Baijiu

Baijiu (literally 'white liquor') is a distilled spirit made from grains — sorghum, rice, wheat, corn or combinations — fermented using a solid-state process with a bacterial-fungal starter block called jiuqu. The spirit typically ranges from 40 to 65 per cent ABV and varies dramatically in flavour depending on production style. The four main aroma classes are: strong-aroma (nóngxiāng) from Sichuan, the most produced nationally, with a deep, complex grain flavour; sauce-aroma (jiàngxiāng) from Guizhou, associated with Moutai, with an earthy, soy-sauce-inflected character; light-aroma (qīngxiāng) from Shanxi, the cleanest and most approachable; and rice-aroma (mǐxiāng) from Guilin, the gentlest. Baijiu is drunk neat in small ceramic cups (not sipped — drained in one gesture) at formal banquets and is integral to Chinese business and social culture. It is the world's most consumed spirit by volume.