The archive · Marketing & Growth · Product decision · 2022–2023
Kweichow Moutai turns baijiu into 2%-alcohol ice cream — 40,000 cups sold in 51 minutes
China's ¥1,499-a-bottle baijiu king sells 2%-alcohol ice cream with Mengniu on its app — sold out in 51 minutes, ¥2.5M on day one.
Kweichow Moutai (贵州茅台) · Mengniu Dairy (蒙牛)
What it had to solve
By 2022, Moutai's 53° baijiu — a ¥1,499-plus banquet staple — was aging with its drinkers, and young Chinese preferred coffee, cocktails and low-alcohol drinks. The company needed to stay culturally iconic without cheapening its core bottle.
How it works
On May 29, 2022, Kweichow Moutai — maker of China's most famous baijiu, a 53° spirit priced from ¥1,499 a bottle — launched its first product outside alcohol: three tubs of ice cream made with Mengniu. The 75g tubs (plum, vanilla and milk) contain 2% alcohol, retail for ¥59–66, and were sold only through Moutai's new i-Moutai app, with delivery restricted to Guiyang.
It was a deliberate brand move, not a novelty. Moutai's general manager Li Jingren said the launch was about creating 'an immersive experience' and 'cultural resonance' for consumers; analysts said the ice cream let people curious about the famous liquor taste it 'in a comfortable way' at a low price, and helped Moutai reach young and female consumers who never drink high-end spirits.
The scarcity worked: the first batch sold out within 51 minutes, with more than 40,000 units and over ¥2.5 million in sales on day one. By the product's first anniversary in May 2023, Moutai said nearly 10 million cups had been sold through 27 flagship stores in 24 provinces, 400 million people had been exposed to the product, and 2022 ice-cream revenue was projected at ¥262 million.
Why it lands
- The crossover extended Moutai's brand without touching the sacred ¥1,499 bottle — a separate 2%-alcohol product could not cannibalize or dilute the core liquor.
- The app-only, one-city launch created scarcity: a ¥59 treat sold like a limited collectible, which is precisely what made the launch newsworthy.
- Teaming with Mengniu gave the unfamiliar product dairy credibility and national cold-chain capability, so Moutai did not have to learn ice-cream manufacturing.
- It answered a real demographic problem — an aging drinker base — with a zero-risk product for young and female consumers, turning curiosity into brand contact.
What it did
Sold out within 51 minutes: more than 40,000 units and over ¥2.5 million on day one. By the first anniversary (May 2023), nearly 10 million cups had sold across 27 flagship stores in 24 provinces; Moutai reported 400 million people exposed to the product and projected ¥262 million in 2022 ice-cream revenue.
What you can take
Heritage brands can court the young by making identity cheap, edible and scarce: the product becomes the ad, and app-only scarcity makes a ¥59 tub feel collectible without cheapening the bottle.
Since then
By May 2023 the ice cream had expanded to 27 flagship stores across 24 provinces and online channels including JD.com, Tmall, Douyin and banking-app malls; chairman Ding Xiongjun said nearly 10 million cups had been sold, with 400 million people reached and ¥262 million in projected 2022 revenue. The crossover became the template for Moutai's wider youth push: a way for a heritage liquor house to touch a generation that does not drink its signature spirit, without ever discounting the bottle itself.
Sources
- Moutai, Mengniu mix up baijiu, milk for heady, creamy Gen Z treats
- Moutai-infused ice cream: Balancing Tradition and Innovation to Capture a Younger Market
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