2021 Events

WBD 2021

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis – with restrictions varying from nation to nation and city to city – World Baijiu Day activities may change at the last minute. Also, given this year’s World Baijiu Day is on Monday, August 9, some venues be active during the weekend before. Here is a tentative list of event partners for WBD 2021.

Scroll down for World Baijiu Day events all around the planet. Final details to be posted by August 7.

Bansko | Beijing | Boston | Buenos Aires | Christchurch | Dublin | Guangzhou | Hamburg | Hong Kong | London | Los Angeles | Marseilles | Minneapolis | Portland | Reykjavik | San Marino | Shanghai | Shenzhen | Stockholm | Sydney | Tianjin | Wuhu

BANSKO

Baijiu in Bulgaria! Bansko is a popular resort town near the Pirin Mountains and best known for its skiing. But it’s also a good summer retreat. And a place you can find baijiu! Moutai Bulgaria informs us that baijiu-inspired cocktails will be available near the town’s central square. More details here.

BEIJING

Last year, this comfort specialists The Rug Cafe hosted a guided tasting by boutique producer Guanyun that covered four baijiu styles, followed by a pairing dinner with five fusion dishes from The Rug, such as sous vide pork with soba noodles, mapo tofu pizza and a pearl milk tea-based dessert. This year, check The Rug out for your own DIY party with its Guanyun baijiu options and sprawling food menu.

BEIJING

Beijing craft beer and World Baijiu Day veterans Jing-A–see here, here and here— will host a pairing of three baijius, six craft beers and six bar snacks to see which ones people think match best. This event is limited to 15 people: email spirit (at) worldbaijiuday.com to check on availability.

BEIJING

Superfly, a Sichuan-inspired restaurant and bar in the Opposite House Hotel features baijiu cocktail Erguotou Fizz that along with its namesake baijiu includes mezcal, vodka, vanilla, lemon, Sichuan peppercorn and homemade hawthorn syrup. Superfly also has a range of baijiu available by the bottle and glass, including from Guizhou, Shanxi and Sichuan, and a new infused baiju called 白8.

BOSTON / CAMBRIDGE

Sumiao Hunan Kitchen has featured everything from Sizzling Baijiu Shrimp to the Beijing Berry Fizz over the years. The featured drink for World Baijiu Day 2021 is the Peppermelon cocktail, a mix of watermelon juice, black pepper and baijiu. And for those who want to explore, Sumiao has lots of other baijiu options, from cocktails to full bottles. Full post here.

BUENOS AIRES

One of the big annual World Baijiu Day questions is, “Where on Earth is Nicolas Constantin!?” This globe-trotting bartender first participated in WBD in 2017 in Buenos Aires at 430 / 四三〇 Ramen & Drinks. Then went on to do events in 2018 and 2019 in Spain, in getaways Marbella and in Feungirole. For 2021? Constantin is back in Buenos Aires and will host an event at Mixology Club on August 9. Full story here. (Follow Constantin on Instagram here.)

CHRISTCHURCH

Ain’t no party like a Glenn Schuitman baijiu party. He who hosted our first major World Baijiu Day bash in 2015, at the former Pop-Up Beijing, then kept the momentum going, notably with an epic tasting at Herbal Bar, then kept the momentum going upon his return to New Zealand. Last year, it meant a fun tasting in Christchurch with the brothers Lu of local baijiu producer Taizi. This year, it means taking things up a notch by meeting up with some top bartenders at cocktail bar GinGin this Sunday, August 8, for a cocktail session featuring none other than Taizi. Full story here.

CHRISTCHURCH

Taizi baijiu founders and brothers Sam Lu and Ben Lu will headline a night of telling stories, sipping baijiu and enjoying Chinese dishes. The event, organized by Canterbury’s New Zealand China Trade Association and hosted by executive committee members Michelle MacWilliam and Alistair Crozier, will include a guided baijiu tastings and a banquet. Full story here.

DUBLIN

As part of World Baijiu Day, Moutai Ireland is holding a giveaway with Martin’s Off-Licence in Dublin. Top prize is a bottle of Moutai flagship brand Flying Fairy, plus a four-pack of tickets to Taste of Dublin in September, an event that includes the Moutai Colada and Moutai Mojito cocktails. Runner-up gets a bottle of Moutai Prince and a four-pack of tickets. Martin’s carries both of these Moutais. Full story here.

HAMBURG

Contemporary Chinese restaurant Half the Sky and Moutai Germany importer Wisdom Express are teaming up for the cocktail Dream of Red Chamber, named for what is arguably China’s greatest novel. A mix of Moutai, cranberry juice, elderflower syrup and lemon juice, it will feature for Half the Sky’s World Baijiu Day promotion, August 6 to August 9. This is just one of the cocktails available for customers, who can also get Moutai shots while enjoying their vegan and vegetarian dishes. Full story here.

GUANGZHOU

Look for baijiu bar Sanyou, by the same team behind Hope & Sesame and Charlie’s, to offer lots of fun for World Baijiu Day. More about this establishment here.

HONG KONG

Those curious about baijiu cocktails in Hong Kong will have lots of options at Gomes’ Gastropub features 10 creations on August 8. The common thread is Baijiu Society, which makes a series of baijiu beers as well as baijius that features flavors like peach, cherry, yuzu, lychee, coffee and a blend of spices like cinnamon, clove and star anise. Full story here.

LOS ANGELES

Downtown LA venue Peking Tavern has been part of World Baijiu Day the start, in 2015, when it held a cocktail contest featuring customers as bartenders. Since then, it’s done all kinds of baijiu cocktail, food pairing and tastings. Given the COVID-19 situation in California, we are waiting for confirmation of what’s possible this year.

MARSEILLE

Bar Dans Les Arbres

Marseille has been on the World Baijiu map since 2016. Two years ago, Carry Nation made Silk Road-inspired cocktails. Last year, sibling establishment Bar Dans Les Arbes aka Bar in the Trees hosted. And the guys also made a delicious looking punch one year. Details soon on what’s in store for 2021.

MINNEAPOLIS

The founders of baijiu brand Ganbei will in action on Saturday, August 7. Check out their baijiu from noon to 3 PM on August 7 at Surdyk’s Liquor — 303 East Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis — to taste not only Ganbei straight up but also in a pair of cocktails — the Baijiu Margarita and the Far East Mule. Full story here.

PORTLAND

Danwei Canting aka “The Work Unit Restaurant” will be featuring both a food and baijiu pairing and a baijiu cocktail this year. Details soon!

REYKJAVIK

Eimverk

The first distillery in Iceland bottling spirits as ‘baijiu.’

SAN MARINO

This might be the most unexpected World Baijiu Day site this year: San Marino—a country encircled by Italy and with fewer than 35,000 citizens—is getting into the spirit! Moutai, to be exact, used for cooking ham for the area’s famous flatbread / sandwich piadina and also worth trying as a pairing. This dish is available at Ristorante il Piccolo. Full story here.

(San Marino just became the smallest country to win an Olympic medal, picking up three so so far at the Tokyo Games.)

SHANGHAI

A trio of Shanghai venues will feature cocktails made with 白8, a new light aroma baijiu with eight botanicals, including hawthorn, Sichuan peppercorn, green tea and Buddha’s hand.

Created by RJ Steiner and James Gillespie, 白8 uses baijiu from Zhejiang province, to which they add those botanicals, then redistill and blend the final product. You can try it in cocktail form here:

  • J Boroski, the Shanghai branch of an operation with bars in Bangkok and Hong Kong, will feature the 搭配海灵菇, a cocktail created by Mark Lloyd and that plays on the umami elements of 白8.
  • Tacolicious will have the Lucky Number 8, a cocktail created by co-owner Logan Browse, who previously participated in World Baijiu Day via Logan’s Punch. This one mixes the mellowness of agave with the punchy citrus edge in 白8.
  • Dusk Till Dawn, a speakeasy where Eric Almazov has created the O-Ren Ishii, which sees the tartness of Japanese Yuzu jam balance the sweetness of American bourbon and umami of 白8. Find this cocktail on the menu all summer.

For those who want to try 白8 at home, get 15% off by using the code WBD2021 from August 8 until August 15. Open this link in WeChat and use the QR code. Full post here.

SHANGHAI

Michael Ohlsson has hosted World Baijiu Day at his venues in Beijing, Kunming and Shanghai over the years, such as this one held during the very first WBD. (He also spotted a new baijiu brand in, of all places, Iceland!) This year, he will shift thee focus to Shanghai — details to come.

SHENZHEN

Local flavors take center stage as Bar Choice hosts three days of fun, including three baijiu cocktails by bartender and shareholder Ring, from August 7 to August 9. Plus, Gao Ye and Mustang from natural wine bar Weeknd will show up as guest sommeliers on August 7 for a fun boozy mashup. All supported by the Shenzhen-based trade fair Wine to Asia. Full story here.

SHENZHEN

Compass by Curator has a knack for compelling cocktails, including those with baijiu. And this year will feature five such concoctions from August 6 to August 13. They include the Baijiu Sour, with plenty of jasmine influence, the Bai-Jito, which gets zip from flavors such as elderflower, passion fruit and peppermint, and Look Into My Smokey Bais, which sounds intriguing with items such as yellow Chartreuse, Luxardo cherry liqueur and single malt. Full story here.

SINGAPORE

Bartender Isz Valentino from Dragon Chamber has delighted cocktails fans with his creations on previous World Baijiu Days. Due to the COVID-19 situaion, we are monitoring what is possible this year.

STOCKHOLM

Ludvig Sääf of Lu Spirits has no fewer than three projects on the go for this year’s World Baijiu Day. Sääf will once again partner with gelato chain Stikki Nikki to offer baijiu gelato aka baijiu-lato. He will also hold his annual Baijiu Banquet at R.Asia (see below). And several establishments around the city will offer baijiu cocktails.

We’ll also have updates ASAP on Stockholm bars that are featuring baijiu cocktails this year. Six of them participated last year!

SYDNEY

Good Spirits co-founders Varvara Kuraeva and Artem Zubenko will take their Australian Baijiu party online this year as Sydney is facing COVID-19 restrictions. Grab some snacks and spirits and zoom into their home celebration, which will feature Chinese dishes, Australian Baijiu shots and the cocktails Baijiu Pina Colada and West Meets East. Full story here.

TIANJIN

Steve Wang of WE Brewery has ranked among the biggest World Baijiu Day supporters over the years, as an organizer of events in both his hometown of Tianjin and, for two years, his adopted home of Minsk. This year Wang says he will be in Tianjin again pairing a series of baijiu tinctures with his craft beers and also presenting some dishes cooked using baijiu.

YANTAI

Set in a picturesque coastal town in Shandong province, craft gin and tonic bar Spring Bank, which also stocks niche whiskies, vinyl records and hand-rolled cigarette supplies, also gets into baijiu, including last year with a kind of DIY cocktail session. This year is currently on hold pending an easing of COVID-19 restrictions.