Chinese baijiu brand Moutai has been named by the Brand Finance 2025 Alcoholic Drinks Report as the world’s most valuable spirits brand, with a brand value of US$58.4bn.
Over the last week The Shout has brought you a series of articles based on the Brand Finance report, detailing Corona Extra as the world’s most valuable beer brand and Penfolds as the world’s strongest wine brand.
In the spirits world, baijiu dominates the list with six different brands in the Top 10, with Wuliangye, Luzhou Laojiao, Xinghuacun Fen Wine, Yanghe, and Gujing Gong Jiu the other baijiu brands alongside Moutai in the Top 10.
Moutai retains its place at the top of the rankings, a position it has held since overtaking Johnnie Walker in the 2016 list. Last year Brand Finance put Moutai’s brand value at US$50.1bn, and said this year’s growth of over US$8.3bn can be attributed to “domestic cultural initiatives such as the Moutai Wine Festival and Red Sorghum Harvest Season. At the same time, internationally, its ‘One Country, One Strategy’ approach expands its reach to 66 countries”.
Wuliangye, Luzhou Laojiao, and Xinghuacun Fen Wine round out the top four most valuable brands, before the first non-baijiu brand, Hennessy, comes in at number five, with a brand value of US$5.3bn.
The remaining brands in the Top 10 – in order – are Yanghe (US$4.9bn), Jack Daniel’s (US$4.4bn), Gujing Gong Jiu (US$3.6bn), Bacardi (US$3.3bn), and Johnnie Walker with a brand value of US$3.1bn.
Brand Finance said: “Research shows that although Chinese consumers are more familiar with baijiu brands than with Western spirits, they are more likely to consider and use Western spirits.
“This highlights the polarisation within the baijiu market, where premium brands dominate but may be less accessible to the average consumer, making Western spirits a more attractive or affordable alternative.”
In addition to the most valuable brands, Brand Finance calculates the globe’s strongest brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics that evaluate marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance, in compliance with ISO 20671.
Moutai also maintains its position as the world’s second-strongest spirits brand, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 92.4 out of 100 and an AAA+ rating. Brand Finance research, conducted solely in its home market of China, shows that Moutai is highly rated across the board, earning near-perfect scores for metrics like reliability, reputation, and likeability.
Mexican tequila brand Don Julio ranks 15th globally in terms of brand value but has emerged as the world’s strongest spirits brand. It achieved a BSI score of 94.2 out of 100 and a AAA+ rating. Eight of the top 50 most valuable spirits brands globally hold a top AAA+ rating, according to Brand Finance research.
Brand Finance compiles its rankings using what it calls the ‘Royalty Relief approach’, which estimates the likely future revenues attributable to a brand and calculates a notional royalty rate that would be charged for its use. The overall brand value also factors in the Brand Strength Index and estimated brand revenues.