The world's best whisky makers are taking the same route as classic wine producers by trying to break into the lucrative mainland and Hong Kong markets.
Last month whisky brand Johnnie Walker opened its second Johnnie Walker House, billed as an embassy for luxury Scotch whisky, in Beijing. In 2011 it opened Johnnie Walker House in Shanghai - the brand's first location outside Scotland - and it proved so successful that the Beijing property was launched as a response to the demand from Chinese consumers.
It is home to some of the brand's finest whiskies, with some collections that are only available for purchase on the site. Gilbert Ghostine, president of Johnnie Walker parent company Diageo Asia Pacific, says that the Johnnie Walker House in Shanghai has been "its most successful experiment in marketing and commercial innovation in Asia to date", and is the reason why Johnnie Walker House Beijing has been opened.
A similar revolution is happening in Hong Kong. Crown Wine Cellars is the official agent here for one of the world's best whiskies called "The Last Drop", which is a blend of 80 whiskies. The youngest of the 80 in the blend is from 1960 and it has proved hugely popular in the city.
"Only 1,300 bottles were produced and we've been able to sell almost our entire allocation. We've sold 76 bottles of the 88 allocated. This Scottish whisky is HK$18,888 a bottle," Gregory De'eb, Crown Wine Cellars' general manager, says.