Fenjiu’s 2022 journey took off with our esteemed old friend, the legendary department store Harrods, in Beijing.
On 8 January, we held our Fenjiu Masterclass at Harrods’ “The Residence” in Beijing, its second permanent VIP club in China following the launch of Shanghai’s “The Residence” in 2021. Fenjiu is currently the only Baijiu brand available at both venues.
For this event, Cheng International handpicked five Fenjiu liquors representing the long history of the brand, including Qinghua Fenjiu 30YO 53%, Qinghua Fenjiu 30YO 48%, and Qinghua Fenjiu 20YO 42%.
During the half-day tasting, Qiqi Chen, Managing Director of Cheng International, introduced the historical and cultural significance of Fenjiu to the guests, and demonstrated Fenjiu’s fragrant and mellow taste, a direct outcome of its excellence in production.
The overflowing aroma, the guests exclaim of praise, their enthusiasm in the history and craftsmanship of Fenjiu, and their keen enquiries about Fenjiu’s distillation… all proved this masterclass to be a brilliant start of the Year of the Tiger.
Indeed, this event wowed the guests through the flavours and aesthetics of each Fenjiu product. It also showcased a brand-new Baijiu concept to China’s younger generations by joining forces with Harrods, renowned for its quintessential British-ness, further imprinting Fenjiu with the notion of high fashion and superb contemporary lifestyle.
Riding on the success of the Beijing masterclass, Cheng International brought Fenjiu back to London for an entire year that stunned old and new British Baijiu enthusiasts alike.
On 19 January, Fenjiu 2022 Chinese New Year Dinner kicked off at China Tang, the acclaimed high-end Chinese restaurant located within the Dorchester. “Tang” represented the epitome of traditional Chinese culture, so it was only fitting that Fenjiu, a living witness to thousands of years of Baijiu history and a bearer or its renewed innovative nature, celebrated the most important occasion of the year here.
Highlighting the millennia of Fenjiu brilliance, this dinner dug deep into the history and craftsmanship of the brand. We also extended Cheng International’s new tradition of bringing innovative Fenjiu cocktails, inviting our British guests to marvel at the contemporary Chinese New Year jubilation infusing our traditions with creativity. Unsurprisingly, this dinner became our first milestone event of the year.
China Tang’s master mixologist Leo Surovec created a brand-new cocktail, poetically name “Fen Chiew Blossom,” based on one of our star products, Fenjiu 10YO 53%. The dinner guests were the first to taste this creation, which later went on to be a staple at the China Tang bar throughout the Chinese New Year celebration cycle.
Cheng International has always been committed to a truly global Baijiu storytelling, and to guiding Fenjiu to mesmerise the world with its charm.
Therefore, it’s easy to understand that this dinner focused on interpreting the multi-dimensional values and cultural connotations of the Chinese New Year. The newly created Fenjiu cocktail further exemplified the inclusivity and creativity of Fenjiu, brining closer the people of China and the world. The juxtaposition and mutual complementation of Chinese and Western flavours became another instant classic of the introducing Fenjiu to the world.
Naturally, this Fenjiu Chinese New Year feast drew widespread attention from all over the UK.
16 journalists, influencers, sommeliers, and mixologists attended the event, during and after which they shared their stories of the evening on the London Evening Standard, Bar Magazine, and their social media platforms to millions of readers and followers, opening another window of Fenjiu appreciation.
We hosted an array of other Chinese New Year celebrations for Fenjiu during this period. Please tap the image below for more details ▼
The UK further relaxed its Covid restrictions in 2022, allowing many flagship events to finally return since the pandemic began, and bringing back the global appeal of the British cultural calendar. Among them was the UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, the largest in scale of its kind in Europe, popular among Chinese expats and British locals alike.
On 29 May, this highly anticipated event returned to Salford Media City in Manchester after a two-year hiatus. Cheng International took part in this year’s event on behalf of Fenjiu by sending a team to join the race and setting up a Fenjiu Lifestyle Experience Pavilion right next to the racing canal. Tens of thousands of Chinese culture lovers flooded in from Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and beyond to experience Fenjiu, many for the first time in their lives.
From 9am to 5pm, visitors to the Pavilion learned about Fenjiu and its best-selling in the UK, including Zhu Ye Qing Jiu (Box Packaged) 45% and Fenjiu Red. They also sampled a variety of Fenjiu chocolates and cocktails, and participated in various activities including red string draw, Chinese poem quiz, and dice throwing. It was indeed an immersive experience of the Fenjiu creative lifestyle.
We even had the honour of welcoming Sue Lomas OBE, representative of the late HM the Queen to the Pavilion. Amazed by the versatile and enjoyable Fenjiu, she also tasted the chocolate and attempted the poem quiz.
By representing Fenjiu and participating in the UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, Cheng International’s vision once again shined bright. It was another elevation of Fenjiu’s brand recognition in the UK, marking the full rejuvenation of cross-cultural communication in the post-epidemic era.
Tap the image below to relive the wonderful day out in Manchester on the 2022 Dragon Boat Festival, where Fenjiu took centre stage ▼
Autumn came, and Cheng International devised another inventive East-meets-West evening: a cookery masterclass where Fenjiu became part of Italian cooking. The liquor was organically integrated into the learning experience in every step, from tasting to making. In the process, our guests found a deep resonance with this ancient spirit.
On 9 November, the Fenjiu Cookery Masterclass was held at La Cucina Caldesi, a classic Italian cooking school at the heart of London.
7 overseas social media influencers were invited, spent three hours cooking from scratch using Fenjiu, and immersed themselves in creative fusion cooking. Their millions of social media followers around the world also had the chance to peek into the magical world of Fenjiu through their shared content.
Qiqi Chen, managing director of Cheng International, introduced a range of Fenjiu product to them including Qinghua Fenjiu 20YO 42%, Zhu Ye Qing Jiu 10YO 38%, Fenjiu 10YO 53%, Fenjiu (Box Packaged) 48%, and Fenjiu Red, all available in the UK.
Stefano Borella, senior tutor from La Cucina Caldesi who had held professional positions in establishments such as the Savoy Hotel and the Churchill Hotel and had won The Awards of Excellence in Pastry in 1997, took the role of the tutor of the evening. Utilising his amazing repertoire in Italian cookery, Stefano guided the guests to complete a range of wonderful fusion courses including Tagliatelle with Fenjiu sauce, seabass with Fenjiu, roast quail slow cooked in Fenjiu with risotto, and Fenjiu Italian trifle. One simple had to appreciate the versatility of Fenjiu here.
Whether it be the mellow taste of Fenjiu itself or its perfect combination with Italian cuisine, everything was beyond our guests’ expectations. For them, getting to know baijiu from such a high-end starting point was beyond brilliant, and every moment of that night was a pleasant surprise.
Tap the image below to savour every step of the Fenjiu Cookery Masterclass ▼
Fast forward to the Christmas festivities in December, Cheng International organised three Fenjiu tastings with varied themes. For many who took part in these events, it was a special Christmas tipsy with the aroma of Baijiu.
The Media and Student Associations Partners Tasting, taking place at the Er Mei restaurant in the London Chinatown, was the first to ensue on 14 December. Representatives of esteemed media and university student associations attended and enjoyed a wonderful night out worth remembering.
Qiqi Chen, managing director of Cheng International, welcomed the guests with a heart-warming opening speech, giving our heart-felt gratitude to all the partners for their continued support for Fenjiu’s overseas journey through the years. Raising the Fenjiu in hand, the guests toasted together and confessed their devotion and enthusiasm to the future endeavours of Fenjiu in the UK market.
The star of the evening was undoubtedly the banquet of Chinese dishes paired with Fenjiu. Although it is not the guests’ first time to taste Fenjiu, with each sip they were still wonderstruck by its unique aroma and long aftertaste. For such a Western occasion as Christmas, the fragrant Baijiu dinner made for an unforgettable evening.
For years, Cheng International’s success of Baijiu culture promotion in the UK market would have been impossible without the care and support of our friends from media outlets and student associations. As we bade farewell to the year, this mutual appreciation was even more precious. It also set the tone for 2023 with greater vigour and visions.
Three days later, two more tastings were held in London in the form of cocktail parties, bringing joy to all friends old and new of Fenjiu.
One of the parties was organised in a business park in Southwark, London on 17 December. Guests from finance, real estates, technologies, and many other sectors gathered to sample our Fenjiu cocktails. It proved to be a refreshing re-introduction of Fenjiu to the high-net-worth communities in London.
Indulging themselves in the party with fully festive decorations, assorted canapes, and Fenjiu cocktails, guests enjoyed an opportunity to learn about how to pair Fenjiu or Fenjiu cocktails with the right food.
From the introduction of Chen Qiqi, they managed to establish a deep understanding of the 6,000-year history of Fenjiu, and fully explored the extensive Fenjiu culture. The guests particularly loved the bamboo cups, while also praising Fenjiu for its moreish aroma, elegant taste, and never-ending aftertaste.
Although the guests came from different sectors, cultural backgrounds, and social circles, they all had a wonderful time filled with laughter at our cocktail party. We took this opportunity to find new audience for the elevated modern Baijiu culture, and to enhance Fenjiu’s brand reputation on the international stage. Such has always been the vision of Cheng International.
The second Christmas cocktail party took place on 17 December too, this time in Soho London for artists and designers.
At an eccentric and enticing Christmas Art Market here, dozens of emerging artists came together to explore art and design practices, and to discuss their influence on global contemporary culture. Cheng International provided Fenjiu cocktails for attendees as a surprising move to promote Baijiu culture by introducing it to pioneering artists and designers, who represented the future of the creative community.
We brought to the market three Fenjiu cocktails: Fruit and Rose Passion, Bamboo Garden, and Orange Charmer. Catalysing the collision between Chinese and Western cultures into cups of delicious drinks, these creations once again amazed the guests who knew little about Fenjiu before.
Through this cocktail party, Cheng International explored a new territory for Fenjiu in the UK market of Fenjiu. Such crossover created new lifeforce for Fenjiu’s venture into the world and found a new niche in the realm of creativity.
Art and design are the cornerstones for human civilisation. What they have in common with Fenjiu is that they are all committed to the spiritual examination of social life through material forms. At the Christmas cocktail party, Cheng International helped form the bond between Fenjiu and young artists and designers in the UK.
2023 just started, and Cheng International has already embarked on our new journey. In the WeChat-viral Labelhood pop-up installation at Harrods London, our Qinghua Fenjiu China Edition 55% is currently on display prominently on the “Chinese New Year’s Eve Dinner” centre piece.
With the Fenjiu elegance added to the Harrods glamour, it is still attracting fashion enthusiasts from around the UK to come in and experience the festive setting.
