Expats plan to crack China whisky market with 9 Rivers Distillery

The founders of the 9 Rivers Distillery start-up reckon they’ve the measure of the Chinese language drinks market, writes George Morahan

An estimated 4 billion bottles of spirits are bought in China every year, and three.9bn of them are native spirits. The remaining 100m are imported western spirits comparable to gin, rum and whisky, however the native style is for baijiu, of which practically 17bn litres is produced.

China accounts for round 30% of world spirits consumption and whisky makes up simply 1% of the Chinese language liquor market, in contrast with baijiu’s 96%, based on consulting agency Ries.

Whisky gross sales in China peaked at €1.9bn in 2012 earlier than a ban on entertaining at public expense as a part of a serious anti-corruption drive hit gross sales over the subsequent decade, they usually nonetheless haven’t recovered.

Euromonitor estimates that whisky gross sales within the nation, which has a inhabitants of 1.4 billion, had a worth of €1.7bn final 12 months, and the market analysis firm count on this to extend to €2.2bn by 2025 on the again of intense competitors amongst western manufacturers.

Jameson proprietor Pernod Ricard plans funding of $150m over 10 years in its malt whisky distillery in Sichuan province whereas Scottish distillery tools maker Forsyth’s has kitted out a brand new distillery in Internal Mongolia.

Elsewhere, Diageo has invested $75m to construct its first malt whisky distillery in Yunnan province, and in whole there are round 16 distilleries of notice in China which might be both in operation or underneath development.

Amongst them is the 17,200 sq. metre website in Longyan owned by 9 Rivers Distillery, a enterprise established by western expatriates. After a ground-breaking ceremony in February 2022, the foundations will quickly be poured, based on Stephen Alexander, one of many 9 Rivers founders.

Alexander used to dwell in Shenzhen and was working as a pilot for Hainan Airways when Covid-19 hit China. The married father-of-three has since returned to Ryanair, figuring out of Poland whereas dealing with advertising and marketing, communications and social media for 9 Rivers and main efforts in Europe to draw new buyers.

The Kildare man explains that the 9 Rivers concept had its genesis in expat whisky golf equipment. 9 Rivers CEO Jay Robertson, who has labored within the drinks sector in China for 20 years, ran the tasting occasions that Alexander attended, and Robertson may be very a lot the 9 Rivers primary man.

The chance, Alexander says, is in undercutting established whisky manufacturers that promote in China for €40 to €50 per 70cl bottle after transport prices and taxes.

“From a industrial perspective, the market is there,” he says. “It undoubtedly has enormous potential to be very worthwhile. Our primary focus will likely be single malt whisky to compete with the native Chinese language spirits when it comes to value,” says Alexander

9 Rivers Distillery was initially funded with fairness seed funding and convertible mortgage notes amounting to €2.2m. This went in the direction of buying the 17,240 sq. metre land parcel for the distillery, architect charges, Environmental Affect Report and the entire different processes and procedures required to safe the constructing permits.

Different start-up prices embody excavating your entire website, laying down 2,000 cubic metres of water storage, primarily for hearth security necessities, and to put the foundations for the buildings.

In response to managing director Hayden Zou, relationships with native stake holders are crucial to the success of any venture in China.

“Many individuals wrongly suppose that issues in China occur naturally quick, and that if you happen to grease just a few palms issues go even sooner. Fairly merely, this isn’t true for any critical enterprise,” says Zou.

“China is among the strictest international locations on the planet regarding development and security, with guidelines which might be closely biased in the direction of the protection of workers and most people.”

Zou provides: “That is doubly true for a distillery the place fires and explosions are a risk. There have been a number of situations the place we wished a particular design, however hearth laws wouldn’t enable it or the Feng Shui grasp would veto it.  Thankfully, via concerted  engagement, we now have been capable of construct lasting relationships with necessary stakeholders in Fujian.”

Jay Robertson, CEO and founding father of 9 Rivers Distillery, is understood in China’s expat circles as ‘Mayor of Liquor City’. This references Robertson’s a long time of expertise of importing western booze into China, as evidenced by the a whole lot of whisky bottles on show in his workplace.

“In a means, he’s the glue that holds us collectively,” says Zou. “Jay has at all times mentioned that the 9 Rivers Distillery venture will at all times be in regards to the folks concerned and never about him. However the reality of the matter is his imaginative and prescient and insane ardour for the distillery are the explanation all of us received concerned and invested within the first place.

“Jay is essentially the most troublesome particular person I’ve ever labored with, however he additionally occurs to be essentially the most proficient particular person I’ve ever labored with.

“There’s technique to his insanity and he’s a pacesetter with imaginative and prescient, a nerd with a broad vary of passions, and a superb man who I belief with the way forward for this venture.”

The enterprise has been in search of to boost a further €14m since 2020, with €3.5m of that pledged to this point. Enterprise funding is required to cowl the price of development of the distillery, fit-out, and dealing capital.

The marketing strategy requires manufacturing of 1.3m litres of pure alcohol equal (or 7,000 casks) by the tip of 12 months one, rising to a most of 15m litres in 2016, which might make it one of many world’s largest distilleries.

The minimal funding within the enterprise is RMB25,000, equal to c.€3,650. The corporate says the shareholder’s settlement is structured to encourage individuals who need to make investments for a minimal time period of 5 years. And to remain in contact with progress, buyers are anticipated to enroll in a WeChat account.

Major picture: How the promoters envisage 9 Rivers Distillery when development is full