Despite fears that China is being hit by a trade slowdown which will impact consumer demand, the drinks business reported earlier this week that Moutai is booming.

The company posted a 21% year-on-year rise in net profit for the first half of the year, driven by strong revenue growth.

Amidst this growth, the baijiu producer has launched a Moutai store and tasting bar in Melbourne’s China Town. The drinks brand first opened its official Southern Hemisphere flagship store in Sydney, and has now expanded into another Australian city.

The Moutai Melbourne Boutique stands as the brand’s inaugural concept store, offering tasting flights and cocktails made with Moutai at the circular bar in the centre of the store.

According to the brand, the goal was to develop an “all-encompassing experience” merging “cultural displays, art exhibitions, and personalised service”. The Melbourne boutique also offers masterclasses at AU$98 per person, with paired canapes. The team will also take guests through the pouring ritual which includes a whopping 78 steps, and a five-stage guided tasting.

Baijiu is a spirit made from sorghum grains, and Moutai is the biggest consumer product share quoted on China’s markets, valued at about US$330 billion.

Moutai is continuing to introduce premium products and is driving aggressively into direct sales to consumers (DTC) which generates higher margins. The most popular Moutai Flying Fairy bottle sells for AU$518.