Diageo, the maker of Johnnie Walker whisky and Smirnoff vodka, has said trade in Chinese bars and restaurants has resumed in parts of the country as it cautiously emerges from lockdown.
Global distillers and brewers have been looking to the world’s largest drinks market, where the coronavirus pandemic started, for signs of a return to normality after dozens of countries imposed strict social distancing measures to fight the virus. These measures have all but ended the profitable trade in alcoholic drinks through bars and restaurants.
“In mainland China, we are beginning to see a very slow return of on-trade consumption, as restaurants and bars have started to gradually reopen,” said Diageo, which majority-owns the maker of Shui Jing Fang, a popular brand of baijiu, China’s national spirit, distilled from grain or rice.