In September, Qionglai, Sichuan, welcomed one of the world's most influential wine and spirits competitions. The historic debut of the China Spirits and Rice Wine Competition, jointly organized by the Sichuan Provincial Alcoholic Beverage Association, the Qionglai Municipal People's Government, and the IWSC International Wine & Spirit Competition committee, and primarily undertaken by Beijing International Wine & Spirit Exchange, took place here. Over five days from September 23rd to 27th, this event not only officially opened a new chapter for Chinese spirits on the international stage but also built a platform for in-depth exchange and cooperation between Chinese and international industry professionals.

Debut in Asia: Qionglai Illuminates a New Global Spirits Landscape

The year 2025 finds the spirits industry in a period of deep adjustment-a challenging phase of navigating pressures but also a crucial window for restructuring and reshaping. For Qionglai, this means both adapting to macro policies and market changes to grasp the direction of development, and actively transforming to build a differentiated competitive advantage. Hosting the 2025 IWSC Spirit Judging in China (Qionglai) is a significant move by Qionglai against this backdrop.

The launch ceremony for Qionglai International Fine Spirits Festival & 2025 IWSC Spirit Judging in China (Qionglai) was grandly held on the afternoon of September 23rd at the China Spirits Industry Dream Workshop in Qionglai. Attendees included Jinyou DU, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chengdu Municipal People's Government; Gang LIU, Secretary of the Qionglai Municipal Party Committee; Weixia JIAO, Deputy Director of the Decision-Making Consultation Committee of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, and Vice President of the Sichuan Provincial Alcoholic Beverage Association; Jingyan GAO, National Representative Inheritor of the Traditional Distillation Technique of Beijing Erguotou and Vice President of the Baijiu Professional Committee of the China National Food Industry Association; Christelle Guibert, CEO of the IWSC committee; Chunlei XING, Vice President and Secretary-General of the China Alcoholic Drinks Circulation Association; Dezhang WANG, Deputy Secretary of the Qionglai Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Qionglai; Ming CHANG, Chairman of the Beijing Brewing Association; and Zhenshi PEI, Deputy Party Secretary and General Manager of Beijing Yiqing Times Company.

Nearly 300 people attended the launch ceremony, including government leaders, industry representatives, spirits company executives, distributor representatives, media guests, and spirits professionals from around the world, hailing from regions such as the Beijing production area, the Renhuai production area, Sichuan's five core production areas, and the Chengdu metropolitan area. Speakers unanimously expressed praise and expectations for the development of Chinese spirits. From local leaders' outlook on industrial revitalization to international judges' full affirmation of the quality of Chinese spirits, all reflected widespread recognition and confidence in Chinese spirits going global.

Professional Competition: Global Experts Judging Chinese Spirits Together

For this competition, Master Gao Jingyan, a revered figure in the Baijiu industry, was specially invited to serve as the advisor for the Chinese judging panel, providing technical guidance for the evaluation and further highlighting the high standards and prestige of this international event.

Led by IWSC CEO Christelle Guibert, the international and Chinese judging chairs-respectively, Master of Wine, Rice Wine and Baijiu expert Antony Moss MW, and Zhong Yuchen, a leading figure in the international promotion of Baijiu-joined forces. Together with a team of 12 experts possessing both international perspectives and professional expertise, they conducted multi-dimensional evaluations of the samples in a fully blind-tasting format. Beijing International Wine & Spirit Exchange provided high-quality sample management and on-site pouring supervision services for the competition.

Hundreds of samples from nearly all over the country participated in this year's competition, attracting 140 distilleries from over twenty provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities including Sichuan, Guizhou, Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang, Hebei, Shanxi, Fujian, and Beijing. In terms of the types of spirits entered, Baijiu accounted for approximately two-thirds, while domestically produced Whisky, Brandy, Gin, Vodka, and other international spirit categories also competed on the same stage. Chinese Rice Wine was evaluated in a separate serving round. Additionally, various infused baijiu, liqueurs, and fruit distillates were also entered.

Of the total 272 medals awarded, other spirits such as Whisky, Brandy, Vodka, Gin, Rum, and Rice Wine accounted for over one-third. This proves that international spirits consistently hold a significant position within the Chinese alcoholic beverage consumer market, while their internal structure is undergoing a profound and lasting transformation. Within the traditional framework where Baijiu is the absolute core, the rise of diverse categories is reshaping the market ecosystem

Among the spirit categories other than Chinese Baijiu, Whisky has shown the most momentum and has become the second-largest spirits category after Baijiu. Over the past decade, the compound annual growth rate of China's whisky market has exceeded 20%, with the market scale surpassing 30 billion RMB in 2024. It is projected to maintain double-digit growth in the next five years. The rise of Whisky is driven by a combination of consumption upgrades, subculture trends, and scenario diversification.

The Lai Zhou Distillery was awarded the 2025 IWSC“Special Commendation for Chinese Spirits Producer” for winning 7 medals (including 1 Gold Outstanding, 2 Gold).

Stepping onto the Global Stage: Qionglai Embarks on a New Journey

The hosting of the IWSC International Spirits Competition in Qionglai is a highlight moment for this millennia-old city of spirits, and a crucial step for Qiong Spirits towards going global. It has not only opened a new window to the international market for Qionglai but has also allowed this“World Fine Spirits Characteristic Production Area” to anchor new coordinates for innovation and breakthrough on the global spirits map, embarking on a new journey of industrial upgrading and cultural export.

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