Pernod Ricard Targets Young Chinese Market with New Whisky

Launch of The Chuan reflects shift in alcohol preference as whisky consumption grows among younger generations in China.

Pernod Ricard's distillery at the UNESCO World Heritage site Mount Emei in southwestern China launched a pure-malt whisky, The Chuan, to cater to the growing taste for whisky among young Chinese.
The Chuan is produced using traditional whisky-making techniques combined with Chinese characteristics including locally grown barley and barrels made with oak from the Changbai mountains in northeastern China.
Whisky consumption in China rose at a 10% compound annual growth rate from 2017 to 2022, with sales volume forecasted to continue growing at double digit rates through 2028.
More than half of China’s whisky consumers are between 18 and 29 years old, reflecting a shift in preference from traditional 'baijiu' liquor to whisky among younger generations.
Raymond Lee, founder of the Single Malt Club China, attributes the whisky boom to economic growth and the younger Chinese generation's openness to Western cultures and lifestyles.