Contents
Maotai is a subspecies of traditional Chinese vodka (baijiu) with a strength of 40-60 degrees. The brand is made in the city of the same name in Guizhou province, the raw material for the drink is fermented Chinese sorghum (kaoliang) and wheat.
The history of Maotai vodka began 2000 years ago: Chinese chronicles of the XNUMXnd century BC. talk about the drink gojiang (low-alcohol mash made from rice), which, after the invention of distillation, evolved into a modern version. Farmers in the north of the country, who worked daily in knee-deep rice plantations in cold water, had no choice but to invent strong warming alcohol.
Once the emperor tried the local “fire water”, and the monarch liked the drink so much that he ordered production to be established in his province. When most of the Celestial Empire still drank light brew, moonshine appeared in the north of the country and in Guizhou. The inhabitants of the town of Maotai took the gojiang recipe as a basis, but over time supplemented it (in particular, they tied the production cycles to the lunar calendar), and also used sorghum instead of rice, which changed the taste.
It is difficult to establish the exact date of the start of production, but the name “Maotai” was assigned to the drink in 1704 by a decree of the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. In 1915, Chinese vodka (more correctly called moonshine) won a gold medal at an exhibition in San Francisco, and in 1951 received the title of “China’s national alcohol”. In total, Maotai has more than 20 victories in major international competitions, not to mention local events.
The brand became the first Chinese alcohol, the production of which exceeded 170 tons of products per year (today this figure reaches 30 thousand tons). Vodka is an indispensable attribute of all official events in China, is sold in 100 countries of the world and is a significant source of income for the country, since the manufacturing company Kwiechow Moutai Company belongs to the state.
For a long time, Maotai was the spirit of the elite, inaccessible to the average consumer – primarily because of the high cost, due to the duration and laboriousness of production. Now the situation has changed, but the cost of Chinese vodka is still high: the price of one bottle starts at $ 130, and there is no upper threshold – there are cases when the drink left the auction for tens of thousands of dollars. As before, so now the demand for elite vodka significantly exceeds the supply.
Maotai production technology
Based on equal proportions of local wheat and sorghum. Cereals are fermented on a special sourdough ju cui, which contains mold fungi (the starch in the grain is processed into sugar) and ordinary yeast. After several distillations, the distillate is kept in ceramic containers for at least 3 years and filtered.
Young Maotai is mixed (blended) with older samples. Exposure of individual alcohols can reach up to 50 years. The resulting drink is bottled and delivered to the market. Despite the high strength (modern Maotai is sold in two variations: 35 and 53 degrees), Chinese vodka is soft and easy to drink even without snacks.
Real Maotai can only be produced in the village of the same name – the characteristic taste of the drink is due to a combination of local climatic conditions and water from the Chishuihe River. Exact adherence to technology in any other place will not give the desired effect.
The smell of fermenting sorghum is so pungent that it literally smelled of the entire city of Maotai, especially since more than half of the inhabitants of this settlement work in the production of vodka.
Differences between Maotai and classic vodka
| Maotai | regular vodka | |
| Fermentation of raw materials | At high temperature (the exact value is the secret of the manufacturer) | At low or medium temperature |
| fragrance | Specific, “saucy” | Alcoholic |
| Exposure | From 3 years old | minimal or none |
| Mode of production | Distillation of grain mash in a still | Dilution of rectified alcohol to the desired strength |
How to drink Maotai
It is correct to drink Maotai from small porcelain bowls, and the “glass” should never be empty. In a purely male company, the drink is slowly sipped, savoring the taste and aroma, but with the ladies, gentlemen always drink their portion in one gulp, to the bottom.
It is not uncommon for a bottle of Maotai to be completed with two or three tiny glasses – this is no coincidence, it is this portion that is considered optimal to enjoy the taste, but keep a relatively clear head.
The drink goes well with traditional Chinese dishes, especially spicy ones, but an appetizer is not necessary: true gourmets prefer to experience a pure bouquet, in which experts counted 155 notes.
Social aspect
A bottle of Maotai is considered an ideal bribe – it is a fairly solid and expensive gift that is not a shame to present to officials, while formally, according to local law, it does not fall under the definition of a bribe.
Often people buy Chinese vodka only as an exhibit of their collection or stock up in case of going to higher authorities. There is even a saying in China: those who buy Maotai do not drink it, and those who drink do not buy it.