Graham, the chief brewer and deputy general manager of the whiskey distillery at Mengtai Group, receives an interview. [Photo/Ordos Media Center]

Recently, the largest whiskey distillery in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region entered its trial production phase.

According to Graham, the chief brewer and deputy general manager of the distillery at Mengtai Group, the company has conducted numerous experiments and insisted on using traditional Scottish whiskey brewing techniques. The distillery will undergo testing this month, with full production expected in late July.

The project is located in the region's Ordos city and covers a total area of 100 mu (6.67 hectares).

It is the first distillery in the region to integrate whiskey production, tourism, and education; and receives an investment of around 200 million yuan ($28.01 million) in total.

It started construction in March 2022, and in addition to building a 500-ton annual whiskey brewing line, supporting tourist projects such as a power workshop, aged liquor cellar, bottling workshop, and a street of bars have been established.

When running at maximum capacity, the distillery will be able to consume nearly 3,000 tons of corn grown by local farmers and herdsmen.

Additionally, the distiller's grain byproduct will be processed into high-quality livestock feed and sold at cost to local farmers. The street of bars and other tourist projects will also provide employment opportunities for local farmers and herdsmen.

Wang Wei, the project leader of Mengtai Group's rural complex in Ordos, said the distillery will encourage surrounding farmers to plant the grains needed for whiskey production. It will then purchase these at above market value, thus incentivizing 1,000 local households to participate in the project.