Once presented as a tribute to the royals in China, Yanghe Daqu is a type of Baijiu that was first made in the Sui and Tang dynasties in AD 581. The liquor uses only the highest quality sorghum as a base and the best wheat, barley, and peas. The high temperature of the region acts as the fermenting agent. This traditional craftsmanship has been passed down the millennia.

Baijiu literally means White Liquor. It is a type of Chinese liquor made from whole grains like sorghum. Baijiu is clear, colorless, with alcohol content ranging between 40-60 percent.

While Baijiu is literally served at banquets and stored on the shelves of convenience stores right next to the mineral water, it is the most infamous drink in China. However, toasting 80-to-120-proof firewater isn’t everyone’s idea.

Understanding Baijiu

Let us take these questions and answers to understand Baijiu better.

Is Baijiu as good as Vodka?

Baijiu has yet to become popular in the West, unlike tequila or vodka. 

What is Guojiao 1573?

Guojiao 1573 is a baijiu brand continuously produced by the distillery with the same name. It is the oldest baijiu producing distillery in the world and dates back to 1573, in the Ming dynasty. Both Guojiao 1573 and National Cellar 1573 are brands named in commemoration of its founding year.

What does Yanghe spirit Classic Ocean Blue mean?

It is a brand name claiming to condense the lasting appeal of the ocean within the bottle. Ocean Blue is a star product of the company that adopts superior original liquor containing the best liquid from the heart portion of the distillation. Ocean Blue is aged for a period of at least 3 years. It features a mellowly sweet cool taste that is refreshing.

How is Chinese Baijiu consumed?

Baijiu is traditionally served neat and at room temperature in China. It is normally drunk at mealtimes in the company of others. Shots from small glasses follow a series of communal toasts.

Is baijiu a whiskey?

It is a traditional Chinese distilled spirit that is usually made from grain. Baijiu draws from a more expansive palette than whisky does. It contains sorghum, along with barley, millet, rice, and peas that are regularly used.

Is baijiu a type of wine?

Baijiu is sometimes called by the more archaic term Shaojiu. It is a clear distilled liquor often regarded as the national drink of the People’s Republic of China. While Baijiu translates as “white wine”, it is not wine. In fact, Baijiu is a high-alcohol spirit that Chinese people prefer to consume with food, and not on its own.

Do baijiu and vodka taste similar?

Westerners have called Baijiu funky. It has a rotting, sweet fruit flavor with a touch of nuttiness to it. Some types of Baijiu have an aroma that is similar to soy sauce. Baijiu’s complex flavors arise from a production process passed down from one generation to another spanning over thousands of years.

Is baijiu and soju same?

The difference between soju and baijiu is that soju is a Korean distilled alcoholic beverage. It is similar to sake. While baijiu is a clear, Chinese distilled alcoholic beverage. Baijiu contains about 40-60% alcohol by volume and is typically distilled from sorghum.

What is Hong Kong baijiu?

The short name for Hong-Kong Baijiu is HKB. It is a newer brand of baijiu that is slowly making inroads in the U.S. HKB is distilled from a mash of five grains. These are sorghum, rice, sticky rice, corn, and wheat. And then HKB is blended in Italy by a grappa producer after ageing for two years.

What can be mixed with baijiu?

Absinthe goes very well with baijiu. So do Citrus and Mescal. You can also play around with spices. Including Ginger, Sherry, Nutty Liqueurs, Herbal Liqueurs, and Amari. This is a perfect way to introduce yourself to Baijiu. Fruits like fresh red berries tend to get lost. However, Pineapple is a great compliment that goes well with baijiu.

Is it necessary to chill baijiu?

No, Baijiu should never be chilled. It should always be served at room temperature. Baijiu is typically poured into a small ceramic pitcher and from where the spirit then goes into small, specialist glasses for drinking.

Is baijiu Chinese whiskey?

More or less. Baijiu has been made in China for more than 5,000 years. It is the country’s national drink that is distilled from glutinous rice or wheat. Every bottle of Baijiu is classified into one of these flavor categories: light, strong, rice, sauce (soy), or mixed.

Is baijiu good for your health?

The ‘clear liquor’ in Baijiu helps flush the body. It keeps the machinery operating around the blood cells that efficiently run. Baijiu works like wine when consumed in small quantities. It has similar qualities and health benefits.

What does baijiu smell like?

Baijiu is highly complex and aromatic, reminiscent of overripe tropical fruits like guava, pineapple or banana, with earthy cheese-like notes. Baijiu is the mouth that contains all of these flavors punctuated by a long, peppery finish.

Is baijiu stronger than vodka?

Baijiu tastes like intolerably bad alcohol. However, it is similar to vodka in clarity and strength (40-60 percent ABV). It is best to cleave to baijiu’s closer cousin, the Korean soju.

Which is the strongest alcohol in the world?

Spirytus Vodka is the strongest commercially-available spirit in the world. It has a whopping 95% abv. Therefore, consumers are warned to never drink the spirit neat. And instead, mix it with juice or use it as a base for liqueurs.

Baijiu is rare in the United States. It is available though at some cocktail joints around town. And usually, as a kind of one-off novelty that bartenders’ stock to impress. Nevertheless, baijiu’s billion-strong fan base in China means it’s the best-selling liquor in the world.  It is not surprising that baijiu has failed to gain a foothold in the West. The most common flavor descriptions by those who have tried in the West include rotten fruits, sweaty socks, or even worse things. To the unaccustomed, this stuff tastes weird.

Baijiu is a tree with many branches, although it is often discussed as a single type of spirit. Baijiu styles and types can be worlds apart in ingredients, production methods and flavours. However, it is necessary to know about Qu before we get a classification of Baijiu.

Qu, or the brewer’s yeast, is the key to turning grains into alcohol. Qu, however, contains much more than just yeast. Qu is made Qu by crushing moistened grains into a paste. The process forms them into clumps by continuously adjusting their moisture level within a controlled environment.

The chunks draw yeast, bacteria and other microorganisms from the air by the end of the process. How Qu creates subtle differences in taste and recipes are the most carefully guarded secrets in the industry.  

Thirteen Categories of Baijiu 

Here are the most popular 13 categories of Baijiu based on how they smell.

• Nong Xiang or Strong Aroma: This type of Baijiu is fermented in earthen pits. It is the most popular and widely produced type of Baijiu made in China. There are two variations of strong-aroma baijiu. One is a single grain baijiu (danliang). And the other is the mixed grain baijiu (zaliang) type distilled from one or more grains. Nong Xiang baijiu is fiery in taste along with a fruity sweetness. Nong Xiang baijiu has intimate ties to China’s Sichuan in the southwest, the country’s largest alcohol-producing province. And to the eastern regions of Anhui, Jiangsu and Shandong.
• Qing Xiang or Light Aroma: Qing Xiang baijiu is the second-biggest category produced by volume in China. It is distilled from sorghum and rice husks. And fermented in ceramic jars. It is fermented with Big Qu made from barley and peas. Qing Xiang typically has a mild floral sweetness. This type of Baijiu is commonly associated with northern China.
• Xiao Qu Qing Xiang or Xiao-Qu Light Aroma: Xiao-Qu Light Aroma Baijiu is another hybrid type of baijiu. It is primarily distilled from sorghum. And fermented in pots with rice Qu. Xiao-Qu Light Aroma Baijiu retains light aroma’s mild floral character. This type of baijiu contains some of the mellowness of rice aroma.
• Jiang Xiang or Sauce Aroma: Sause-aroma baijiu derives its name from its distinct and lingering fragrance. It is said to resemble soy sauce. Sause-aroma baijiu is a mellow spirit with a layered taste of herbs and fermented beans. It has a long aftertaste. Sauce-aroma production is labour-oriented and is resource-intensive. Sause-aroma baijiu involves multiple fermentation processes in underground pits lined with stone bricks. This type of Baijiu is closely associated with northwestern Guizhou and southeastern Sichuan.
• Mi Xiang or Rice Aroma: Mi Xiang baijiu is most closely related to the huangjiu region in its production process. The Rice Aroma baijiu is distilled from long-grain rice, glutinous rice or a combination of the two. It is fermented with tiny rice Qu. And often contains Chinese medicinal herbs. This type of Baijiu is aged in limestone caves. Rice Aroma baijiu is frequently infused with fruits, herbs, tea flowers, or TCM. The rice aroma is smooth, mild, and resembles Japanese sake in taste. Mi Xiang is produced throughout southern China. It is most closely linked to Guangdong and Guangxi provinces in southeast China.
• Feng Xiang or Phoenix Aroma: The ‘West Phoenix Spirit’ is named Xifengjiu. It comes from Fengxiang and Shanxi Province. Phoenix aroma combines aspects of the light and robust aroma types of baijiu. This type of baijiu is primarily distilled from sorghum fermented in earthen pits. Along with barley, wheat, and pea-based Qu. Phoenix-aroma baijiu producers replace the mud fermentation pits mud lining each year. And employ a short ten-day fermentation method. Phoenix-aroma baijiu, following distillation, is aged in the ‘seas of alcohol.’ These are giant rattan baskets filled with cloth sacks hardened with pig’s blood, vegetable oil, and beeswax. Feng Xiang baijiu is well-known for its fruity aromas, expanding finishes, and grainy tastes.
• Jian Xiang or Mixed Aroma: This type of baijiu is a less distinct category than a combination of categories. Mixed-aroma baijiu is produced by combining production techniques or blends from two or more different baijiu categories. Mixed aromas are hybrids of strong and sauce aromas. Either of these two spirits in the making may play a predominant role.
• Chi Xiang or Chi Aroma: Chi aroma’s name refers to douchi. Douchi is a salty Chinese condiment made from fermented beans. It was invented in Guangdong Province in 1895. In all respects save one, Chi aroma is indistinguishable from rice-aroma baijiu. It is aged and suffused with pork fat. This is why the spirit is sometimes called fat aroma (Zhi Xiang). Chi Aroma has an oily body with subtle overtones of bacon.
• Zhima Xiang or Sesame Aroma: This type of baijiu was first made in 1957. Sesame Aroma baijiu is primarily made from sorghum with wheat Qu. Millets and barley are also added sometimes. The fermentation process is carried out in a stone-lined pit with a mud bottom. The process develops a distinct flavour depending on depth and position in the pit. Zhima Xiang is a close relative of sauce-aroma baijiu. But it is fermented at higher temperatures for a shorter period of time. And therefore, it has a more charred and nutty flavour.
• Yao Xiang or Medicine Aroma: Yao Xiang baijiu uses a sorghum base. The alcohol is fermented in two pits. The larger pit performs fermentation using Big Qu. The smaller pit is filled with high-alkaline rice Qu. And white mud mixed with wild peach juice. The pit is sealed with coal. The two mashes are combined and distilled after extraction from the pit. Yao Xiang is a layered type of baijiu that marries a sweet and savoury flavour.
• Fuyu Xiang or Extra-Strong Aroma: Extra-Strong Aroma baijiu is distilled from sorghum and glutinous rice fermented with Big Qu and small medicinal Qu. It is aged for at least three years and has an intense earthy fragrance with a spicy-sweet taste. Master blender Madame Wu Xiaoping coined the category’s name. Extra-strong aroma baijiu combines at least three types of baijiu, while mixed aroma combines two aspects of baijiu categories.

• Te Xiang or Special Aroma: This type of baijiu is fermented from rice and Big Qu. It is fermented in pits of red bricks joined with cement and sealed with mud. The fragrance of Special Aroma is earthy. But the taste is light, along with a rich and slightly tart aftertaste.
• Laobaigan Xiang or Laobaigan Aroma: In almost every respect, Laobaigan Aroma is similar to light-aroma baijiu. Except that it uses wheat instead of barley and peas to make its Qu. Laobaigan Aroma is also aged for a shorter period of time and typically no more than six months. It is usually bottled at over 65% ABV and has a fruity flavour overshadowed by a searing alcoholic flame.

Know and understand that every single brand of Baijiu tastes quite different. It is because the making process is different. The smallest differences in environment and ingredients lead to significant changes in flavor. The other fact is that China’s signature booze has not been officially categorized how wines, whiskeys and other spirits have been. You will have to try some types of baijiu to figure out just what kind of Baijiu you want to be savoring.

Baijiu is a robust, complex, and potent Chinese spirit. It is by far one of the most consumed liquors in the world. Nevertheless, it requires an acquired taste to genuinely appreciate Baijiu. Things definitely change when you mix Baijiu in cocktails.

Baijiu is a part of China’s history spanning over thousands of years. It was primarily imbibed by old men and usually enjoyed with food. Moreover, Baijiu was busted out mostly for special occasions. Even now they don’t drink Baijiu in nightclubs and definitely not mixed with other ingredients for making Baijiu cocktails. 

Baijiu as such is made up of many types of flavours. But still, it works well in a variety of combinations. Here are the top 7 Baijiu Cocktail blends for you to try out.

Top Seven Baijiu Cocktails

• Hong Kong Margarita: Explore Baijiu. It is one of the most consumed spirits in the world. Explore combinations through a variation of one of the world’s favourite Baijiu Cocktails. The Hong Kong Margarita is one such possibility. It is a perfect introductory Baijiu Cocktail drink to this popular spirit with Agave Syrup, Baijiuthis, Cucumber, Jalapeño, Lime Juice, and Mint.
• ‘I Think She Got It’: This Baijiu Cocktail was created by Shawn Chen from RedFarm in NYC. It utilises Blackberries, Fresh Ginger, and Ginger Liqueur to show what Baijiu can really do. Basil Leaves and Sugar Syrup added to Lime Juice serve for a long drink that is packed with a pronounced flavour.
• Hong Kong Mule: The Hong Kong Mule is perfect for a summer day. It substantiates a consummate way to utilise the strong aromatic and fruity flavours of Baijiu, the Chinese spirit. The Hong Kong Mule is a refreshing and light Baijiu Cocktail when combined with Ginger Beer and Lime Juice.
• Don’t Skip A Beet: Try the Don’t Skip A Beet if you are looking for a more vegetarian Baijiu Cocktail. It is definitely worth making. This Baijiu Cocktail is a well-rounded drink with a more savoury slant along with Beet Juice, Gin, Grenadine, and Lemon Juice.
• Hong Kong Accord: Get behind the Hong Kong Accord with Brazilian Cachaca, French St Germain, mixed well with Chinese Baijiu. Add this combination to Honey Syrup, a little Lime Juice, and Orange Bitters. This Baijiu Cocktail is a light and fruity drink that will make you want to travel more often.
• Bittersweet Boomerang: Baijiu-bartender Paul Mathew unveiled the Bittersweet Boomerang at the 2017 ‘Tales of the Cocktails’ event. It was a special gift to the bartenders in attendance there. The Bittersweet Boomerang Baijiu Cocktail combines Cynar, Creme De Cacao, and Yellow Chartreuse along with Baijiu to titillate your palate.
• Sichuan Sour: The Sichuan Sour Baijiu Cocktail is an elegant riff on the Parasol cocktail. Originally created at Glady’s, Brooklyn by Shannon Mustipher, the Sichuan Sour leans into Baijiu’s natural fruity flavour. This Baijiu Cocktail effectively combines Passionfruit Liqueur, Lime & Pineapple Juice with Baijiu to create the perfect summer cocktail swill.

People adjust and palettes change at the end of the day. Especially with drinks, people are willing to step outside their comfort zone to expand their appreciation and knowledge. Most often it is just a case of getting used to something that is a little different than what we are used to savouring.

Baijiu is perfect for mixing and acts as an excellent base for classic or innovative cocktails. It is definitely so for people who are adventurous and are down for something new. Even if it may not immediately replace Gin or Whiskey in your home bar, Baijiu has a growing number of fans the world over.

How To Use Baijiu

Find the best fruits, herbs and other spirits and liqueurs that can mix well and tame the Baijiu. This is the trick to bring out its rich, and earthy complexity. Find flavours that are equally powerful. Baijiu Cocktails go best with Absinthe, Campari, Citrus, and Mescal. It may not work so well with sweet vermouth.

Playing around with spices, Amari, Ginger, Herbal Liqueurs, Nutty Liqueurs, and Sherry is the perfect way to grow a liking while introducing yourself to Baijiu. While fruits like blackberries, grapefruit, passionfruit, and pineapple greatly complement Baijiu, fresh red berries tend to get lost.

More pronounced fruits will emphatically stand beside Baijiu.  Think of Baijiu through the lens of Chinese culture. Put emphasis on the harmonious balance between the yin and yang. Find flavours that will harmoniously complement Baijiu and your taste buds as well!