Hosted by Cheng International on behalf of Fenjiu International, the latest Fenjiu Creative Cocktail Competition invited seven London bartenders to create original cocktails using Fenjiu 10YO as their base. The challenges and possibilities of working with a light-aroma baijiu became the core focus of both discussion and creation.
The competition exuded the atmosphere of a live artistic showcase: bartenders from three London bars brought their individual styles to the table, drawing inspiration from tea, spices and Western desserts, while experimenting with different techniques, from shaking and stirring to the use of flame.
The seven finished cocktails varied widely in style, yet all reflected a shared ambition: to rethink how Fenjiu could be imagined behind a modern bar.
The panel, made up of senior London bar professionals and international spirits competition judges, evaluated each drink based on flavour structure, presentation and the role Fenjiu played within the recipe. More than technical execution, they looked for whether the bartenders had truly engaged with Fenjiu’s flavour character.
The winning cocktail was Luca Gimozzi’s “Silk Road Toddy,” the only warm baijiu cocktail of the day. Using flame at the bar, Gimozzi delivered a mature and assured expression, successfully balancing Fenjiu’s elegance with the intensity of Indian chai and spices.
