Baijiu and Chinese alcohol

What baijiu is

Baijiu (白酒, 'clear alcohol') is the umbrella term for distilled Chinese spirits, typically made from sorghum, sometimes from rice or other grains. Alcohol content runs 35–60% ABV. It is the world's most-consumed spirit category by volume, almost entirely consumed within China.

The four major flavour categories

• Sauce-aroma (酱香) — Moutai is the canonical example. Complex, savoury, umami. From Guizhou.
• Strong-aroma (浓香) — Wuliangye, Luzhou Laojiao. Sweet and intense. From Sichuan.
• Light-aroma (清香) — Fenjiu. Clean, less aromatic. From Shanxi.
• Rice-aroma (米香) — Sanhua. Mellow, sweet. From Guangxi.

There are several other minor categories (mixed-aroma, special-aroma, herbal-aroma, sesame-aroma).

Iconic brands

• Moutai (Kweichow Moutai, 茅台) — sauce-aroma flagship; the bottle most often given as a state gift. ¥1,500–¥3,500 retail for a 500ml standard bottle. Counterfeits are rampant; buy from licensed sellers.
• Wuliangye (五粮液) — strong-aroma; Sichuan; ¥800–¥1,500.
• Luzhou Laojiao (泸州老窖) — strong-aroma; Sichuan; the entry-tier '52% Special Quality' is ¥150–¥250.
• Erguotou (二锅头) — Beijing's working-class baijiu; ¥10–¥40 for a 500ml bottle.
• Fenjiu (汾酒) — light-aroma; Shanxi.

Drinking etiquette

• Baijiu is for toasting, not for sipping.
• At a banquet, the host opens with a toast to all guests. Subsequent toasts pair specific guests.
• Stand to toast. Hold your glass below the senior person's glass when clinking — a sign of respect.
• Ganbei (干杯) means 'dry the glass' — drink the entire shot. Sui yi (随意) means 'at your discretion' — sip what you want.
• Toast before eating, between courses, at every milestone of the meal.
• If you cannot drink (medication, religion, just don't), say so up front. A polite refusal early is fine; declining mid-banquet is awkward.

Other Chinese alcohols

• Shaoxing rice wine (绍兴黄酒) — fermented rice wine, lower alcohol, used for cooking and drinking. Gentle.
• Gao粱 wine (高粱酒) — Taiwan's Kinmen variety is famous; similar to baijiu.
• Beer — see the dedicated guide.
• Wine — Chinese-grown wine industry has grown substantially, with notable wineries in Ningxia, Yunnan, Hebei.

Practical advice

If you have a long Chinese banquet ahead, eat first (peanuts, dumplings, cucumber salad) before the toasting starts. Cucumber, milk, fatty meat all slow alcohol absorption. The morning-after baijiu hangover has a particular dry-tongued quality; rehydrate aggressively.