Chinese vodka Baijiu – leadership and culture of drinking

Yes, almost everyone. First of all, baijiu is a product of distillation, not rectification, which ultimately results in a more expressive taste, which for the average layman, whose taste buds are not used to such twists, may seem too extravagant. Anticipating your questions about its taste, for the uninitiated, baijiu is an overly scalding drink with catchy, musky flavors and aromas, among which novice tasters highlight overripe tropical fruits, berries, coffee and a whole range of umami flavors gravitating towards soy sauce, miso and blue cheeses.

The main difference between Chinese vodka, if you can call it that, and Russian vodka lies in different approaches to the fermentation of the feedstock. Whole grains are used, without germination and crushing. All the work of saccharification and fermentation of the wort is performed by a special fermentation starter jiu qu (酒麴, jiuqu).

Cui (qu) is a type of East Asian dry fermentation starter grown on a solid medium (usually crushed grains of wheat or barley). It consists of a complex mixture of different forms of yeast and bacteria. In terms of how it works, the qu is most similar to the Japanese starter koji, although the Chinese counterpart is believed to have originated much earlier and is slightly different in composition. Each plant has its own blend of qu, which has been cultivated for hundreds of years and passed down from generation to generation.

Traditionally, fermentation takes place in clay pits, but ceramic vessels are also used, including those buried in the ground in the manner of Georgian kvevri. This process lasts for a long time, from a month to several years, while fermentation can be performed in several cycles with the periodic addition of grain and tsui. The finished wort is repeatedly distilled in conventional or traditional distillers, and the resulting distillate is sent for aging.

For aging, most manufacturers use huge terracotta urns, in which baijiu spends from 1 to 3 years. Different styles of fermentation and distillation form a huge variety of baijiu.

It is, but the classification of baijiu is very different from all other alcoholic beverages. It is based on the evaluation of aroma. And, despite the fact that the drink has a thousand-year history, this classification was formed only in August 1979, at the third national baijiu competition in Dalian, Liaoning province. She was supposed to help the jury in evaluating numerous copies of Chinese vodka, but still, many of them relied not only on aroma, but also on taste.

At present, classification by aroma only hinders the further development of a huge variety of baijiu, since many of the worthy representatives of the market have a truly unique taste, but the aroma does not shine (often it is simply weakly expressed). What’s more, many fragrance categories are simply a way for some brands to differentiate themselves from others. But there is a classification and you need to know it.

• “Saucy” flavor (醬香, jiàng xiāng) is a distillate with a very pronounced “heavy” flavor, so named for its similar smell to soy sauce and other fermented foods. The baijiu of the “saucy” flavor contains a large amount of esters, which, in combination with ethyl alcohol, give rise to a very specific taste, with references to blue cheeses. This class of baijiu is also called “mao-like” flavor (茅香), after Maotai, the most popular brand of Chinese vodka.
• strong aroma (濃香 or 瀘香, nóng xiāng or lú xiāng) is a class of baijiu that has a sweet taste, oily texture and soft, incomparable aroma, due to the high content of esters, in particular ethyl acetate, which gives the drink smells most similar to on nail polish. Most baijiu of this class are made using aspergillus mold. A prominent representative of the strong flavor is the Wuliangye baijiu from Yibin (one of the most expensive baijiu, the price of which can be several thousand dollars).
• light fragrance (清香 or 汾香, qīng xiāng or fēn xiāng) is a delicate, dry and light baijiu with a pleasantly soft and clean aftertaste. For production, sorghum or rice husks are used with the addition of barley and peas for sweetness, fermentation takes place in ceramic containers. The distillate of this class is most common in the north of China, especially in Beijing. This category includes a variety of Er Guo Tou (二锅头, èrguōtóu), a favorite drink of the working class.
• Rice flavor (米香, mǐ xiāng) – the character of this class of drinks is colorfully illustrated by baijiu made from rice, for example, Sanhuajiu (三花酒) from Guilin. Medicinal herbs, fruits, and tea leaves can also be added to the rice mash. Produced mainly in the tea regions of Guangdong and Guangxi in southern China. One of the softest baijiu representatives.
• honey aroma (凤香, fèng xiāng) is a distillate similar in taste to baijiu “strong aroma”, but with a hint of honey undertones. An example is Xifengjiu from Fengxiang County in Shaanxi.
• Mixed flavor (兼香, jiān xiāng) is a class of distillates that are a mixture of two or more varieties of baijiu.

These are the main categories of Chinese vodka. The first four are the most common and are built according to the principle “from hard to soft” (you should start acquaintance with this drink exactly the opposite – from soft to hard). The first three flavors are the basis of the entire classification, since “saucy”, light and strong flavors differ from each other not only in organoleptic, but also in some aspects of production. The rest of the “styles” are derivatives and there are a little more of them than described above (usually nine more “sub-styles” are distinguished).

The diversity, of course, does not end there. There are a huge number of varieties (types, subspecies, styles, etc.) of baijiu, which, in turn, are represented by a huge number of brands. The most popular subspecies of Chinese vodka on the world stage is the Maotai drink, but the domestic market, especially in the capital, is dominated by Ergotou.

• Maotai (茅台, Máotái) is the world’s most famous type of baijiu with over 200 years of history. Belongs to the class “sauce” aroma. Produced in the eponymous city of Maotai in Guizhou from wheat and sorghum with a unique approach to their fermentation, which includes 7-8 cycles. This drink became known to the world after winning the Panama-Pacific Exhibition in 1915 in San Francisco. In 1951 was named the national beverage of China. Mao Zedong treated Richard Nixon to the Maotai during his 1972 state visit. Fortress: 54-55%.

• Ergotou (二锅头, Èrguōtóu) is the most popular light fragrance baiju in the Chinese domestic market. “Er guo tou” means “double distillation” (literally “head of the second distillation”), which fully reflects the purity of this drink (tastes and aromas of heads are really traced in it). As mentioned above, this is a working class drink and is most in demand in the capital of China, Beijing. A 0,3 liter bottle of the most common Red Star (红星) ergotou costs about $1,5 in Beijing. Fortress: 56% and above.

There are a huge number of such “subspecies” of baijiu, how huge China and its population are. In the Celestial Empire, more than 10000 factories are engaged in the production of national vodka.

At the very least, it will be an interesting experience for you. We will name two main reasons for this: China is getting closer and baijiu is preparing to storm the West.

With the first argument, everything is clear. For the average Chinese, baijiu is the fuel of almost any social event. It is drunk in times of happiness – at weddings, birthdays, corporate parties, important negotiations, after successful deals and military victories – and in times of sadness. Therefore, if a Westerner is currently doing business (or any other activity) in China or plans to do so in the future, he should definitely study Chinese baijiu vodka in all its diversity in advance, which, ultimately, should help in his endeavors. The reputation of the laow (老外, lǎowài – this is how foreigners are called in China) will increase significantly in the eyes of the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire if he knows what kind of drink it is, what to expect from it and how, in fact, to drink it correctly.

As for the second argument, China’s economy is experiencing an unprecedented rise and its enterprising residents are actively expanding foreign markets with any product or service. This is a fact that you just need to accept. There are clear signs that baijiu is starting to spread around the world. Jim Boyce, a Beijing-based Canadian wine expert, founded World Baijiu Day, which was celebrated in 20 different cities outside of China the year before last. Baijiu themed bars were opened in Liverpool and New York. Foreign brands of Chinese vodka began to appear: ByeJoe in the United States, Taizi in New Zealand, and Dragon’s Mist in Canada, softer and more westernized versions of baijiu. In a word, you need to be in trend!

The main Chinese toast is “Gan bey!” (干杯, Gānbēi) or literally “To the bottom!”.

This phrase is always taken literally in China and, in the spirit of true equality, it is applied to every drinker at the table, no matter what they drink. No excuses, no hesitation, no dilution. If you think that concessions can be made for something as strong as baijiu, then you are deeply mistaken. Glass after glass, glass after glass, this is the rhythm of a typical Chinese evening feast. That’s why when you ask people who have been to China how they like baijiu, their eyes widen and their voices begin to tremble.

Fortunately, baijiu is traditionally drunk from very small glasses with a long stem, the volume of which rarely exceeds 30 ml (usually 15 ml). The drink itself is first poured into a small ceramic vessel, where it can be slightly heated. Drink it either warm or at room temperature, in the manner of sake.

Many business relationship problems in China are easily resolved through informal meetings involving alcohol. A feast in the Middle Kingdom is not only alcohol; this is an opportunity to clear up some misunderstandings that are not customary to discuss at work, or to discuss problems that were not resolved during official negotiations. At such feasts, try to adhere to the following rules:

1. Try to drink at least one small glass personally with each participant in the feast.
2. Don’t refuse to drink after the toast; it’s like a personal insult.
3. In China, there is no need to look someone in the eye while toasting.
4. Seniors and executives should always drink first.
5. “Gan Bey!” still means “To the bottom!”; if you don’t want to drink the whole glass, just say “随意” (something like “optional”, suíyì, suyi).
6. Do not drink until the owner of the feast or the boss drinks.
7. If someone offers you a drink (makes a toast in your direction), you should stand up to show respect and courtesy; at the same time, politely ask the person to sit down before you sit down yourself.
8. The one who proposes a toast must drink more than the person to whom this toast was dedicated.
9. When making a toast, keep your glass lower than the glass of the person to whom this toast is addressed, unless he is the owner of the feast or the boss.

It is customary to use baijiu with a hearty snack, although its absence is not uncommon lately. In the wake of the renaissance of Chinese distillate, a completely different way of drinking is gaining popularity – a leisurely sip from a glass. But for this, of course, you need a really high-quality and not cheap copy of baijiu (the same Maotai).

Once the initial alcohol shock and the first sharp hits on the receptors have passed, you will understand that there is something very unique about this drink. The organoleptics strongly depend on which category of flavor baijiu belongs to, but each sip of any of them contains several layers of flavor. In Western practice, it is customary to tame the extravagant taste of Chinese vodka by adding it to cocktails.

Well, yes, why not? By the way, some Western media are calling baijiu the new gin, in the context of mixology, we believe. The drink not only brings a significant amount of strength to cocktails, but also a surprisingly wide range of tastes and aromas, mostly spicy, which go well with many other alcoholic and non-alcoholic ingredients. In particular, baijiu is good mixed with fruit liqueurs and juices, ginger, citrus bitters, pureed berries, sake, and even absinthe. Here are a few recipes for such cocktails (from simple to advanced imbiber):

* – Lumos spice elixir: separately infuse 1 part of allspice, cloves and cinnamon in 3 parts of baijiu for 3 weeks. Strain, mix infusions to taste and use a few drops in cocktails.

* – cherry puree: pit 200 g of cherries, mash blenders in a small saucepan, heat over low heat until boiling, add a little water and 2 tbsp. l. Sahara. Cook for 10 minutes until thickened, remove from heat and set aside.

* – “candied butter”, also known as “oleo-saccharum”, is a syrup made using the hygroscopic properties of sugar to extract aromatic oils from citrus peel. It is prepared either by grinding the zest with sugar until the latter is completely dissolved in the essential oil from the zest, or by keeping this mixture in a vacuum bag for a long time.