2019 IBA World Cocktail Championships, Hand-Craft Black Label Recipe Winning Gold
On November 7, the 68th World Cocktail Championships, hosted by the IBA (International Bartenders Association), were successfully concluded in Chengdu. Latvian bartender Andris Reizenbergs’ creation ‘You Look Wonderful Tonight’ won the title of the competition. The base liquor for his cocktail is Hand-Craft Black Label by JIANGXIAOBAI.
The Competition
The IBA (International Bartenders Association) is an internationally recognized organization, regarded as ‘the Olympics’ of bartending by professionals all over the world. This year’s WCC is the world’s first world-class bartending competition with baijiu. JIANGXIAOBAI’s Hand-Craft Black Label was one of the designated spirits for the competition. In the hands of the world’s top bartenders, it unfolded the full charm of Chinese baijiu cocktails.
The WCC is divided into categories English bartending and fancy bartending. 90 top bartenders from 65 countries and regions, including 36 Chinese participants, followed the call. Andris Reizenbergs, the winner of 2019, is the owner of a famous bar in Latvia, and he has decades of experience in the industry. In an interview he mentioned, that this was his first time using Chinese liquor as a base for his cocktails. He thinks, that JIANGXIAOBAI’s spirit body is pure, and while rich in taste, it can also achieve good balance. For these reasons, Andris likes the spirit for cocktail preparation.
Hand-Craft Black Label
JIANGXIAOBAI’s Hand-Craft Black Label really managed to shine in this competition. The spirit is fermented and distilled only from sorghum. Also, for the premium quality of this product, the fermentation cycle has been vastly extended. Moreover, only 10% of the original spirit have been selected, using traditional methods and techniques. Expert distillers worked hard to create a delicate and mellow taste, and the result is a smooth and sweet entrance. The thick texture of the liquid is another testament to the ingenuity of our distillers. When used as cocktail base, JIANGXIAOBAI’s light aroma baijius bring a novel flavor to the table, all the while embracing the various elements of the mix.
JIANGXIAOBAI
In the Chinese liquor market, although JIANGXIAOBAI is a “newcomer”, the brand has been at the forefront in the development of cocktails and mixed drinks with baijiu. In recent years, JIANGXIAOBAI has brought J-MIX cocktails and mixed drinks to various international events. Among them, the Chinese Food Festival in London, the Seoul International Wine & Spirits Expo and Africa’s Big 7 F&B expo in South Africa. The results have been the same, and the brand won over new fans, whenever going abroad.
JIANGXIAOBAI’s series of products have also been exported to more than 20 countries and regions, and won nearly 100 international competition awards. The Hand-Craft Black Label used in this competition has won awards at the IWSC (International Wine & Spirit Competition) and HKIWSC (Hong Kong). At present, JIANGXIAOBAI is actively developing bar channels at home and abroad.
Since its inception, JIANGXIAOBAI has always insisted on innovation and upholds the concept of “Renaissance of the Old Flavor”. The aim is to promote Chinese liquor and make it a household name, even in Western countries. International department director, Zoe Fu, believes, that cocktails are the best medium to do so. With the international stage of IBA, JIANGXIAOBAI has the opportunity to build a tighter relationship with the bartending scene. JIANGXIAOBAI’s participation will hopefully push the bar scene in China, and, at the same time, give more exposure to the spirit category of baijiu.
The 2019 World Cocktail Championships in Chengdu, China, are in the books. For China-native brand JIANGXIAOBAI and its acclaimed product Hand-Craft Black Label it was a great success. Nearing the end of 2019, the producer of sorghum spirits intends to keep the momentum for the next year. But for now, it is time to celebrate–best with a few ‘You Look Wonderful Tonight’.
