From Baijiu to Beer: A Guide to Chinese Alcohol

Baijiu – China’s National Spirit

What it is: Baijiu is China’s most iconic liquor. It’s a strong distilled spirit, clear and colorless, a bit like Western liquors, but with a completely unique flavor.
How it’s made: It’s mainly brewed from grains like sorghum, rice, or wheat, using a special fermentation starter called qu (more complex than regular yeast). After long fermentation and distillation, many types are aged in ceramic jars for years.
Taste and alcohol content: Usually 40–60% ABV, strong at first sip, but with subtle flavors:

• Sauce aroma (like Moutai): rich, fermented grain aroma, long finish.
• Strong aroma (like Wuliangye): intense fragrance, slightly sweet.
• Light aroma (like Fenjiu): clean and refreshing, smooth like spring water.

Huangjiu – The Ancient “Gentle Wine”

What it is: One of China’s oldest alcoholic drinks, over 3,000 years old. Its amber or golden color looks warm and inviting.
How it’s made: Made from glutinous rice or millet, fermented but not distilled, so it’s lower in alcohol—more like a traditional brewed wine.
Taste and alcohol content: Usually 14–20% ABV. Smooth, slightly sweet, with a pleasant aroma from fermented grains—some taste like caramel, others like nuts.
Famous example: Shaoxing wine from Zhejiang is the most well-known. Not only for drinking but also widely used in cooking, enhancing flavors in braised meat and marinated fish.
How to enjoy: Often heated in winter to warm up. Pairs perfectly with seafood or red-braised pork.

Beer – The Everyday Choice for Young People

What it is: China is the world’s largest beer producer. Local beers are light and easy to drink, similar to the familiar pilsner style.
Taste and alcohol content: Low alcohol (3–5% ABV), crisp and refreshing with a mild malt aroma and slight bitterness. Best served ice-cold.
Popular brands: Tsingtao Beer (famous internationally), Snow Beer—easy to find in supermarkets and restaurants.
When to drink: Perfect for casual meals, BBQs, hotpots, or just hanging out with friends. Easy to drink in large sips without feeling too strong.

Fruit Wine – Sweet and Approachable

What it is: Made from local Chinese fruits like lychee, plum, or hawthorn. Recently very popular among young people.
Taste and alcohol content: Low alcohol (8–15% ABV), sweet and fruity. Lychee wine has tropical sweetness; hawthorn wine is slightly tart. Very easy to enjoy.
How to enjoy: Great for small gatherings, as an aperitif, and tastes even more refreshing when chilled.

Medicinal Wine – A Taste of “Wellness”

What it is: A unique type of liquor, made by infusing Baijiu or Huangjiu with various Chinese herbs (like goji berries, ginseng) and sometimes animal ingredients (like snake or deer antler).
Taste and alcohol content: Usually 30–60% ABV. Tastes slightly bitter with herbal notes; some are sweetened to balance flavors.
Note: Traditionally believed to have health benefits, but it’s not a medicine. The taste can be unusual, so newcomers might need some time to get used to it.