History of Baijiu

BAIJIU (PRONOUNCED “BUY JEE-OH”) IS SOMEWHAT OF A MYSTERY TO MOST PEOPLE FROM WESTERN COUNTRIES. MANY ARE NOT EVEN AWARE IT EXISTS, AND EVEN THOSE WHO HAVE SPENT THEIR LIVES LEARNING ABOUT SPIRITS KNOW LITTLE ABOUT IT, SO IT’S OK IF THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU ARE HEARING OF IT. BY THE TIME YOU HAVE READ THIS YOU WILL KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CATEGORY OF BAIJIU AND ITS CHINESE CULTURE THAN MANY OF THE WORLD’S SPIRIT EXPERTS. BAIJIU HAS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF CHINESE CULTURE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND NOW THAT EASTERN AND WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE INTEGRATING MORE AND MORE WE ARE STARTING TO SEE THE MYSTERY OF THIS INCREDIBLE, IN DEPTH SUBJECT UNRAVEL. TO BEGIN WITH, TO SAY BAIJIU IS A CATEGORY WOULD NOT BE QUITE RIGHT. IT IS MORE OF A COLLECTION OF SPIRITS MADE USING TRADITIONAL CHINESE METHODS. WITHIN BAIJIU THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATIONS, TYPES AND FLAVOURS MADE FROM ALL CORNERS OF A NATION OVER 9.5 MILLION SQUARE KILOMETRES IN AREA. WITHIN THIS AREA THERE ARE 56 DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS AND THE HISTORY OF BAIJIU SPANS OVER 2000 YEARS. WITH SUCH A HUGE AND DIVERSE COUNTRY, BAIJIU HAS MANY VARIATIONS. THIS INTRODUCTION WILL GIVE YOU THE BEST BASE POSSIBLE FOR BEGINNING YOUR JOURNEY INTO THE MYSTERIOUS WORLD OF BAIJIU.

WORDS ROSS BLAINEY

RECENT DISCOVERIES HAVE SHOWN the Chinese were using alcohol for consumption as early as 7000 to 5800 BCE. These would have been made from berries, honey and rice and were used in religious ceremonies. These early days would lay the foundation for Baijiu and were so relevant because they set the scene for alcohol being thought of as a gift from the gods and a luxury. For the thousands of years following this, there have been many stories and legends of how alcohol and Baijiu came to be. Emperors were thought to have been blessed by the “God of Liquor” who gave liquor to them as a reward for their great ruling. These emperors in turn would gift it to their great warriors for their bravery. There are stories of flying fairies bringing alcohol to earth from the heavens, and even stories of apes making the first wines by putting fruits in stone pits and returning to find wine. A slightly more scientific story told is that Emperor Du Kang of the Xian dynasty between 2100 to 1600 BCE tried storing his grain in a mulberry tree over winter. When spring and summer came around he found it had fermented into liquor. The stories and legends are an important part of the culture of Baijiu, and throughout history there is a sense of myth and mystery that it carries with it. It seems it has always been thought of so highly that the myths sometimes seem the most appropriate stories.

As we move closer to modern times, we come to the first recorded evidence of one of the major unique elements of Chinese liquor production, Jiuqu or Qu (pronounced “Chew”). Qu is an ingredient made from wheat and is processed to hold the local micro-organisms to create what acts as a yeast and known as a “starter” for the fermentation process. This is first sighted within 書經 known as Shujing or the “Book of Documents” during the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BCE to 256 BCE). This was the official documentation by scholars of the Zhou Dynasty and shows that they were already using this technique for early liquor making.

Qu continued to be used up to the time of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE). Emperor Han Wu Di of this dynasty was a great supporter of liquor production in China, and perfecting the use of Qu meant the ABV of alcoholic beverages went up significantly. By making use of all the starches, it was more controlled and added many more distinct flavours. Emperor Han considered his liquor a great luxury and was known as huang jiu or “yellow liquor”. Huang jiu became the new drink of choice for emperors, religious ceremonies and gifts throughout the country. Huang jiu grew in popularity until what may be the first recorded use of distillation for alcohol around 960 CE, during the Song Dynasty. This was when the use of techniques brought from the middle east meant they could distil huang jiu for a more potent version – and the birth of the Baijiu we know today. Baijiu production grew and continued to improve techniques through many changes in the eastern world. It was used at great length during the Yuan Dynasty, the first foreign Dynasty to rule China, as Kublai Khan, grandson of Ghengis Khan recorded these techniques being used. Emperors all throughout history would support the production of liquor, as it was still seen as a top luxury. Although popularity of Baijiu grew, huang jiu remained more popular for a few hundred years while distillation techniques were being honed.

THE LAST CENTURY

Baijiu techniques spread across the country, adding more diversity in production techniques and in turn flavours throughout the years. With the government beginning to make money through taxes on liquor, it became beneficial for them to spread the industry as far as possible. This brought more support in production across the nation. 1912 brought the end of Imperial China

and with it came a view to a more global industry potential for Baijiu. In 1915, the Chinese government sent a delegation of the top Baijiu producers to the Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. Here they were up against the great spirits of the world such as whisky, Cognac, gin and vodka. They found it troublesome, with no real marketing to draw attention to them until a delegate from the famous Moutai distillery decided to throw one of his bottles on the floor, smashing it and sending the pungent aroma throughout the hall. This was some smart marketing for the Baijiu category and with its intriguing smell they attracted all the right attention, managing to win the gold medal and Best Spirit in Show along with Scotch Whisky and Cognac. With the town of Moutai winning the gold medal, the three distilleries couldn’t decide who it belonged to. Upon their return to China, the government stepped in to settle the argument. The argument was settled by amalgamating the three distilleries at the top of their game to create what is now the highest valued alcohol brand in the world, Kweichow Moutai (as of February 2016). This medal put Baijiu up there with the best on an international stage, and with the return of this medal came a realisation that although Baijiu had come out on top, they were quite far behind in modern techniques and marketing. In the decades that followed many western countries had prohibition, but in China they began to fund and grow the liquor industry to improve the quality of their beloved Baijiu. With pride at stake and keeping up appearances on the world stage, modernisation began and quality improved until another major change in 1949 with the beginning of the Communist government in China.

The new government supported an even larger push to improve quality and to nationalise some of the best distilleries. The creation of Baijiu as China’s national spirit was made official, and first Premier Zhou Enlai chose the award-winning Kweichow Moutai to become the drink of choice with the government and national liquor of China to be used in diplomatic situations around the world. With more economic reform under Deng Xiaoping in the 1970s, Baijiu continued to soar in popularity and production. With many wanting to join in on this massive growth industry, by the 1990s there were around 36,000 distilleries. There are now probably around 14,000 in China and only a small amount of them manage to have an international presence. Many of them are consumed locally in the area where they are produced.

Over the last 20 years, Baijiu has become a premium product with a bottle ranging anywhere from $50 AUD to $1.86 million AUD as the highest priced bottle ever sold. The scarcity and luxury surrounding some brands means there are people trading in Baijiu just the same as you would trade in other commodities, and books have been written on the techniques that can be used in this trading game. The International Wine and Spirits Group research shows that in 2012 1.25 billion nine litre cases of Baijiu were consumed around the world and the total volume of spirits consumed overall was 1.8 billion nine litre cases. This illustrates what Baijiu has become over the years. The sales volume of Baijiu in the same year was $92.4 billion USD and with production projected at 17 billion litres in 2016 we can see that this is one incredible spirit.

Today, Baijiu is held very close to the hearts of the people in the towns and cities around each producer. The local pride is created by a love of their heritage, the jobs it creates and the aid that these large

companies can give to the people around them. They play a huge part in not only business, culture and dinner tables around the world but also a big part of the daily lives of the real people who dedicate their lives to creating this mysterious liquor.

HOW IS IT MADE?

As we delve into Baijiu and how it is made, it’s important to note that across the range of Baijiu, there’s a vast range of techniques involved. The subject goes deep into not only physical production reasons but also cultural reasons surrounding each different version. For the purpose of getting an overview, we will stick to the basic traditional Chinese methods that are used across most. These techniques are used in some way across all Baijiu. The variations come in the amount of times each process is used, slight variations in ingredients and each producer having their own methods that have been passed down through many generations, honing their craft to perfection by tweaking the details and techniques. THE INGREDIENTS

To make Baijiu there are three main ingredients:

SORGHUM: (Sometimes other grain or rice is used) is a grain that is widely grown across China. It originates as different species across Asia, Africa, Australia and South America in the grass family of plant life. It looks like a small dark red ball with very thick husks and is a very resilient crop, making it easy to grow in vast amounts. Its high tannins and starch make it perfect for making Baijiu.

JIUQU OR QU: (Pronounced Chew) is one of the traditional Chinese methods that makes Baijiu so unique. Qu is the fermentation catalyst much like a yeast in other liquor making processes, although Qu is made in a very unique way. Wheat is wetted and moulded into bricks that can weigh up to 4.5kg. These bricks are then stacked in warm, temperature controlled rooms to help cultivate bacteria, yeast, fungi and other enzymes. These microorganisms will be unique to the region in which the Qu is made as they are technically wild yeasts which will in turn lend different flavour characters to each region’s Baijiu. There are some other lesser used versions of Qu which can be made using bran, peas and rice which tend to give less flavour and shorter fermentation times.

WATER: As with any great spirit, water is the lifeblood and the freshest source is always highly sought after. Similar to other distilleries around the world, many are perched among the mountains to make use of the best water possible. These Baijiu producers take great measures to ensure environmentally friendly processes to protect their quality in such a fast growing industrial nation

The process of making Baijiu really sets it apart from every other spirit in the world. It bares little resemblance to western spirit production, which makes it all the more intriguing to learn. Some of these techniques are not used anywhere else in the world and some are so labour intensive and skilled that they are almost magical to watch in person. These are the six main steps involved:

1. QU PRODUCTION: The fermentation

“starter” must be made beforehand to be used in step three.

2. MATERIAL PREPARATION: At this stage, the Sorghum would be steamed or boiled to clean it and soften the hard outer husk for the following stages

3. SOLID STATE FERMENTATION

(SSF): The main point of interest and yet another completely unique process.

Here the moist, softened Sorghum is piled together in the distillery with Qu powder broken up and layered in between. This pile can be made up to three metres high and is left there to go through the full fermentation process in its solid state, no water added. In this process, the starches will be broken into sugars and the sugars turned into alcohol, all within the one process. The SSF can take place over the course of a week or a few weeks and can also take place open to the air or enclosed underground, or in some case both. This process can take several months to complete and as it ferments it develops much of its flavour and complexity.

4. SOLID STATE DISTILLATION: This process comes straight after SSF. The fermented Sorghum is placed in a large enclosed circular container which in itself is an incredibly laborious task. The Sorghum is then steamed from below, and as the steam pushes its way through it carries with it the alcohol vapours. These are then extracted through a pipe at the top of the container which leads to a second cooled container where the Baijiu is collected. This process can be repeated to get the best flavours and purest distillate.

5. AGING: Baijiu is mainly aged in clay pots and some stored underground, but the process differs depending on the producer. The amount of time aged varies and some can be aged up to 80 years. 6. BLENDING: As with many other great spirits, blending is a highly skilled job, and it takes a lifetime to achieve this position. Blends are created in accordance with the flavour of the brand, and as with many spirits can be alternated to suit different bottlings and releases.

CLASSIFICATION, AROMA AND TASTE

With the making of Baijiu spanning over 2000 years and spreading over such a huge geographical area, there have been many variations of the spirit. When talking about the flavour of Baijiu it is best to start off by looking at some of the sub categories of Baijiu. There are 12 categories of Baijiu which are named based on their different aromas. In 1959, the Chinese government standardised the main Baijiu into four main categories:

1. JIANG XIANG (Jee-ung sheeung) – sauce aroma

2. NONG XIANG (Nong Sheeung) – strong aroma

3. QING XIANG (Ching sheeung) – light aroma

4. MI XIANG (Me sheeung) – rice aroma

These are the specific categories of aroma but they are maybe not the best description what Baijiu tastes or smells like. Good quality Baijiu given to 10 people will usually get 10 completely different flavours found. The spectrum of flavours is incredibly vast and possibly one of the most diverse I have seen in a spirit. As it would be hard to pinpoint all of the flavours of any spirit category, I have just put a few together here for those who want a bit of an idea. This is by no means anywhere near exhaustive and it may also seem vague in that these flavours do span the whole spectrum, but this is how Baijiu can taste: Banana, pineapple, chocolate, vegemite, soy sauce, plum, smoke, seaweed, white flower, peach, sweet, salty, bitter, oyster juice, sauerkraut, yeasty, meat, fermented vegetables. As most Baijiu will be bottled at 45 to 60% ABV it does pack a bit of a punch so there will always be the warmth of the alcohol to accompany. As with other spirits, the burn that is sometimes associated with Baijiu, sometimes known as “fire water” will depend on the quality of the Baijiu. The higher the quality, the less burn and more flavour. The best way to work out what Baijiu tastes like is really to taste it yourself. An important thing to remember is that trying one Baijiu, not liking it and thinking you don’t like Baijiu is like trying one gin and saying you don’t like all spirits from Europe. The flavours are vast and there is no amount of explanation that can make up for the sensory overload that follows the first sip of Baijiu.

HOW TO DRINK

TRADITIONALLY: Baijiu is drank throughout society in China, from the lower ends of the socioeconomic scale all the way to the tables of government banquets; even the Queen has enjoyed Moutai (a top

brand of Baijiu) with President Xi Jing Ping! Baijiu is always used for important occasions, whether it is a birthday, wedding, engagement, new year or maybe most importantly on the closing of a good business deal. A sign of the success of a business deal would be celebrated with some good quality Baijiu.

In all of these cases, whether it is high grade Baijiu or low grade, it is enjoyed straight up in small cups or glasses that usually only hold about 10ml. Baijiu is a spirit that is usually reserved for the dinner table and enjoyed alongside food, which is probably just as well considering its high alcohol content averages 53% ABV. The Baijiu bottle or jug will be passed around the table, always taking care to pour everyone else’s before your own as far as you can reach. Baijiu has a big element of sharing and hospitality that goes with it. As everyone’s glass is filled, always to the brim, a simple Ganbei (meaning cheers or ”bottoms up”) will be said, sometimes preceded by a few kind words of welcome or thanks. As you touch glasses, everyone will finish the glass of Baijiu and in some cases will hold the glass horizontal towards your fellow drinkers to show that it is all gone. This process can be repeated throughout dinner, and if you’re feeling brave you can do a round of the table to thank your hosts doing an individual Ganbei with each person at the table. This is not recommended for early on in the dinner before food but will earn you a good deal of respect, which is another important aspect of the Chinese drinking culture. Someone who is able to drink well and remain coherent and well behaved is very well thought of. This culture does not think badly of drinking large amounts but does maintain respect will be lost for someone who cannot behave well after drinking.

COCKTAILS: We are currently witnessing the very beginning of the Baijiu cocktail scene. As a new spirit with such rich history enters this creative scene, it has begun to take off around the world. As cultures learn from one another and take aspects to mould for their own use, there is a spot for the mysterious Baijiu in the top cocktail bars of the world. As bartenders continue their search for new liquids to impress their guests, Baijiu has found itself being able to offer not only an interesting spirit to taste and a story to tell, but a huge cocktail potential. With its diversity in flavours, a new cocktail creation can head in any direction, from savoury to sweet and everything in between. The aim of a great cocktail is to find balance of flavours while highlighting specific nuances of the main ingredient. This makes it a great way to start off with Baijiu; trying a few cocktails can make some of the bigger flavours a little easier to handle, as well as lowering the overall alcohol content. The cocktail scene for Baijiu is new but growing. With such deep traditional values and long history, it is understandable that some purists are not fully on board with the cocktail approach but this has been seen before with single malt whisky. It gives Baijiu another way to be shared with the world and those people are gradually taking to it more and more. Leading the way in the cocktail category for the Baijiu brands is Kweichow Moutai, who recently launched the world’s first Baijiu cocktail competition “Enter the Dragon”. Held in Sydney in November of 2015, the competition saw some of the world’s best bartenders coming together to learn and create. Around the world, Beijing has seen the arrival of the world’s first Baijiu bar, Capital Spirits which has a focus on teaching the ways of Baijiu and other lesser known spirits. Meanwhile in Greenwich Village, New York the first Baijiu bar outside of China has really taken off. In true speakeasy style, “Lumos” is located under a hat shop in SoHo with entry to the bar marked only with the Chinese characters for “tavern” and is host to some of the most creative cocktails and entertainment of the New York bar scene. These early adopters have taken a view to showing people the culture of Chinese drinking, balanced with just enough western influence to make taking in so much history a little easier. This exciting new scene is just taking hold in Australia and the best way to experience it is to get to the best cocktail bar you know of and ask them to whip you up a Baijiu cocktail! ❧