Baijiu (), or shaojiu (), is a colorless Chinese liquor typically coming in between 35% and 60% alcohol by volume (ABV). Each type of baijiu uses its own type of starter (qū) for fermentation to create a distinct and characteristic flavor profile.
Baijiu is usually distilled from fermented sorghum, although other grains may be used; some southeastern Chinese varieties may employ rice and glutinous rice while others may use wheat, barley, millet, or Job's tears () in their mash bills. The qū used in the production of baijiu is usually made from pulverized wheat grain or steamed rice.Rong and Fa, Grandiose Survey of Chinese Alcoholic Drinks and Beverages, 2013, Xiaoqing Mu et al. Solid-State Fermented Alcoholic Beverages, in Chen, Jian, and Yang Zhu, eds. Solid State Fermentation for Foods and Beverages. CRC Press, 2013.Zheng, Xiao-Wei, et al. "Complex microbiota of a Chinese " Fen" liquor fermentation starter ( Fen- Daqu), revealed by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods." Food microbiology 31.2 (2012): 293–300.
Because of its clarity, baijiu can appear similar to several other East Asian liquors, e.g. Japanese shōchū (25%) or Korean soju (20–45%), but it often has a significantly higher ethanol content (35–60%).
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 (202 BC – 220 AD) with archeological finds of brick arts depicting distilling scenes. The first proto-baijiu was likely made during the Tang dynasty (618–907) as the drink was described by poets Bai Juyi (白居易) and Yong Tao (雍陶) at the time. The flourishing of Song dynasty (960–1279) commerce and urbanization likely popularized alcohol consumption with a boom of Jiuguan (酒馆, 'pub, bar') 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 (1271–1368),Huang, H. T. "Science and civilisation in China. Volume 6. Biology and biological technology. Part V: fermentations and food science." (2000).Huang et al. Chinese Wines: Jiu, in Hui, Yiu H., ed. Handbook of food science, technology, and engineering. Vol. 149. CRC press, 2006. 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 (1368–1644). Detailed description of Baijiu was recorded in Bencao Gangmu (本草纲目, Compendium of Materia Medica) 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.
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:
Execute the Baili (拜礼) greeting to show respect to the host. Spill a moderate amount of baijiu in the cup onto the ground to show gratitude to nature. Take a sip and taste the baijiu, and tell the host your opinion. Finish the baijiu in the small glass in one go after the Ganbei (干杯, 'Cheers') 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...!" (为...干杯!), 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 (US$3,375). 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.Barron's accessed November 9, 2018 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 (nongxiang) 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:
Qingxiang (清香, qīngxiāng; light aroma, "Q-" is pronounced akin to "Ch-"): Delicate, dry, and light, with a smooth and light mouthfeel. 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. It is made from sorghum fermented in a stone vessel with qu made from wheat, barley and peas. The two primary styles of this liquor are Fenjiu (汾酒, fénjiǔ) from Shanxi and Erguotou (二锅头, èrguōtóu) from Beijing, the latter of which is known as Kaoliang (高粱, gāoliáng, lit. 'sorghum') in Taiwan. Formerly this style was called Fenxiang "Fen-aroma" (汾香, fēnxiāng) after the Shanxi Xinghuacun Fenjiu Distillery (). Mixiang (米香, mǐxiāng; rice aroma): This class of liquor is exemplified by baijiu distilled from rice, such as Sanhuajiu (三花酒) from Guilin, Guangxi province. This fragrance has long history and is made using rice-based Rhizopus spp.-type Qu starters (小曲, xiǎoqū, lit. 'little qu). It has a clean sensation and a slight aroma, dominated by ethyl lactate with lesser flavor contributions by ethyl acetate. Nongxiang (濃香, nóngxiāng; strong aroma): 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. Most alcohols of this aroma are distilled from sorghum, sometimes in combination with other grains, continuously fermented in mud pits. This style is formerly known as Luxiang "Lu aroma" (泸香, lúxiāng), 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. Jiangxiang (酱香, jiàngxiāng; sauce aroma): A fragrant distilled sorghum liquor of bold character, named for its similarity in flavor to fermented bean pastes and soy sauces. It is made from sorghum repeatedly fermented in stone brick pits. It has large amounts of ester compounds, which impart a layered umami flavor. 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. To the initiated, it is considered a complement for preserved and pickled foods (酱菜, jiàngcài). This class was formerly known as Maoxiang "Mao-aroma" (茅香), after the best known spirit of this class, Maotai.
Various other niche aroma profiles:
"Chi" xiang (豉香, chǐxiāng; douchi /douban flavored), or "Zhi" xiang (脂香, zhīxiāng; fat aroma): 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 (馥郁香, fùyùxiāng; extra-strong aroma): This category refers to the liquor produced by the Jiugui (酒鬼) 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 (老白干香, lǎobáigānxiāng; laobaigan aroma): 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 (衡水瑞天) Distillery in Hebei. Yao xiang (藥香, yàoxiāng; medicinal aroma):