In recent years, the Baijiu industry's exploration of attracting younger consumers has continued unabated. From crossover collaborations to category innovation, a slew of product attempts aiming to break the traditional boundaries of Baijiu have emerged. Among them, products like the "Jiangxiang Latte" (Moutai-flavored latte), with their novel concepts, once created phenomenal sales performance, allowing the industry to see the potential of breaking through conventional circles. However, this year, the wind seems to have shifted subtly within the Baijiu industry. A movement towards lower alcohol content, centered on "reducing degrees", is quietly gaining momentum, becoming a new strategic focus for many leading distilleries.

Recently, Wuliangye launched "29° Wuliangye · Love at First Sight", Gujing Gongjiu introduced the 26% ABV "Light Gu20", and Luzhou Laojiao also announced the development of a 28% ABV version of Guojiao 1573... More and more companies are attempting to attract young consumers and explore new markets by reducing alcohol content.

Even before this, low-alcohol Baijiu had already captured a significant market share in traditional stronghold provinces like Shandong, Hebei, and Jiangsu. The 38% ABV Guojiao 1573 became a blockbuster product generating billions in revenue, and the 39% ABV Wuliangye also achieved growth in the banquet market. These phenomena seem to indicate that reduced-alcohol products are becoming a new path for incremental growth in the Baijiu market.

Behind the Trend: Is Reducing Alcohol Content Driven by Demand or Industry Self-Preservation?

From a market perspective, the emergence of this trend is no accident. On the one hand, against the backdrop of the industry overall entering a period of "volume reduction competition", distilleries face practical pressures such as declining price points and high inventory levels, urgently needing to find new growth points. Low-alcohol Baijiu, due to its smoother taste and lower barrier to consumption, is seen as more likely to attract younger groups and non-traditional Baijiu consumers, making it an ideal testing ground.

On the other hand, lowering alcohol content also aligns with the consumer trend towards healthier drinking. More and more consumers subscribe to the philosophy of "drink less, but drink better". Reduced-alcohol products lower alcohol intake while preserving Baijiu's flavor profile, meeting the psychological demand of modern people for more rational drinking.

However, many industry insiders remain cautious about this. Some viewpoints suggest that reducing alcohol content might merely be an attempt by distilleries to create growth within a saturated market. Without supporting efforts in occasion education, cultural reinterpretation, and brand communication, reducing alcohol content alone may not truly open up the youth market.

Do Young People Avoid Baijiu Really Just Because of "High Alcohol Content"?

In fact, alcohol percentage is not the core barrier. Spirits like Whisky and Brandy, often above 40% ABV, are widely popular among young demographics; high-alcohol spirits like Gin and Rum are also favored in bars. What young people reject is not the alcohol itself, but the traditional drinking culture associated with Baijiu—the drinking etiquette emphasizing hierarchy, emotionally coercive drinking rituals and the implied social pressure and identity performance associated with it.

For a long time, Baijiu has been overly endowed with social, even financial, attributes, detaching from the essence of consumption. The alcoholic beverages young people expect are not tools for business entertainment but companions for life; not symbols to flaunt status but mediums for expressing emotion. In other words, Baijiu needs to complete a transition from a "social necessity" to an "emotional choice", moving from a "cultural symbol" to a "lifestyle symbol".

The Real Challenges for Low-Alcohol Baijiu: Taste, Occasion, and Perception

Reducing alcohol content is technically complex. Baijiu's flavor system and mouthfeel highly depend on alcohol content for support. Reducing the degree can lead to weakened aroma, a thin mouthfeel, and imbalanced flavors. Without solid technical support and R&D investment, low-alcohol Baijiu can easily become perceived as "watered-down liquor", struggling to gain consumer acceptance.

More importantly, low-alcohol Baijiu still faces a lack of defined consumption occasions. In traditional settings like business banquets and formal gatherings, high-alcohol Baijiu still dominates. Meanwhile, in emerging scenarios for casual drinking, low-alcohol Baijiu must compete with craft beer, ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails, wine, and others. Currently, low-alcohol Baijiu has not yet established a clear occasion perception, which is a major weakness in its market promotion.

Channel enthusiasm is equally crucial. Many distributors adopt a wait-and-see attitude due to the lower profit margins and slower turnover of low-alcohol products. Retail outlets also stock cautiously due to the unclear consumption scenarios. Without systematic channel incentives and point-of-sale education, it will be difficult for low-alcohol Baijiu to achieve large-scale distribution.

Beyond Reducing Alcohol Content: What Constitutes Real Youthification?

For low-alcohol Baijiu to evolve from a "trend" into a genuine "shift", and progress from "product innovation" to "market revolution", breakthroughs must be made in the following areas:

Technical Upgrade: Reducing alcohol content requires process innovation to maintain the liquor's body, flavor, and post-drinking comfort, achieving "low alcohol without being bland".

Occasion Reconstruction: Moving beyond the limitations of traditional banquets, expanding into relaxed occasions like small friend gatherings, solo relaxation drinking, and outdoor leisure, allowing drinking to return to its essence of enjoyment.

Discourse Shift: Abandoning preachy and status-oriented traditional promotion), engaging with consumers through relaxed and sincere communication, integrating Baijiu into lifestyle narratives and emotional expression.

Value Rebuilding: No longer emphasizing social rules and face-consuming (mianzi) consumption, but instead highlighting personal experience, taste exploration, and cultural resonance, making drinking a choice from the heart.

Reducing Alcohol Content is a Starting Point, Not the Endpoint

The emergence of the trend towards reducing Baijiu's alcohol content objectively reflects the industry's current anxiety and attempts to engage the youth market. It is both a trend) and could become a key starting point for future trends. However, the prerequisite is that companies must not view reducing alcohol content merely as a sales tactic or a bandwagon move, but rather as part of a comprehensive youthification strategy.

Lowering the alcohol percentage is only the first step; more importantly, it's about lowering the psychological and cultural thresholds. Only when young people spontaneously raise their glass not because the occasion demands it, but out of genuine emotional resonance and appreciation for taste, will "the young person's first sip of Baijiu" truly arrive.