Top 10 Distilleries in China
China is home to the world's most consumed distilled spirit by volume: baijiu, the grain-based liquor produced using a unique solid-state fermentation process involving qu (a starter culture of moulds, yeasts, and bacteria pressed into brick form). The country produces an almost incomprehensible range of baijiu styles across dozens of provinces, from the intensely aromatic sauce-style (jiang xiang) associated with Guizhou Province to the lighter rice-style spirits of Guangxi. Total annual baijiu production in China runs to billions of litres, and the domestic market consumes the vast majority of what is made.
Beyond baijiu, China has in recent decades developed a genuine single malt whisky industry, with producers in Yunnan, Hebei, and other provinces establishing Scottish-style pot still operations using imported equipment and locally sourced barley. For international spirits enthusiasts, the Chinese distillery landscape is vast and still largely unexplored. Use the map to locate producers by region and begin to understand the geographical distribution of China's extraordinary range of distillation traditions.
1. Kweichow Moutai, Maotai Town, Guizhou Province
Kweichow Moutai is by market capitalisation one of the most valuable companies in the world, and its flagship product — Moutai baijiu — is among the most expensive and culturally significant spirits produced anywhere on Earth. The distillery is located in Maotai town in the Chishui River valley of Guizhou Province, where the specific microbial ecology of the local environment is held to be inseparable from the flavour of the spirit. Moutai uses sorghum and wheat qu in a production process involving multiple rounds of fermentation and distillation over the course of approximately one year, followed by ageing in ceramic jars for a minimum of three years before blending. The resulting spirit is fiery, complex, and unmistakably sauce-aroma in style.
2. Wuliangye, Yibin, Sichuan Province
Wuliangye (Five Grain Liquid) is produced in Yibin, Sichuan, and takes its name from the five grains used in its mash bill: sorghum, rice, glutinous rice, wheat, and maize. The distillery's origins are traced to the Ming Dynasty, and it is now one of China's largest and most internationally recognised baijiu producers. Wuliangye's primary style is strong-aroma (nong xiang), characterised by a fruity, sweet-and-savoury profile generated by the long-period pit fermentation in mud cellars, some of which have been in continuous use for centuries. The oldest pits are considered the most valuable production infrastructure the distillery possesses.
3. Luzhou Laojiao, Luzhou, Sichuan Province
Luzhou Laojiao holds a special status in Chinese baijiu culture: it is the origin of the strong-aroma (nong xiang) style and possesses the oldest continuously operating fermentation pits in China, dated by various analyses to the late Ming period — meaning some pits have been in continuous use for over 400 years. The microbial communities within these ancient mud pits are the subject of ongoing scientific study and are recognised as a form of national cultural heritage. The company produces a wide range of products, from mass-market blends to the premium Guojiao 1573, which uses distillate exclusively from pits established in 1573 and commands prices comparable to luxury Scotch.
4. Fenjiu, Fenyang, Shanxi Province
Fenjiu is the defining producer of qing xiang (light-aroma) baijiu and one of China's oldest identifiable distilleries. Located in Fenyang in Shanxi Province, the distillery's production is documented in historical records stretching back at least to the Tang Dynasty. Light-aroma baijiu is produced through a cleaner fermentation process than sauce- or strong-aroma styles, using ceramic jars rather than mud pits and yielding a more delicate spirit with floral, grain-forward character. Fenjiu's Fen wine (汾酒) and its Bamboo Leaf Green liqueur (made by macerating medicinal herbs in Fenjiu base spirit) are among the most historically important alcoholic beverages produced in China.
5. Yanghe, Suqian, Jiangsu Province
Yanghe Distillery, based in Suqian in Jiangsu Province, is the producer of the Dream Blue (Meng Zhi Lan) range, which has become one of the top-selling premium baijiu brands in China. Yanghe's approach to strong-aroma production emphasises a specific strain of microorganisms in their fermentation pits and a characteristic soft water from local sources, which the company argues produces a notably smooth and mellow spirit compared to Sichuan equivalents. The distillery has invested heavily in tourism infrastructure and operates a museum dedicated to baijiu history and production that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.
6. Gu Jing Gong, Bozhou, Anhui Province
Gu Jing Gong (Ancient Well Tribute Liquor) has a history reputedly dating to the Eastern Han Dynasty, though the modern distillery is a twentieth-century successor to traditional production in Bozhou, Anhui. The name refers to an ancient well on the site whose water is used in production. Like most major Anhui baijiu, Gu Jing Gong produces a strong-aroma style with particular emphasis on floral and fruity top notes driven by fermentation in artificial stone pits. The brand is particularly popular in eastern China and has been growing its premium segments significantly over the past decade.
7. Nurhaci Baijiu, Shenyang, Liaoning Province
Nurhaci Baijiu is associated with northeastern China's Liaoning Province and draws its identity from the founder of the Qing Dynasty. The distillery produces primarily芝麻香 (sesame-aroma) style baijiu, a rarer category characterised by toasted grain, nutty, and slightly smoky qualities more reminiscent of roasted sesame seeds than any fruit-forward profile. Sesame-aroma style originated in Shandong Province but has found a following across northern China. Nurhaci's premium expressions use longer fermentation periods and selective spirit cuts to maximise aromatic complexity in a style that international spirits judges have begun to engage with seriously.
8. The Singleton of Glen Ord China Edition / Yulin Distillery, Yunnan Province
China's single malt whisky industry is still young but developing quickly. Yulin Distillery, established in Yunnan Province in the early 2020s, is one of several ventures combining Scottish distillation expertise with Chinese investment and locally sourced ingredients. Yunnan's altitude, temperate climate, and access to high-quality barley varieties make it a plausible environment for malt whisky production. The early releases from Yunnan-based producers show a spirit that is lighter in body than Scotch equivalents, with a clean grain profile and gentle influence from the subtropical wood ageing environment. The category is watched closely by both the Chinese domestic premium market and international spirits critics.
9. Jiannan Chun, Mianzhu, Sichuan Province
Jiannan Chun, based in Mianzhu in Sichuan, is one of China's most historically rooted distilleries, with records linking the production site to the Tang Dynasty and a continuous heritage of strong-aroma production. The distillery's name translates roughly as Spring South of the Sword (referring to the Sword Gate Pass in northern Sichuan). Jiannan Chun is particularly known for its mid-tier expressions that offer strong-aroma complexity at more accessible price points than Wuliangye or Moutai, making it a common choice for banquet consumption across Sichuan and the surrounding provinces.
10. Baijiu Academy Craft Distillery, Beijing
The emergence of small-scale craft baijiu producers marks a new chapter in Chinese spirits. Several craft operations have established themselves in or near Beijing, targeting a younger urban consumer who seeks the authenticity of artisanal production over the prestige of a centuries-old state enterprise. These producers experiment with non-standard grain combinations, modern temperature-controlled fermentation, and novel qu cultures to produce baijiu with greater consistency and more immediately approachable flavour profiles. While none has yet achieved national prominence, craft baijiu represents the most rapidly evolving segment of China's extraordinary distillery landscape.