Global Ganbei! 20 Cities Slated for Fourth Annual World Baijiu Day
From Beijing to Buenos Aires, London to Los Angeles and Milan to Melbourne, bars and restaurants in 20 cities are set to celebrate the fourth annual World Baijiu Day. About 20 billion bottles of baijiu are consumed each year, more than gin, vodka, rum or whiskey. But almost of all of it consumed in China, with baijiu little-known elsewhere. World Baijiu Day is held each Aug 9 – the Chinese numbers for that date sound like "baijiu.”
While baijiu is typically consumed as lukewarm shots to the toast of 'ganbei" (bottoms up), World Baijiu Day follows a "beyond ganbei" theme. Partner venues feature everything from baijiu-inspired cocktails, liqueurs, and infusions to chocolate, pizza, and beer.
“Many people dislike baijiu because their first experience was a “ganbei” session,” says founder Jim Boyce. “We want to give people many ways to try baijiu, we want people to have a good first experience, we want them to be inspired to explore baijiu's many styles and history."
Non-Chinese baijius like Taizi from Christchurch and Vinn from Portland, and US brands that source baijiu from China, like Confucius Wisdom and byejoe, also support the event. Only two China-based producers have participated, Yimuquan from Hebei province and Jiangxianghe from Anhui province.
Chinese producers are now targeting overseas market, and the global media has written a great deal in recent years about baijiu’s prospects, but the results are mixed. The first baijiu bars in the United States and the United Kingdom closed. Baijiu Cocktail Week in London in 2018, after a three-year run. Overseas awareness and sales of baijiu remain low.
“More teamwork is needed. Chinese producers need to build baijiu as a category, not just promote their own brands," says Boyce. "It reminds me of Italian wine in China. Italian food, fashion, and football are famous in China. But wine sales are very low. Why? One reason is too much promotion by region and brand, not enough by country."
"I saw how promotion of a category can be successful," adds Boyce. "I consulted on several international wine projects for the Ningxia region. The focus was Ningxia first, individual wineries second, and the results were good."
To learn more about this year's World Baijiu Day, head to the event's official website at www.worldbaijiuday.com or email any queries spirit@worldbaijiuday.com.
