Wuliangye

Wuliangye Yibin Co. Ltd. (Chinese: 宜宾五粮液股份有限公司), or simply Wuliangye (Chinese: 五粮液; lit. 'Five Grain Liquid') is a baijiu distillery headquartered in Yibin, Sichuan, China. The distillery's eponymous and proprietary spirit, Wuliyangye, is a nongxiang (濃香; strong aroma) baijiu made with a mix of five cereal grains: sorghum, rice, glutinous rice, wheat, and corn.[3] Wuliangye is one of the most popular baijiu brands both in China and abroad and as of 2023 is the second most valuable spirits brand in the world.[4]

Wuliangye
五粮液
TypePublic
State-Owned Enterprise
SZSE: 000858
IndustryAlcoholic Beverages
Founded1952 (1952)
Headquarters
Yibin, Sichuan
,
China
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Zeng Congqin
(Chairman)
(Committee Secretary)
ProductsBaijiu
RevenueIncrease(2022)[1][2]
CN¥73.97 billion
US$23.12 billion
Number of employees
46,678 (2022)
Websitewuliangye.com.cn
Wuliangye
Simplified Chinese五粮液
Traditional Chinese五糧液
Literal meaningFive Grain Liquid
Wuliangye Yibin liquor store in Yangzhou

Product Characteristics

Wuliangye produces primarily nongxiang baijiu which, due to the grains long fermentation periods in mud pits, has a high amount, both in variation and in concentration of ethyl compounds, primarily ethyl hexanoate, ethyl lactate, ethyl acetate, and ethyl butyrate.[5] The result is their eponymously named flagship "Wuliangye" having floral and peppery notes in the aroma and notes of pineapple and licorice on the pallet.[3]

History

Yibin and the region of Sichuan as a whole has a long history of alcohol production. While some archaeologists speculate about production of alcohol, likely spontaneously fermented lizhijiu, among the ancient Bo people, the earliest hard evidence for the consumption of alcohol comes from the Han Dynasty from which hundreds of drinking vessels and ceramics for the purpose of storing alcohol has been found.[6]

Over time as the techniques of brewing, and eventually distillation developed, the technique of using multiple grains as the base for fermentation became a regular practice. During the Tang Dynasty a multiple grain alcohol called "Zhongbijiu" (重碧酒) had some popularity and during the Song Dynasty Yao Junyu (姚君玉), a Yibin nobleman, building on the formula for zhongbijiu, developed "Yaozixuequ" (子雪曲), a distilled spirit composed of five grains; sorghum, rice, glutinous rice, wheat, and millet, which saw a great deal of commercial popularity and success.[6] In the Ming Dynasty, the Chen family took over production of yaozixuequ and in 1368 built fermentation pits that continue to be in use to this day. The Chen family also altered the recipe setting the baseline for the spirit that would come to be known as Wuliangye however, it wasn't until 1909, the very tail end of the Qing Dynasty, that a scholar at a Yibin banquet named Yang Huiquan (杨惠泉) gave the spirit its current name.[3][7][8]

In 1950, the newly formed People's Republic merged eight Yibin distilleries under a single state owned entity and in 1959 this company was named Wuliyangye after the spirit itself.[3][7][8]

As of 2023, Wuliangye has seen much commercial success and currently sits at #164 on the "Fortune China 500."[2]

References
  1. "Wuliangye Yibin Co. Ltd. Annual Report 2022" (PDF). cninfo.com.cn.
  2. "Sichuan Wuliangye Yibin Co. Ltd. Profile". Fortune China.
  3. Sandhaus, Derek (31 May 2014). Baijiu: The Essential Guide to Chinese Spirits. Penguin Group. pp. 140–142. ISBN 9780143800132.
  4. "Brandirectory Spirits 50 2023".
  5. Xiaowei, Zheng; Beizhong, Han (March 2016). "Baijiu (白酒), Chinese liquor: History, classification and manufacture". Journal of Ethnic Foods. 3 (1): 19–25.
  6. Yuan, Xuezhe (March 2019). "Chinese Yibin Liquor Culture Goes Global" (PDF). David Publishing Cultural and Religious Studies. 7 (3): 167-171. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  7. "Wuliangye from Ancient Times". cyol.com (in Simplified Chinese). China Youth Daily. 28 June 2012.
  8. "Four Thousand Years of Brewing Craft a Cup with the "Strong Aroma of a Great Country" Wuliangye". scjjrb.com (in Simplified Chinese). Sichuan Economic Daily. 7 June 2023.
  • Official Chinese Website
  • Business data for Wuliangye Yibin Co. Ltd.:
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