By correspondent Alice Lonfat-Chu

Beverage enthusiasts take note. There's a new drink in China.

Pernod Ricard, the company behind Martell, Chivas Regal and Royal Salute Scotch, has started producing a prestige malt whisky in the Sichuan Province.

Called The Chuan, the spirt has hints of sandalwood and mandarin peel, accented by local barley as well as special Chinese oak used in one of its casks. 

The one catch for now. The whisky is only available in China.

While you can order it within the country, an excursion to the distillery, which opened in June 2024, is highly recommended.

There you can tour state-of-the-art facilities and enjoy whisky and food tastings.

I've been to many distilleries, but this one impressed me a lot.

Located within Emeishan, one the eight fabled mountains of China, it's a unique experience, a two-hour drive outside of Chengdu.

The whisky couples nicely with the Sichuan-inspired tasting menu at the distillery's restaurant. And the mountainous setting, the architecture by Shanghai's Neri&Hu and a permanent art installation by contemporary artist Zhan Wang further round out a refined and magical adventure.

If you don't know Mandarin Chinese, ask a local friend or a hotel concierge to make you a booking through Chaun's WeChat mini-program or through DianPing or Ctrip.

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Alice Lonfat-Chu