By Kirk Miller As a drinks market, China seems to have untapped potential — five of the 10 most valuable spirits brands hail from the country of 1.4 billion people. But those brands are primarily producing baijiu, a rather broad spirits category with four recognized and very distinct styles. “China is home to the largest spirits market in the world and it has been flourishing in recent years as alcohol consumption increases and purchasing power is on the up,” as Richard Haigh, the managing director of Brand Finance, said in 2021. “Although we are beginning to witness a rise in popularity of in…