When a 50% baijiu struggles to sell but a 15% fruit-flavoured version can move 10 million bottles in six months, it’s clear the wind has shifted in China’s liquor market.
China’s second-largest baijiu producer, Wuliangye, has launched a new 29% ABV spirit, Wuliangye · Crush On, marking a bold move into the booming low-alcohol segment. Other leading distillers — including Luzhou Laojiao, Shui Jing Fang, and Shede — are following suit, as the traditionally high-proof spirit finds itself redefined by a generation that prefers flavour and balance over potency.
Wuliangye Leads the Charge
Wuliangye announced the release of Crush On, a 29% ABV baijiu priced at RMB 399 (US$56) per bottle. Pre-sales have begun on major e-commerce platforms including JD.com, Tmall, Vipshop, and Douyin. Designed for younger consumers, the brand has appointed Hong Kong pop star G.E.M. Tang (邓紫棋), born in the 1990s, as its global ambassador — a symbolic move positioning the legacy brand for a new generation.
Wuliangye is not alone in chasing the “lighter” trend. Rival Luzhou Laojiao revealed at its 2024 annual meeting that it has developed a 28% Guojiao 1573, with plans to roll out even milder versions at 16% and 6% ABV.
Shui Jing Fang, majority-owned by Diageo, said it will expand innovation efforts and launch products below 38% ABV in select markets to attract 25–30-year-old drinkers through emerging channels. Meanwhile, brands such as Shede, Tianyoude, and Gujinggong have each unveiled new spirits below the 30% mark.
Low Proof, High Growth
China’s turn toward lighter drinking isn’t new. Five years ago, Jiangxiaobai pioneered the trend with Great Fun (果立方), a 15–23% ABV fruit-flavoured sorghum spirit designed for younger palates.
Its bet paid off handsomely. According to parent company Bottle Planet Group, Great Fun’s sales revenue rose over 80% year-on-year between January and July 2025, with more than 10 million bottles sold in Shenzhen, Changsha, Zhengzhou, and Chengdu in just the first half of the year.
High-proof baijiu, typically around 50% ABV, has long intimidated younger consumers. A survey by Wuliangye of 1,000 people aged 20–35 found that 52% preferred beer, 29% chose Western or fruit-based liquors, and only 19% favoured baijiu. Nearly 60% expressed a preference for lower-alcohol options, citing their “mild taste,” “ease of drinking,” and “less social pressure.”
That sentiment is reflected in data from the China National Association for Liquor and Spirits Circulation, whose Alcoholic Beverages Market Confidence Index (ACI) for the first half of 2025 showed a sharp divide: high-proof baijiu (above 50%) scored a modest 41.26, while low-ABV baijiu and new-style spirits (20–40%) reached a stronger 51.20.
The message is clear: the demand for lower-alcohol baijiu is real — and distillers are racing to capture it.
Younger Drinkers Want More Than Just “Lower Alcohol”
“The move toward low-alcohol baijiu reflects broader shifts in consumption and the industry’s effort to reconnect with the mass market,” said Tie Li, executive president of the Sichuan Provincial Association for Liquor and Spirits Circulation, in an interview with Vino Joy News.
He noted that trends such as low-ABV products, smaller bottles, and minimalist “light bottle” packaging mark the industry’s transition toward higher-quality, consumer-oriented growth.
“Traditional high-proof and gift-oriented baijiu have struggled as business banquets decline, leading to inventory build-up,” Tie said. “Meanwhile, new forms of social drinking lack suitable products. To bridge this mismatch, innovation in product design is the most effective tool.”
Still, not everyone is convinced that lowering alcohol content is enough.
Guo Fusheng, founder of instant-delivery platform I Love My Wine (我爱我酒), told Vino Joy News that price and positioning matter just as much.
“Wuliangye’s Crush On is priced at RMB 399 per bottle — not exactly within reach for most young consumers,” Guo said. “In a slowing economy, even for business drinking, that’s a tough sell. Brands looking to win over younger audiences need products that are aspirational yet affordable — and Jiangxiaobai is the perfect example.”
Indeed, Jiangxiaobai’s Great Fun retails for just RMB 12.79–14.89 (US$1.79–2.09) per 168ml bottle and offers more than just price appeal. The brand has built strong emotional connections through interactive campaigns such as the “DIY Cocktail Challenge”, which has inspired over 500,000 social media posts, and its early “Expression Bottle” project, where consumers could upload personal messages to be printed on real product labels — a pioneering case of user co-creation in China’s drinks market.
As founder Tao Shiquan once said: “Products meet functional needs, but brands meet emotional ones. Warmth, strength, and attitude — these are a brand’s true value.”
Tie Li agrees that winning over young consumers requires more than just adjusting the alcohol content. “Low-alcohol and small-bottle trends shouldn’t be blindly followed,” he said. “Producers need to focus on specific occasions and audiences — such as portable drinks for camping or picnics, or fruit-infused products aimed at women that highlight ‘light, stylish, and low-burden’ drinking.”
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