Ben Salguero is the UK’s leading baijiu specialist, known for his mission to bring China’s national spirit into the Western mainstream. Originally trained as a bartender, Ben’s journey with baijiu began in 2020 during his WSET Level 3 studies, where a guided tasting revealed the spirit’s complexity and potential. Since then, he’s become a key advocate for baijiu education in the UK, combining technical knowledge with a deep appreciation for its cultural heritage. He has studied baijiu production first-hand in China— visiting distilleries across southern China, such as Kweichow Moutai and Shui Jing Fang — and channels that experience into his two Bristol-based venues: Golden Crane, nominated "Best in the West" by classbar, and Jaded Dragon, the UK’s first Chinese- Tiki-style baijiu bar & home to Europe’s largest baijiu selection. Through tastings, training sessions, and cocktail innovation, Ben is reframing baijiu from an unfamiliar curiosity into a versatile, contemporary spirit for modern drinkers.