its staged approach to multi-cask blending, first demonstrated in the Laizhou Single Malt Whisky Inaugural Edition. That release blends eight original spirits from diverse casks—including Mongolian oak and Huangjiu casks, Qilian fortified wine, bourbon, new American oak, STR wine, Fino Sherry, and Amontillado Sherry—to establish a distinctly Chinese flavor direction.
Building on this foundation, the small-batch Laizhou Sherry Harmony Single Malt Whisky focuses on ten types of first-fill sherry casks spanning classic Spanish styles such as Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez, Moscatel, and Palo Cortado. To achieve a harmonious integration of these influences, the distillery employs specialized techniques throughout the whisky’s aging process and draws on Solera principles to create layered, balanced profiles.
In the Laizhou Single Malt Whisky Inaugural Edition, the distillery extends its cask strategy beyond conventional sherry and oak, incorporating Mongolian oak and Huangjiu casks to introduce honey, spice, and oriental sherry tones that convey a distinct Chinese character. The integration of Qilian fortified wine casks, alongside bourbon, new American oak, STR wine, and selected sherry casks, underscores Laizhou’s intent to craft profiles that connect with both local and international consumers.
This multi-cask blending strategy not only expands the boundaries of flavor in whisky but also positions Laizhou as a pioneer in conceptual product development within the industry.
Integrating Spanish sherry grapes and Chinese craft: Laizhou’s R&D approach
Laizhou Distillery’s recognition in R&D reflects its systematic and meticulous approach to flavor development, ingredient sourcing, and production innovation. The distillery begins with the selection of premium, certified sherry grapes, including Moscatel, Pedro Ximénez, and Palomino, from Spain’s sherry region. These grape varieties are chosen for their unique terroir, limited yields, and suitability for producing classic sherry styles. The use of Palomino grapes, which require manual harvesting and natural sun-drying, underscores Laizhou’s commitment to quality and authenticity.
In the maturation process, Laizhou utilizes all three major sherry aging systems: biological, oxidative, and combined. This comprehensive approach enables the distillery to extract a wide range of flavors and aromas, from delicate florals to rich dried fruits and chocolate notes. The Solera system, adapted for whisky maturation, allows Laizhou to blend spirits of different ages and cask backgrounds, achieving a balanced and multi-layered profile.
Laizhou’s initial application of its multi-cask fusion approach is demonstrated in the Laizhou Single Malt Whisky Inaugural Edition, which blends eight original spirits matured in diverse casks—among them Mongolian oak and Huangjiu casks, alongside Qilian fortified wine, bourbon, new American oak, STR wine, Fino Sherry, and Amontillado Sherry. This set the foundation for a distinctly Chinese flavor direction. Building on that foundation, Laizhou later introduced the small-batch Laizhou Sherry Harmony, which focuses on ten types of first-fill sherry casks spanning classic Spanish styles and incorporates Solera-inspired maturation management to achieve a layered, balanced profile.
Similarly, the Blender Single Blended Whisky Inaugural Edition is a unique Chinese whisky with high malt content (70%), crafted from carefully selected casks sourced from the distillery’s diverse inventory of 52 cask types and 245 flavor profiles. This product showcases Laizhou’s ability to integrate traditional Chinese brewing techniques with modern whisky-making innovations, resulting in a locally distinctive whisky that stands out in the global market. The dedication to refining grain ratios, extending fermentation, and experimenting with cask diversity highlights Laizhou’s ongoing commitment to research and development.
Launching inaugural editions that define a Chinese whisky milestone
Laizhou Distillery’s first whisky product launches showcased the distillery’s progression from its first cask filling to commercial release, underscoring a key milestone in its development.
The product duo highlights Laizhou’s approach to cask diversity and blending techniques to create a distinct Chinese whisky identity. The Laizhou Single Malt Whisky Inaugural Edition blends eight original spirits from casks including Mongolian oak, Huangjiu, Qilian fortified wine, bourbon, new American oak, STR wine, Fino Sherry, and Amontillado Sherry. The Blender Single Blended Whisky Inaugural Edition features a 70% malt composition, crafted from carefully selected casks sourced from 52 cask types with a new generation of blending specialists, aligning with the brand philosophy of “Diverse Convergence, Integrated Innovation.”
Execution at launch reinforced the strategy. The “Co-creating the New Born” event formally introduced both brands and their inaugural editions, generating more than 200 media reports and engagement from industry insiders and invited consumers. Limited edition packaging amplified the presentation and cultural narrative: upward-spiraling bamboo and oak-grain elements for the Laizhou Single Malt Whisky Inaugural Edition, and a five-ring cap, Pixiu motifs, and gradient bottle for the Blender Single Blended Whisky Inaugural Edition release. Together, these elements helped position Laizhou Distillery as an early mover in the emerging Chinese whisky space.
Building brand loyalty through immersive consumer experiences
Laizhou Distillery’s marketing award recognizes its comprehensive and consumer-focused approach to brand building and engagement. The distillery’s launch event, “Co-creating the New Born,” was a large-scale initiative that brought together industry professionals, media, and specially invited consumers. This event not only marked the official release of the Laizhou and the Blender brands and their inaugural editions but also highlighted the distillery’s journey from its first cask filling to product launch. The event generated significant media coverage, with over 200 reports, amplifying the brand’s visibility within the industry.
A key component of Laizhou’s marketing strategy is its emphasis on consumer participation and storytelling. The “My Co-creation Moments with Laizhou” campaign, launched through the Laizhou Community Hub, invited consumers to share their personal experiences and stories related to the brand. Within ten days, the campaign received over 280 submissions, and selected participants were rewarded with exclusive trips to the launch event, as well as commemorative gift boxes of the inaugural whiskies. This initiative fostered a sense of community and co-creation, strengthening consumer loyalty and engagement.
Laizhou also leveraged experiential marketing by offering an exclusive preview of the Laizhou Distillery Cultural Experience Centre to invited guests. Spanning nearly 150,000 square meters and featuring six experiential sections, the center provided an immersive introduction to the brand’s heritage, production process, and future ambitions. The anticipation generated by this preview further enhanced consumer interest and brand connection.
Additionally, Laizhou’s packaging design incorporates cultural symbolism—such as the upward-spiraling bamboo motif and oak-grain elements on the Laizhou Single Malt Whisky Inaugural Edition, and the five-ring cap, Pixiu motifs, and gradient bottle on the Blender Single Blended Whisky Inaugural Edition. By integrating consumer stories, interactive experiences, and culturally resonant design, Laizhou has demonstrated a consumer-centric approach to marketing that distinguishes it within the spirits industry.
Company Profile
Founded in the southern part of the “Land of Abundance”
Laizhou Distillery, owned by Shanghai Bairun Investment Holding Group Co., Ltd, is in Qionglai City in Sichuan, which has been a prime distillation area since ancient times. The region’s hydrology, water quality, and microbial profile bless it with all the advantages of making high-quality whisky. Intent on living up to the area’s fame as the “best area within the southern part of the Land of Abundance” and creating new milestones in China’s liquor production history, the team named the distillery “Laizhou” to anchor it to the region’s glorious past.
A five-year gestation period
The construction of Laizhou Distillery took five years and was completed in 2021. The distillery covers an area of 146,000 square meters and has an overall annual production capacity of approximately 36,000 tons, planning for spirits distillation. Over the next 4-5 years, Laizhou Distillery aims for a reserve of 1 million new-make spirit casks and continued expansion.
About Laizhou’s superior distillation equipment
A collection of eight intricately designed pot stills, each exhibiting unique structural characteristics.
A meticulously arranged series of seven column stills, boasting an impressive total of 334 trays.
Customized innovations, including external heating, dual condensation structure, and extended lyne arms, maximize the versatility and potential for flavor exploration.
Unlocking the depth of flavors in whisky
Laizhou Distillery is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of whisky production, starting with meticulous equipment design. The distillery’s goal is to unlock the full spectrum of flavors found in whisky, including delicate floral notes, vibrant fruits, rich nuts, savory meats, subtle saltiness, enticing smokiness, and earthy peatiness. To achieve this, the distilery has implemented two distinct malt saccharification filtration systems, allowing precise control over the clarity of the wort filtration. Additionally, it employs a variety of specially selected yeast strains during fermentation to enhance the complexity and depth of flavors.
State-of-the-art techniques
During the distillation process, Laizhou Distillery employs state-of-the-art techniques. Utilizing an external heating system, it has fine-tuned the degree of heating, ensuring optimal extraction of desirable compounds. Furthermore, its collection of pot stills, each with its unique shape, imparts distinct characteristics to the whisky, contributing to the diverse flavor profiles we strive for. It is worth noting that Laizhou Distillery proudly holds the distinction of being the second distillery in the world, and the first in Asia, to feature a pioneering parallel dual-condenser system, combining the craftsmanship of copper and stainless steel.
An extraordinary strive for perfection
In Laizhou Distillery’s commitment to excellence, it understands the significance of oak casks in whisky maturation.
In addition to sourcing traditional barrels such as new oak, bourbon, and sherry casks, the distillery recognizes the remarkable impact of STR (Shaved, Toasted, and Recharred) casks on whisky development. To harness this potential, it has established the first large-scale specialized STR cask facility in China. With utmost dedication, it has gathered inspiration from esteemed cooperage traditions in the United States, Spain, France, and our domestic roots, combining their essence and artistry. This enables the distillery to craft whiskies with extraordinary depth and character, captivating the discerning palates of whisky connoisseurs worldwide.
Exploring China’s own whisky
Staying true to its mission of “crafting China’s own whisky,” Laizhou Distillery is dedicated to blending traditional techniques with Eastern terroir, continuously pushing the boundaries of flavor. It now holds over 50 types of casks, covering all major global styles, while expanding expressions of Chinese character.
Laizhou pioneered the first Huangjiu casks with distinctly Chinese flavor, and also took the lead in exploring native Mongolian oak, establishing and sharing China’s first “Golden Standard”, specifically for coopering with this local wood. By 2025, Laizhou had stored over 500,000 cask, which is almost around 80% of the national total, and aims to reach one million within 5 years.
Deeper Integration of Whisky with Chinese Culture and Lifestyle
At the same time, Laizhou is deepening the connection between whisky and Chinese culture and lifestyle. It has opened “Laizhou Bar” experience spaces across China, and in May 2025 launched the China’s first whisky-themed tourism park, the Laizhou Distillery Experience Center.
Spanning 150,000 square meters, it offers six themed areas: Wander, Explore, Realize, Build and Live.
Looking ahead, Laizhou Distillery will continue to grow with an open and diverse spirit, inviting whisky lovers to help shape the future of Chinese whisky.
Contact Details
Ran Wei
Links
Website: https://laizhoudistillery.com
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laizhoudistillery?igsh=b3Y2MHdtc2Q4cDdv&utm_source=qr
