It is not possible to bring yourself to a state of extreme intoxication with the help of local beer. We tried - it didn't work. Alcohol disappears from the body faster than you have time to consume it. Slight intoxication - this is the maximum effect that was achieved after 8 liters of Chinese Budweiser.
And that's what's amazing! On the Internet, they write completely different figures for the ethanol content in Chinese beer. The websites of the same Wikipedia indicate figures from 4 to 5 percent, but in reality there is simply no such beer in China. 2.5% is the maximum we have personally seen.
The most popular beer in China is Tsingtao (or Qingdao, or Tsingtao). In order to try it, you do not need to go to China, as it is readily sold in WOK cafes in Moscow and other Russian cities. Its green label is well recognizable (pictured left).
Of course, everyone has their own taste, but in our opinion it is not very tasty. When you drink it, it seems that this beer is diluted with water. In any case, it's worth a try just out of curiosity.
Chinese rice vodka
The prices for these drinks vary greatly. Yanghe vodka in a beautiful blue package costs from 50 USD. Other varieties can cost as much as $15, depending on the manufacturer.
The first thing that distinguishes Baijiu is its strong smell. After opening the bottle, you can feel it at a distance of 3 meters. For Europeans, this smell is very unusual and seems terrible. The Chinese like it. It is believed that the intensity of the smell determines the quality of the drink - the stronger the smell, the better.
To taste, this is quite a worthy drink, no worse than high-quality Russian vodka. Just pinch your nose so you don't smell it and drink. Baijiu fortress can be different depending on the brand - from 40 to 60 degrees.
Rice is the most popular raw material for the production of baijiu, but this alcoholic drink does not have to be made from it. Baijiu is made from all types of cereals that are available.
Ultra-cheap alcohol in China
We found it quite by accident. For the first time this happened in a small store not far from. On the liquor shelf were several bottles with startlingly low numbers on the price tag. One bottle of 0.5 liters cost 4 (0.6 USD), and the second 6 yuan (0.9 USD). The Chinese government levies excise taxes on alcohol producers in the same way as it does in other countries. Such prices are insanely cheap even for China.
The Chinese have been making vodka for a long time. According to the chronicles, as early as seven hundred years ago, baijiu was cooked in huge cauldrons. To this day, a detailed description of the manufacture of Chinese vodka has been preserved.
A vat with mash was placed in a cauldron, which was closed with a lid. Condensate flowed down it into a special gutter. There was no mention of any cleanup.
The first Chinese vodka was about sixty degrees strong, and it contained a huge amount of toxins, leading to poisoning of the body. After that, I had a headache and was tormented by nausea.. To somehow alleviate the condition, the drink was served warm.
In a specially made vodka vessel with a narrow throat they poured vodka and put it on hot coals. Light impurities evaporated while the alcohol did not have time to evaporate.
The raw materials for the production of mash were millet, barley, rice and corn.
The taste and smell of baijiu is specific and very unpleasant. Some compare it with kerosene and even with dichlorvos.
One type of baiji is Chinese vodka Maotai. The production of this drink is located in the city of the same name in the Guangzhou province. The company producing Maotai is state-owned and brings considerable income to the country's budget. Its fortress is from forty to sixty degrees. Preparing Chinese sorghum vodka, crushed wheat and rice. She has a special smell, characteristic only for Maotai, and the color is yellow.
For China, this alcoholic drink is a national pride. Its sales abroad break all records, and every international meeting with a Chinese delegation does not take place without Maotai.
Maotai recipe
The recipe for making Chinese vodka is as follows:
- For cooking, early-ripening rice of a special sticky breed and kaoliang are used.
- Powdered cereal is mixed with yeast.
- Crushed rice and whole grains are placed in boilers for boiling the wort.
- Braga is cooked at a high temperature, unlike other alcoholic beverages. It lasts about a month, after which they do at least eight distillations.
- Old distilled Maotai is mixed with a young drink.
The resulting vodka has fifty-three degrees of strength. It is quite mild and absolutely safe, in terms of intoxication. Maotai vodka is prepared for a long time and painstakingly. After eight cleanings, it is aged for about three years in a dark place with a temperature of no more than ten degrees. This explains such a high price of the drink.
But Maotai, according to Chinese nutritionists, does not harm the gastric mucosa. The drink has a characteristic feature: at the very beginning it may not intoxicate, but after a while intoxication comes sharply and suddenly.
This Chinese vodka is one of the most expensive alcoholic beverages in the world. Its price ranges from one hundred and fifty to nine hundred US dollars.
The world first learned about Chinese vodka in 1986, when Maotai was awarded a prestigious prize in Paris. A year earlier, she received three gold medals during an international food conference. In total, Maotai has fourteen gold medals, received in different years since the eighties.
The uniqueness of this vodka lies in the fact that such a rare culture as kaoliang is used for its production. No less significant is the fact of using water from a mountain spring.
The kaoliang cereal crop is known its useful properties:
Kaoliang is recommended for diabetics to lower blood sugar levels, as well as for pregnant women. It is also indispensable in the nutrition of the elderly as a source of easily digestible vegetable protein. In the wax coating of kaoliang grains there is such a substance as polykazkhanol, which fights the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels.
The beneficial qualities of this cereal were also transferred to Maotai. Experts say that moderate consumption of the drink contributes to the normalization of the function of the brain and nervous system. Thanks to the active components in the composition of kaoliang, immunity is strengthened and the risk of arthrosis is reduced.
The drink absolutely does not cause a hangover due to high-quality and reusable cleaning, as well as the content of antioxidants in its composition.
How to drink Maotai
Traditions are of great importance in the life of every Chinese. Drinking alcohol in China is more like an ancient ritual. How to drink Chinese vodka:
An amazing fact, but the most popular toast in China is - "Drink to the bottom."
Vodka Ulyanye
It is produced in Sichuan province. Corn, rice and wheat are used as raw materials. There are several types of Ulyanye, different in strength. They produce vodka with a strength of fifty-two degrees, thirty-nine and sixty-eight. Unlike Maotai, this vodka is absolutely transparent, with a pleasant aroma.
Wulyanye entered the top ten best vodkas in China and is also actively exported to other countries.
Jiang Nan Chun
It is one of the favorite alcoholic beverages of the Chinese. Its fortress is fifty-two degrees, but recently there has appeared vodka with a fortress of sixty. It has a rich aroma and good taste. Keeping Jiang for a long time is not recommended, as over time it acquires the taste and smell of sourdough. Vodka is prepared from special sticky varieties of sorghum, glutinous rice and corn.
Jiang making method is very ancient. In the province of Sichuan, liquor production began earlier than other places in China. Even during the reign of the Tang Dynasty, drinks from Sichuan were put into the palace and used exclusively by the court nobility.
This vodka earned recognition three hundred years ago . When it was called Mian Zhu Da Qu. It was renamed only in 1958.
Fenjiu
Kaoliang is used for its production. and pure spring water in Xing Hua village. Fenjiu vodka comes from Shanxi province, where it is still produced. During production, the Chinese tried to preserve the ancient traditions, only slightly improving them. This alcoholic drink is also one of the ten most exported vodkas in China. Its strength is sixty degrees, and the taste and unique smell makes the drink memorable against the background of other products.
Sheung Ching
It translates as "double distillation". This vodka is made exclusively from special varieties of rice with high gluten. The strength of the drink is thirty-five degrees.
San Hua
It means "three flowers". It is made according to ancient technology, since the history of this vodka goes back over a thousand years. It got its name thanks to floral aroma. The fortress of San Hua vodka is fifty-seven percent.
Luzhou
This drink is the pride of the Sichuan alcohol industry. It has a rather pungent smell of sour peaches. The fortress is fifty degrees.
Vodka with additives
China also sells many medicinal drinks based on high quality alcohol. In their composition, various medicinal herbs, flowers and berries are added. You can also find drinks that are completely shocking in their composition, containing scorpions, lizards or snakes. Tourists often wonder - is it safe to drink such alcohol?
Given the fact that production of strange drinks There is more than one century, the Chinese have learned to make them absolutely safe with any additives. The main thing is not to drink too much when using, but to be limited to the recommended rate.
This weak drink contains only twenty degrees of alcohol. The Chinese call it wine, although there are no fruits in the composition of the drink.
Preparing Yellow wine, like any vodka . Rice is used in the production with high gluten and millet. It is served warm in copper or bronze vessels. Yellow wine is often used for cooking in Chinese cuisine.
Attention, only TODAY!
Maotai is the highest quality Chinese vodka. It was this rice vodka from Guizhou province that Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai preferred. Now you do not need to travel to China to try this drink, in any self-respecting wine and vodka boutique you can buy a bottle of another diplomatic drink and arrange a real government banquet at home.
Nowadays, Maotai is practically a mandatory drink at official government banquets taking place in Beijing, as well as at many famous presentations abroad. According to the producers, this vodka is the national and "diplomatic" drink of China.
In addition, Maotai is listed as a gift to Chinese embassies in foreign countries. The price of a drink is high as a result of high demand and a small supply market. So it is necessary to show respect for this drink and follow the traditions in its use.
Vodka "Maotai" has more than 2000 years of history. According to the “Shiji” chronicle, compiled by the historian Sima Qian (Han dynasty), in 135 BC, the emperor of the Han dynasty, Wudi, visited the Yelan principality, where he was treated to the local Guojiang vodka.
He really liked the drink, and later it became the prototype of the modern Maotai vodka. The name "Maotai" appeared in 1704, and by the end of the Qing Dynasty, the productivity of Maotai vodka factories was more than 170 tons.
In 1915, the three largest vodka producers in Maotai County jointly presented their unique product at the Pacific International Fair. By negligence, several bottles of vodka were broken. The spreading aroma captivated the visitors so much that the drink was awarded the highest prize.
In 1951, the three largest factories were merged into a single state distillery "Maotai". From this began the modern history of the production of famous vodka.
As Ji Keliang said, on the eve of the founding of the PRC, on the day the official name of the country was determined, the young state's prime minister Zhou Enlai treated the guests to Maotai vodka at a banquet in honor of the members of the Political Consultative Council.
The symbol of Maotai is a huge red bottle - an analogue of those vessels into which Maotai is poured. This monument, as high as a four-story house, is equipped with an elevator and an observation deck for everyone to get acquainted with the sight. The town of Maotai itself is located high in the mountains. A “serpentine” leads to it along the beautiful and clean Chishuihe River.
In the city, the air is saturated with wine vapors. Of the 7,000 inhabitants of the town, about half are employed in the production of the famous vodka. In 1915, Maotai was awarded a gold medal at a fair in Panama and dozens more prizes of international and national dignity at fairs in other countries. Until the end of the 90s of the last century, Maotai vodka received 14 international gold medals in a row. This drink has become a traditional export product and is imported to 100 countries around the world.
The production process of Maotai is rather unusual. The drink is distilled 8 times and produced according to a special technology, all stages of which are carefully observed. Maotai is made from sorghum and is a type of kaoliang. Kaoliang - sorghum wine, sorghum liquor.
The first stage of production of this vodka lasts 8-9 months: raw materials (grain) are added to the fermentation boilers twice, it ferments for a month, then the distillation process follows, and this is repeated 8 times. Vodka is stored in the cellar for more than 3 years, after which the manufacturing process continues and the vodka is stored for another 1 year.
This whole complex production process, which takes about 5 years in total, affects the quality of vodka, Maotai becomes more harmonious, refined, the taste is soft and unforgettable. Vodka is slightly yellowish in color, thick in texture, its taste is elegant, subtle and pleasant. The strength of the drink is 35-53%. Since ancient times, Maotai has been a favorite drink of poets and people of other creative professions. It is believed that many of the geniuses of China drew their strength from Maotai.
They drink maotai from small porcelain or jade glasses or bowls. The speaking toast should raise the glass with his right hand, and with his left - hold it by the bottom. After the toast, it is pronounced - "Ganbei" - this is an exclamation close to our "drink to the bottom." An interesting observation - with a woman, men are simply obliged to drink to the bottom. If they are in a purely male company, they may not be in a hurry.
The drink is served with a special set of snacks - Chinese spicy dishes. The Chinese, accustomed to such a strength and smell, can afford to enjoy maotai, slowly sipping it from a glass. This, they believe, is the most correct and surest way to use it. Perhaps this resistance to strong drinks is formed due to the traditions of spicy food. Although the Chinese can drink maotai without eating it at all.
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health!
For the Chinese, Baijiu is a very special drink. In terms of strength, this vodka is similar to its Russian counterpart. The production of this drink is carried out in China, in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Baijiu has many varieties. The technology of its preparation is complex, and the taste is incomparable with other alcoholic options.
Production and varieties
The raw material for the famous vodka in the process of its preparation is the grain of cereals, characteristic of different regions of China. Usually, wheat, rice, corn or chumis are used in the preparation of baijiu.
In the north, kaoliang is added to such vodka, in the south, rice is taken as the basis. In ancient times, baijiu was distilled from raw materials in large and small distilleries. At first, cereals were marinated in sourdough pits, which were made right in the earthen floor of the house. Then, two weeks later, the mass was sent to the distillation cube, which consisted of two vats. One vat was set on fire.
The method of condensing the drink is still used today in all large factories for the production of baijiu. Chinese vodka is prepared in the following variations:
- With a touch of soy sauce;
- With a pronounced taste of grain;
- With a slight aftertaste;
- With rice flavor;
- With honey aftertaste;
- Mixed options.
The strength of the drink ranges from 40 to 60%. The strongest version is produced in the Northeast. The brand is called "Laobaigar".
« Ergotou and Maotai are common varieties among all brands and varieties of baijiu».
The name of Chinese vodka in China itself sounds a little different, and means "hot wine". This is a direct allusion to the fact that baijiu was consumed warm in the old days.
drinking culture
According to tradition, baijiu is poured into a vessel with a narrow neck. They warm over the coals. Then poured into miniature stacks. A modern drink does not need to be heated, it does not contain impurities that were evaporated before drinking in the old way with heating.
With baijiu, it is customary to eat plentiful and fatty snacks. Since the appetite after drinking the drink is played out serious. Due to the natural ingredients contained in such vodka, its moderate consumption is good for health.
- The film "Red Kaoliang" captures the old way of forcing vodka.
- In Russia, Chinese vodka was first tasted in the 18th century.
- In 1805, the Tan family established the largest distillery in China.
- In 1880, baijiu in the Amur region cost 11 rubles, and the Russian equivalent was only 9 rubles.
- Today baijiu is used to make cocktails by adding fruits and liquors to vodka.
- "Gan Bey!" - Chinese toast, translated as a wish to drink to the bottom. Used when using baijiu.
- Bars specializing in varieties of Chinese vodka have long been operating in the West.
- Variety "Ergotou" is considered a drink of the proletarians. In Beijing, a bottle of such vodka can cost about 2 dollars.
- The variety "Maotai" belongs to the premium baijiu segment.
- Some varieties of Chinese vodka are aged like wine for 1-3 years.
- Ceramics, clay and metal are the elements that can be used in the production of baijiu.
Baijiu is an alcoholic drink that is strongly associated with China. The world heard about him for the first time at the San Francisco World's Fair. After this event, baijiu gained a lot of fans outside of China. The taste of Chinese vodka can be different, there are flavored and non-flavored versions of the drink. Any baijiu has a transparent base, even if it is colored red to attract customers. Chinese vodka is the most purchased alcohol in China, and sometimes in neighboring countries.
China was one of the first countries in history to discover alcoholic beverages. A large number of earthenware wine vessels have been found during excavations at the site of the Dawenkou culture in Shandong Province. The finds are over 5000 years old. Historical records also record the presence of winemaking in China over 4,000 years ago.
The first Chinese wines were made mainly from cereals such as rice and millet. As a result of the improvement of winemaking techniques - during the period of the Warring States (475-221 centuries BC), the so-called yellow wine appeared.
In 1970, in Pingshan, Hebei Province, during the excavation of ancient tombs of this period, a large number of vessels for storing and drinking wine were found. In two of them, the remains of an ancient alcoholic drink made from wheat have been preserved. He was about 2280 years old. Perhaps this is the oldest alcohol on the planet.
| Famous spirits in China |
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Chinese alcoholic beverages were scrutinized three times by domestic experts: in 1953, 1963 and 1979.
As a result of the All-China competition of alcoholic beverages, the honorary list of "first wines" includes:
Maotai vodka, Fenjiu, Wulian'e, Jianchunjiu of Sichuan province, Gujing liquor, Yanghe Daqiu vodka from Jiangsu province, Dongjiu, Luzhou Tieqiu, Jiafan Shaoxing wine, Long'yang Chengganjiu, Qingdao beer, Yantai Red wine, Chinese "Red wine" from Beijing, Great Wall White Wine from Shacheng, Hebei Province, Minquan White Wine, Yantai Vermouth, Gold Star Yantai Brandy and Zhuyeqing from Shanxi Province.
MAOTAI
Maotai vodka has always been the most famous in China. It is called so in honor of the town of Maotai in Guizhou province, where it is produced.
This alcoholic drink has become almost a must at official government banquets in Beijing and presentations abroad. It is the "national drink" and "diplomatic drink" of China. Now in China, it has appeared on open sale and it is usually used on special occasions and in everyday life: for holidays, during weddings, etc. However, due to the fact that demand significantly exceeds supply, the price of Maotai remains consistently very high.
Maotai is made with high quality kaoliang, a type of Chinese sorghum, as the main ingredient. Sourdough is made from wheat and water is taken from local sources. The process of making the drink is also unique. It goes through eight stages of distillation, alternating with fermentation, each lasting at least a month. At each new stage, an additional starter is added. The whole process takes over eight months. After that, vodka is aged for at least three years and only after that it is allowed to be sold.
Maotai is crystal clear. Although it is quite strong - it does not burn the mucous membranes and throat, does not hit the head and does not upset the stomach. Since ancient times, Maotai has been a favorite drink of poets and people of other creative professions. It is believed that many of the geniuses of China drew their strength from Maotai.
The most famous brands of Chinese vodka (baijiu) based on consumer websites
Wuliangyeprov. Sichuanwww.wiliangye.com.cn
Maotaiprov. Guizhouwww.china-maotai.com
Guojiao1573国窖prov. Sichuanwww.lzlj.com.cn
Jian nan chunprov. Sichuan www.jnc.com.cn
Shui jing fangprov. Sichuan http://www.swellfun.com/
Fen jiu 汾酒 Zhu ye Qing jiu 竹叶青酒prov. Shanxi http://www.fenjiu.com.cn/
Tuopai 沱牌 Prov. Sichuanhttp://www.chinatuopai.com/
Jiuguijiu 酒鬼酒 prov. Hunan www.china000799.com
Gujing 古井 Prov. anhuiwww.gujing.com
Yanghe 洋河 proving Jiangsuwww.chinayanghe.com
YELLOW WINE
Yellow wine is a specific Chinese product. It was known 4000 years ago. It is made from glutinous rice or millet using a special technology. The alcohol content is 15-20 percent. It is called "yellow" because of the amber tint to the light.
Traditionally, yellow wine is served warm. It is heated in metal (usually copper or bronze) teapots or jugs half-immersed in hot or boiling water. It is believed that warm wine stimulates the appetite and has a beneficial effect on the entire human body.
The best yellow wine is made in Shaoxing city, Zhejiang province. It is also known as Shaoxing laojiu, which literally means "Shaoxing Old Wine". The secrets of making this wine go back centuries and are passed down from generation to generation. In some areas of China, it is customary to buy several jugs of good Shaoxin wine at the birth of a child and keep it until the child's wedding, when it is solemnly presented to the guests. The wine not only does not deteriorate over time, but also acquires a brighter taste, color and smell.
Yellow wine is also an essential ingredient in Chinese cuisine. A couple of spoons of it improves the taste of cooked fish or meat. Sometimes meat is soaked in some varieties of yellow wine for subsequent cooking.
To all this, it is worth adding that Chinese vodka has a specific taste and smell for a white man, grown up on whiskey, cognac, vodka, and other European alcoholic beverages. In some cases, despite this specificity, some varieties of vodka do not really give a well-defined hangover syndrome. But some - quite noticeably affect the liver.
Shaoxin wine for a Russian person resembles cheap chatter from youth - such as Agdam or Port wine for 1.7 rubles. But it is worth considering that, firstly: wines with a long exposure (over five years) are more palatable; and secondly, because of the degrees, it gives a quick hoppy effect, and in most cases - a "fun hops". Although this may be individual. In addition - Shaoxin has a pronounced diuretic effect and in large quantities - it also puts a lot of pressure on the liver, exhausted by narzan. In conclusion, it is worth noting that real Shaoxing wine can only be bought in Shaoxing. Everything else is surrogate crafts. And the highest quality wine can only be bought on tap from large earthenware jugs.
GRAPE WINE
For a long time, the Chinese practically did not know what grape wine was. Although the art of winemaking was quite advanced, grape wines were not a popular drink in China. The situation began to change after the revolution, especially after the beginning of the reforms. Western-style red and white grape wines not only became fashionable, but China itself began to gradually become involved in the competitive process of winemaking around the world. With the help of French and other world-famous wine companies in the Shandong province and in the area of the city of Tianjin, in areas with unique climatic conditions favorable for growing elite varieties of grapes, first joint ventures began to be created, and then completely Chinese wine companies. And although significant success has been achieved in this field, the culture of drinking grape wines in China takes root quite hard. The power of habits, traditions and tastes among the Chinese is very strong. However, over the past three or four years there have been massive "offensives" of leading wine companies from Europe, Australia and the United States. Wine boutiques are being created in big cities. There are already entire networks of specialized wine shops that sell both imported wine and alcohol, as well as Chinese-made ones. Among the wealthy segments of the population, expensive and refined grape wine becomes fashionable and prestigious. And last but not least, this is the merit of Hong Kong popular films and show business in general. Chinese winemakers, meanwhile, do not waste time and promote their products to foreign markets. So far without much success. But perseverance, perseverance and patience they do not hold.
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