New whisky distillery launched in China's Sichuan

CHENGDU, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- World-renowned winemaker Pernod Ricard unveiled a new distillery for single malt whisky production in southwest China's Sichuan Province Tuesday.

Covering an area of about 18 hectares, the CHUAN Malt Whisky Distillery in Sichuan's Mount Emei is the first malt whisky plant invested by a global, leading spirit and wine producer in China. The group will pool about 1 billion yuan (156 million U.S. dollars) into the distillery in the following decade.

The new distillery will use the natural water of Mount Emei to make its whisky. As trickles of water filter through the ancient limestone walls of Mount Emei, the products will have the high-quality minerals needed to produce premium whisky, said the group.

The group aspires to make the distillery a unique cultural landmark in Sichuan and has emphasized the eco-friendly construction of the plant.

The distillery will rely on renewable electricity sources, and its wastewater will undergo proper treatment. Its distillation byproducts will also be processed into animal feed, said the group.