Lecturer HMSM as judge at Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB) in China

This event provided Ilonka with an exceptional opportunity to engage with China’s rich baijiu culture while evaluating over 2,800 spirits submitted from around the world. Ilonka Omta is lecturer Intercultural Communication and Cross-Cultural Management and had the honour of serving as a judge at the Spirits Selection 2024, organized by the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB) in Renhuai, China. Alongside a panel of 155 specialist judges representing 39 countries, she participated in a rigorous assessment of spirits sent in by producers from all over the world. 

The Spirits Selection by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is widely regarded as one of the foremost international spirits competitions. Its primary goal is to evaluate and celebrate the best spirits from around the world, offering consumers a reliable guide to the highest quality products. The competition covers a wide range of spirits, including whiskies, cognacs, rums, vodkas, piscos, and baijius.

This year’s competition was held in Renhuai, recognized as the home of sauce-aroma baijiu, a spirit that holds a significant place in both the cultural and economic history of China. During two days of intensive masterclasses, Ilonka gained an in-depth understanding of baijiu production, particularly the intricate fermentation process and the multi-year aging techniques that take place in large earthenware jars. The complexity of baijiu's flavours and its diverse aromatic profiles were thoroughly explored. Ilonka also visited several prominent distilleries, including Kweichow Moutai, Guotai, Yelanggujiu, and Jinghua, giving her the opportunity to observe these traditional methods and techniques firsthand.  Amongst some of the other judges, Ilonka was named an international ambassador of Zunyi’s Maotai-flavor baijiu, after these enriching days.