Technical conferences are an
my room to grab a drink only to realopposite is also reasonable to ask, integral mechanism for disseminating ize I had no idea where I was going. I making the projects endless. had been there for two days and this Ultimately, only one question reinformation across cultural divides. was the first time I had attempted to ally matters — Who will drink it? get somewhere on my own. The most And that’s where the content got It’s a rare opportunity to strip away supportive feature of the IDSTF was even more interesting. There were the real-time translation service. several great talks to establish that the marketing and dive into what makes Every conference attendee was proconsumers aren’t always honest on each beverage work. vided a radio/headphone set where preference surveys and that there are professionals provided translations new methods of extracting consumof every talk and comment made er preferences using biometric data. in the meeting rooms. I felt like I was in the This pivoted to discussions of how each spirit during a meal. Whether at a restaurant or the United Nations. The organizers also helped category could gain greater penetration into conference dining room, the local foods were presenters create bilingual slides in advance foreign markets. The world’s spirits producers delectable. The bold flavors of the local cuiof the meeting. Overall, the English-speaking look enviously at baijiu’s market in mainland sine provided the missing context around my inclusivity exceeded my every expectation. China, while the baijiu producers look for a previous tastings of baijiu. Probably the bigThe meeting organizers were intentional greater international foothold. One can only gest lesson I learned on this trip was that each about creating a strong connection between hope that meetings like this will support the region and cuisine co-evolved with a style of the distilling conference and the local culture. collaborations required for every consumer baijiu — the food and baijiu are interconnectThe event opened with the Gujing Gongjiu to access their spirit of choice. ed. My previous baijiu tasting, which probaVintage Original Puree Autumn Brewing This meeting underscored the potential bly occurred in between bourbons, was likely Ceremony. This event was an outdoor specfor international collaborations in distilled jarring because it lacked the food that approtacle of exceptional scale that firmly tied the spirits. Technical conferences are an integral priately completes these sensory experiences. distilling community to the people of the mechanism for disseminating information The IDSTF programming delivered worldregion. Musicians and performers created an across cultural divides. It’s a rare opportunity class technical content. The conference forartistic narrative of the history of local baijiu to strip away the marketing and dive into what mat mirrored their international peers where production. They placed a clear emphasis on makes each beverage work. Each meeting speakers presented data-driven talks in the the uniqueness of their approach that crafts brings you closer to the international spirits spirit of collaborative learning. Every aspect the characteristic spirits of this region. I left community. New partnerships are formed, of baijiu production was dissected and reconwith a clear sense of place for this style of while existing relationships are strengthened. sidered by the leading minds in the commubaijiu, where the distinct aromas of this spirAs I departed Beijing, I walked away physically nity. These talks drove considerable conversait will be forever connected in my mind with exhausted and intellectually energized — the tion between the whiskey nerds in the room. the land, culture, and people of this region. perfect way to end any spirits meeting. After the first day, I walked away with enough Baijiu consumption is closely connected new research ideas to occupy an army of PhD with dining, and every meal was complestudents. Many of these concepts could be Brad J. Berron — James B. Beam Institute mented by a healthy supply of local spirits. categorized as: How might a given spirit catfor Kentucky Spirits, Chemical and Materials Keeping with local culture, one should be egory be changed by swapping out a single Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY prepared for a baijiu toast at any moment step with a traditional baijiu technique? The 40546, USA
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