Lai Zhou Distillery, located in Qionglai, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, is currently the largest modern distillery in the country. Since its establishment, it has adhered to the sustainable philosophy of “Born of Nature, Thriving with Nature.” As China’s first distillery to implement a net-zero emissions green philosophy and commit to carbon neutrality as a long-term goal, Lai Zhou combines innovation with environmental stewardship.
Qionglai, historically known as the first stop on the ancient Southern Silk Road west of Chengdu and the gateway to the Tea-Horse Road, is also a millennia-old hub of Chinese winemaking. Blessed with pristine natural environments and unique climatic conditions, it is recognized as one of the world’s rare “golden regions” for whisky production.
Lai Zhou Whisky selects diverse oak cask types and high-quality malt new-make spirit, with its whisky spirit inventory now exceeding 300,000 barrels. Notably, it incorporates uniquely Chinese flavors through casks such as Chinese Huangjiu (rice wine) barrels and Mongolian oak barrels. The distillery aims to explore the vast possibilities of multi-cask maturation, prioritizing innovation in whisky craftsmanship to create new flavors rooted in Chinese creativity.
By striving to integrate whisky into the daily lives of everyday consumers, Lai Zhou seeks to redefine whisky culture—making it accessible, approachable, and enjoyable. Its mission is to foster a relaxed and vibrant drinking atmosphere, celebrating the diversity and evolution of whisky in the modern era.

The Laizhou Single Malt Whisky Genesis Edition embodies the distillery’s pursuit of the highest quality and flavor. It integrates eight types of casks, including Chinese yellow rice wine casks, Chinese Mongolian oak casks, and Chinese Qilian fortified wine casks, infusing the liquid with a distinct Chinese character. The whisky has a full-bodied yet layered profile, like a beautiful symphony unfolding its flavors gradually. It not only features the oriental sherry notes from the yellow rice wine casks and the honey and spice flavors from the Mongolian oak casks, but also the rich sweetness of matured dried fruits from the fortified wine casks. The taste is balanced and smooth, with a long finish.

As the pioneering work aged for three years, the limited Genesis Edition’s preciousness is reflected in every detail. The bottleneck of the Laizhou Single Malt Genesis Edition is designed based on the shape of the distillery’s pot still, symbolizing the continuation of traditional single malt craftsmanship. The shoulder of the bottle features a bamboo-inspired, upward-spiraling design, representing the rebirth of Laizhou’s single malt and the distillery’s vision of positive growth and prosperity. A trapezoidal notch on the bottle body is a miniature of the trapezoidal symbol of the distillery’s experience center, signifying that it is a single malt whisky from Laizhou Distillery. The base of the bottle has a texture resembling the grain of a wooden cask, highlighting the distillery’s unique coopering skills and cask-aging techniques, while also expressing the concept of blending multiple casks.
The gift box of the Laizhou Single Malt Whisky Genesis Edition adopts the core architectural design elements of the distillery’s Phase III experience center, the trapezoidal shape of the “Container of Light.” The overall dark blue color of the gift box originates from Laizhou’s color system, reflecting the professionalism of the whisky. The texture of the gift box features a wood grain pattern, inspired by the stacking of wood in the cooperage, and also conveys the distillery’s natural and humanistic approach to its establishment. The box opens in a blooming manner, symbolizing the official launch of Laizhou Single Malt Whisky to the public and inviting everyone to explore the world of Chinese single malt whisky.

At the beginning of the project, we encountered quite a few issues. For example, how could we convey the philosophy of Laizhou Distillery to consumers? And how could we make consumers feel our sincerity with this product that was being launched for the first time? This product is not just a new Chinese whisky; it needs to convey a philosophy, a message. It’s a signal that Chinese whisky is going global, a natural social and ideological trend, and a new trend of more diversified and sustainable distillery development. This product carries a lot of spiritual messages, which is why we can see so many elements combined together to tell a story about Chinese whisky and the story of Laizhou Distillery. As a new Genesis Edition product, we put a lot of thought into the design, using a lot of metal materials to reflect the importance of the product. A sense of value will make consumers who purchase it have great recognition of the product’s cost-performance ratio. We also used details such as hand signatures, detailed textures, and engravings on metal to reflect the distillery’s professionalism and rigor. In terms of gift box innovation, we developed a new shape for the gift box, which of course is also derived from our distillery’s architecture. We faced many challenges in the structure of making the gift box, but we managed to solve them all. A gift box form that can represent Laizhou Distillery and also catch consumers’ eyes has won great appreciation from consumers. Finally, with the efforts of all parties, the Genesis Edition product was snapped up.