Baijiu makes its way West, heating up a spirits turf war with China

Chinese companies’ moves to push baijiu outside of China come as Western drinks like Pernod Ricard and Diageo muscle in on Chinese liquor makers’ turf, tempting China’s twenty- and thirtysomethings with Irish and Scotch whiskies in particular.

Makers of the Chinese liquor baijiu are reformulating the fiery grain liquid to appeal to a wider client base, including cocktail drinkers in New York, Los Angeles, and London, as sales at home slow.