Baijiu


Baijiu, or shaojiu, is a colorless Chinese liquor typically coming in between 35% and 60% alcohol by volume. Each type of baijiu uses its own type of qū for fermentation to create a distinct and characteristic flavor profile.
Baijiu is a clear liquid usually distilled from fermented sorghum, although other grains may be used; some southeastern Chinese styles may employ rice and glutinous rice while other Chinese varieties may use wheat, barley, millet, or Job's tears in their mash bills. The qū starter culture used in the production of baijiu is usually made from pulverized wheat grain or steamed rice.
Because of its clarity, baijiu can appear similar to several other East Asian liquors, e.g. Japanese shōchū or Korean soju, but it often has a significantly higher alcohol content.

History

No exact dates are known for the invention of the modern form of baijiu as it emerged gradually with the historical development of distillery technology.
  • Prototypical alcohol making in China dates back to as early as the Neolithic Age with archaeological discoveries of alcoholic beverage containers belonging to that period.
  • A systematic distillery process was likely developed during the Han dynasty with archeological finds of brick arts depicting distilling scenes.
  • The first proto-baijiu was likely made during the Tang dynasty as the drink was described by poets Bai Juyi and Yong Tao at the time.
  • The flourishing of Song dynasty commerce and urbanization likely popularized alcohol consumption with a boom of Jiuguan in major cities.
  • By this time the proto-baijiu was likely to be only about 15% ABV as literature from the time recorded "bowls of alcohol consumed" suggesting that it must have been weaker than the modern form baijiu.
  • During the Yuan dynasty, Middle Eastern distillery technology spread to China, which probably improved the existing distillery techniques, allowing for higher-degree distilled alcohol to be possible.
  • The distillation technology matured as baijiu began to resemble its modern form around the Ming dynasty. Detailed description of Baijiu was recorded in Bencao Gangmu by Li Shizhen.
  • Baijiu continued to evolve with the refinements of baijiu making techniques over the centuries until today.
Baijiu is characterized by solid-state fermentation and distillation using a grain culture called qū, which allows for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. This is a typical feature of liquors produced in East Asia. Chinese baijiu is always distilled from grain, produced in batches and blended.

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Outside of East Asia, baijiu is widely regarded as an acquired taste. In response to one 2015 article in The New York Times, third-party commenters compared baijiu's aroma and taste profile to "jet fuel, kerosene, poison, nail polish remover, drain cleaner, Burgundy cheeses, and salty garbage water", and the tenor of these remarks was "representative of most English-language writing about baijiu at the time". Such harsh critiques have been disputed by Western experts on baijiu, who believe Westerners are shocked and repulsed by baijiu's unexpectedly intense flavor because they expect a clear liquor to have a mild flavor similar to vodka. These experts prefer to compare baijiu to Western liquors with strong flavors and aromas, such as peaty whisky, Scotch whisky, grappa, or tequila. Additionally, some believe these negative judgments are reflective of broader Western attitudes toward Chinese cuisine. They argue the opinions of the hundreds of millions of people who enjoy baijiu should be given as much weight as the opinions of foreign critics.

Serving

Traditional etiquette

The Chinese traditionally serve baijiu neat at room temperature, in small cups or glasses, though drinkware varies by region. It is traditional to drink baijiu with food rather than on its own, though it is often infused with fruit or medicinal herbs and spices.
The ceremonial includes the following steps:
  1. Execute the Baili greeting to show respect to the host.
  2. Spill a moderate amount of baijiu in the cup onto the ground to show gratitude to nature.
  3. Take a sip and taste the baijiu, and tell the host your opinion.
  4. Finish the baijiu in the small glass in one go after the Ganbei and clinking of glasses.
Note that the host should initiate and invite for a cup, and the guest should reply with a cup.

Modern etiquette

In modern days, ceremonial parts of the etiquettes are ignored. Commonly with a group of friends or family, the host would initiate with "Cheers for...!", and then guests would finish their cups after clinking the glasses. Tasting is also appreciated.
In 2007, a report in Time magazine mentioned integrating baijiu into cocktails, and in the years since several bars around the world have added baijiu to their cocktail programs.

Baijiu and Chinese business culture

Chinese business culture is known to be intense. It is assumed that one's true self is shown when intoxicated. Therefore, when negotiating a business partnership, there is a tradition of serving high-degree Baijiu on the dinner table, in order to judge one's trustworthiness. There are also folk values, especially in rural China, that consuming alcohol excessively equates to manliness and that one should not reject a serving offered by an elderly or higher-up. Many inexperienced Chinese drinkers are persuaded to overdrink on such occasions. These experiences are commonly referred to as the reason for Baijiu's unpopularity among some. This negative association of Baijiu with extreme drinking culture can sometimes lead to fear of Baijiu in the younger generation or people who have yet to try the drink.

Pricing and the baijiu market

Although most baijiu are priced similarly to other liquors with similar alcohol percentage, some high-end baijiu can be highly collectible due to the intricate skills and traditional artisanship involved in the making of baijiu, the age of the baijiu, or the rarity of the bottle etc. With the gifting tradition in some areas of China, sometimes expensive baijiu could also be gifted instead of being consumed. There is a sizable market for high-end baijiu collection for the above reasons. For example, the highest grade of Wuliangye retails for . Top-tier baijiu are likely to be from traditional baijiu distillery such as Kweichow Maotai, Wuliangye, Luzhou Laojiao, Shuijing Fang etc.
On the opposite side of the spectrum. Low-end baijiu can be as inexpensive as a can of beer per volume. For example, Erguotou and Jiang Xiaobai. Although some deride the low ends for their taste, they are more casually consumed with meals, or just when drinkers want to simply get drunk.

Global baijiu market

Baijiu is the world's bestselling liquor, with sold as of 2016, and 10.8 billion liters sold in 2018, more than whisky, vodka, gin, rum and tequila combined. As well as the most consumed liquor, with 1.2 billion nine-liter cases consumed in 2018, mostly in China – three times the global consumption of vodka. Outside of China it is gaining popularity, as seen with the sale of Ming River Baijiu in US and EU markets from late 2010s, a strong-aroma type baijiu sourced from the Luzhou Laojiao distillery.

International production

In 2013 and 2014 an American company, Byejoe, based out of Houston, Texas won a number of awards for their Baijiu product. Byejoe used imported baijiu and distilled it in South Carolina.
In 2019, Australian sorghum exported to China accounted for approximately 78.3 percent of Australia's total sorghum export market, which was valued at 29.9 million U.S. dollars. Exports of Australian sorghum to China are largely driven by demand for baijiu manufacture.

Classification

By aroma profile

Throughout the evolutionary history of baijiu, numerous regional variations in alcohol production technique across the country have been incorporated into baijiu making. The practice of infusing alcohol with herbs, spices, fruits and other ingredients has its roots in traditional Chinese medicine, but is also done purely for flavor. The practice of infusing spirits is a common practice.
Baijiu has a distinctive smell and taste that is highly valued in Chinese culinary culture, and connoisseurs focus especially on its fragrance. This classification system began in 1952 and was updated in August 1979 at the third nationwide baijiu competition held in Dalian. Even so, during the competition, experts rated various baijiu based on their taste rather than aroma.
There are 4 major categories of baijiu based on aroma profile:
  1. Qingxiang :
  2. * Delicate, dry, and light, with a smooth and light mouthfeel.
  3. * The flavors of this distilled liquor is contributed primarily by ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate, and succinic acid and give the spirit a taste of dried fruit with floral notes.
  4. * It is made from sorghum fermented in a stone vessel with qu made from wheat, barley and peas.
  5. * The two primary styles of this liquor are Fenjiu from Shanxi and Erguotou from Beijing, the latter of which is known as Kaoliang in Taiwan. Formerly this style was called Fenxiang "Fen-aroma" after the Shanxi Xinghuacun Fenjiu Distillery.
  6. Mixiang :
  7. * This class of liquor is exemplified by baijiu distilled from rice, such as Sanhuajiu from Guilin, Guangxi province.
  8. * This fragrance has long history and is made using rice-based Rhizopus spp.-type Qu starters.
  9. * It has a clean sensation and a slight aroma, dominated by ethyl lactate with lesser flavor contributions by ethyl acetate.
  10. Nongxiang :
  11. * A class of distilled liquor that is sweet tasting and mellow, with a gentle lasting fragrance contributed by the high levels of esters, primarily ethyl hexanoate, which give the spirit a strong taste of pineapple, banana and anise.
  12. * Most alcohols of this aroma are distilled from sorghum, sometimes in combination with other grains, continuously fermented in mud pits.
  13. * This style is formerly known as Luxiang "Lu aroma", as it is thought to be invented in the Luzhou Laojiao Distillery in Luzhou, Sichuan province. Other notable examples of this type of liquor are Wuliangye from Yibin, Sichuan; Jiannanchun from Mianzhu, Sichuan; and Yanghe from Suqian, Jiangsu province. The Ming River Baijiu for the western market is also this category.
  14. Jiangxiang :
  15. * A fragrant distilled sorghum liquor of bold character, named for its similarity in flavor to fermented bean pastes and soy sauces.
  16. * It is made from sorghum repeatedly fermented in stone brick pits. It has large amounts of ester compounds, which impart a layered umami flavor.
  17. * A highly controversial profile – like it or hate it. Not recommended for beginners but highly recommended for experienced drinkers. Some consider it as funky. It is an acquired taste, like peaty whisky.
  18. * To the initiated, it is considered a complement for preserved and pickled foods. This class was formerly known as Maoxiang "Mao-aroma", after the best known spirit of this class, Maotai.
Various other niche aroma profiles:
  • "Chi" xiang, or "Zhi" xiang :
  • * Named after douchi, the popular Chinese condiment made from fermented bean, this is a savory rice-based baijiu from Guangdong notable for the addition of pork fat during the aging process.
  • Fuyu xiang :
  • * This category refers to the liquor produced by the Jiugui Distillery in Hunan. Distilled from sorghum, rice, glutinous rice, wheat, and corn that has been fermented with big qu and medicinal small qu.
  • "Laobaigan" xiang :
  • * Similar to light-aroma baijiu, but fermented with wheat-based big qu and bottled at extremely high proof. Most often associated with the Hengshui Ruitian Distillery in Hebei.
  • Yao xiang :
  • * A pungent liquor that originates at the Dongjiu Distillery in Guizhou. Medicine aroma is distilled from the combination of two separate pit-fermented sorghum mashes, one fermented with wheat qu in a large pit and one fermented with medicinal rice qu in a small pit.
  • Jian xiang :
  • * A class of distilled liquors that is a blend of two or more varieties of baijiu. As such, liquors of this class vary widely in their aroma, mouth-feel, and dryness.
  • Feng xiang:
  • *A class of distilled liquor fermented in mud pits and aged in rattan containers. Liquors of this class have a fruity taste similar to strong-aroma baijiu, but also an earthier quality and an expanding finish. An example of this type of liquor is Xifengjiu from Fengxiang County in Shaanxi.
  • Zhima xiang :
  • * A class of liquor distilled from sorghum, millet, or barley in stone pits with mud floors. Invented by the Jingzhi Distillery in the 1950s, sesame aroma employs similar production techniques to sauce-aroma baijiu, and has a charred, nutty flavor.
  • Xiaoqu Qingxiang :
  • * A style of baijiu distilled from sorghum that has been fermented with rice-based small qu.
  • Te xiang :
  • * A rice-based baijiu fermented in brick pits with big qu, it originates from the Si'te Distillery in Jiangxi, where the iconic Si'tejiu originated''.''