Baijiu (which translates to ‘white liquor’ or ‘clear spirit’) is China’s national drink and was first made around 1,100 years ago. The word “Baijiu” was used to describe the liquid from 1271 in the Yuan dynasty & was fully developed by 1368 during the Ming dynasty. What was made 7000-5000 years ago was a rudimentary beer called Pijiu & rice wine called Huangjiu.
Baijiu is distilled from sorghum, wheat, rice, sticky rice or corn and uses solid-state fermentation without yeast, like most other production processes. What sets it apart? We’re glad you asked. It’s the use of a fermentation agent called Qu (pronounced “chew”) in a process that heats fermented grains in a special still until the liquid turns to steam. This is collected and allowed to cool, resulting in a colourless, yet fragrant spirit with an alcohol content that's typically 60% ABV or more. This process that can take months at a time, fermenting the grains in pits until the enzymes have turned the sugars in the grains into fusel alcohols & fatty acids, resulting in esterification. This is then added to a special still that steams the grains in a similar manner to column distillation by laying fermented & new grains together, with new grains acting as the rectification plates. The steam turns back into liquid upon cooling & comes out as a colourless, yet fragrant spirit with an alcohol content that's typically 60% ABV or more where it is aged in pottery for months or years at a time
You can distinguish baijiu by production methods, ingredients and other regional variations, but the Chinese government classifies baijiu linguistically by its aroma and its distinctive smell (simply nosing baijiu is an experience all in itself), which is highly valued in Chinese culinary culture. The current system of classification began in 1952 and was updated in August 1979 at the third nationwide baijiu competition. There are now four major baijiu categories.
The primary baijiu categories are ‘rice aroma’, a sweet and floral baijiu that originated in southern the Guangxi province and is made from rice (unsurprisingly); ‘light aroma’, a style common in the north which is fermented solely from sorghum and is usually delicate and dry; ‘strong aroma’, China's most popular baijiu which can be produced with single grain or mixed for more intricate flavours; and ‘sauce aroma’, which is the most expensive type of baijiu and is said to resemble soy sauce.
Traditionally, baijiu is served neat at room temperature and drunk with food rather than on its own (responsible, delicious and understandable given one variety has the soy sauce comparison going for it). However, it is becoming increasingly fashionable to infuse baijiu with fruit, medicinal herbs or spices, and cocktails are gaining popularity, too.
According to a report by International Wine & Spirits Group, there are around 14,000 distilleries producing baijiu. Thanks to China's huge population baijiu is the most widely consumed spirit in the world. Well, who knew? Apart from the Chinese, obviously. Baijiu accounts for almost a third of global spirit sales and it is estimated that about 5.5 billion litres were sold in 2016. In 2017, our baijiu sales increased by 650% year-on-year. We think it’s fair to say that, in the West, baijiu has become an ever more appealing spirit of choice. Why not try some for yourself and see what all the fuss is about?