Moutai academy set to open in China

The world’s most valuable liquor brand, Kweichow Moutai, has been approved by China’s Ministry of Education to set up a Moutai academy in Guizhou in southwestern China.

As reported by the official Chinese news agency Xinhua, the educational institute aims to enroll 5,000 students and will offer five principle majors: distilling, winemaking and viticulture, food quality and safety, resource recycling science and engineering in addition to marketing. The exact opening date has yet to be announced.

On its official website, the company has revealed the 43 teaching staff who will be working at the academy.

Moutai, a rice/grain distilled high-alcohol spirit, is hailed by many as China’s national spirit and flaunts its revolutionary pedigree with references to the communist revolution.

The liquor was drunk by red armies when they were embarking on the Long March as they passed through Guizhou in 1935. It was also the drink favoured by Chinese revolutionaries led by Mao Zedong at state banquets. Deng Xiaoping, China’s paramount leader, at the age of 81, was said to have drunk five shots of Moutai in one sitting.

Moutai has surpassed Diageo as the most valuable liquor brand in the world in April with a total market value at US$71.5 billion.