Fancy Chinese liquor

[dsmolken]

I'll be in Beijing for business in a few weeks, what liquor can/should I try? Solid imitations of Western styles (whisky, calvados, rum etc.) are good too, it doesn't have to be authentic or traditionally Chinese. FWIW I really, really liked the Amrut Fusion whisky I got when I was in Bangalore earlier this year.

 

[Lord-Barrington]



I'll be in Beijing for business in a few weeks, what liquor can/should I try? Solid imitations of Western styles (whisky, calvados, rum etc.) are good too, it doesn't have to be authentic or traditionally Chinese. FWIW I really, really liked the Amrut Fusion whisky I got when I was in Bangalore earlier this year.

Chinese liquor is some of the worst I've ever tasted, across price points. Mostly terrible stuff, in my experience.

 

[dacox]

Yeah, Chinese liquor is an acquired taste. I like it, but most of my friends that I've given it to hate it. If you want to try some you can try Wuliang Ye or Maotai Jiu. They are big name brands available everywhere. If you aren't a regular baijiu drinking though, you probably won't notice any difference between the cheap stuff and the expensive stuff, so I wouldn't splurge on a real expensive bottle. Something in the 150-200rmb range is fine. I usually drink like 40-50rmb Jin Liu Fu or something like that, FWIW.

If you don't like baijiu (and I'm 90% sure you won't), huang jiu (黄酒） or hong jiu (红酒) will be easier to drink, but I don't drink them very often so I can't really comment on those.

My advice is that you might as well try a little baijiu while you're here, but if you want to drop some money on alcohol you'll enjoy more then stick with some imported wine or something from a nice hotel/restaurant.

 

[lemmywinks]

I tried some pretty high end bai jiu the other time. Just tasted like really strong alcohol with some taste I can't really pinpoint. Kinda licoricey or anise-y... Something like that but not really. I wasn't a huge fan.

Tsing Tao is pretty good for a widely available beer though.

 

[acidboy]

if you're drinking with locals, its far fetched that you're gonna be able to try local liquor anyway.

 

[Laffertron]

Definitely try 3 penis wine. It's got some balls, but not enough for you to notice.

 

[dsmolken]



My advice is that you might as well try a little baijiu while you're here, but if you want to drop some money on alcohol you'll enjoy more then stick with some imported wine or something from a nice hotel/restaurant.

Thanks. I like a lot of stuff that most people consider hideous. Just last week I talked an Englishman and an Indian into trying a shot of our local 70% abv plum brandy.

Now to Google what these are distilled from...

 

[erdawe]

If it means anything I've enjoyed plum brandy, just haven't had it at 70% ABV. Seems higher proof than I'd care to drink in a brandy.

Can't help you with Chinese liquors.

 

[dacox]



Thanks. I like a lot of stuff that most people consider hideous. Just last week I talked an Englishman and an Indian into trying a shot of our local 70% abv plum brandy.
Now to Google what these are distilled from...

I'm the same way. If that's the case then, I'd say just grab a cheap little bottle from any little convenient store to see if you like the flavor. A little bottle of Er Guo Tou (二锅头） should be like $0.80 and is available everywhere and is like maybe 3 shots per bottle. The quality is pretty ******, but you can get a sense of the flavor, because it really isn't like any other kind of alcohol that I've tried before (and if you aren't a regular drinker then the difference between that and the expensive stuff is pretty negligible). Then, if you like the flavor then you can try some of the better quality stuff. The flavors vary slightly but in general the more expensive stuff won't burn so much as it goes down.

I don't know how hardcore you want to get with it, but I'd say that's a good place to start. Just buy a little, cheap bottle, get a sense of the flavor, and go from there.

 

[dsmolken]

Thanks. That's very helpful. I really just want to try some stuff that tastes unlike anything I can get in any other country, basically. I try to do that wherever I go. Three shots per bottle sounds like a perfect amount for something that's just to satisfy my curiosity.

 

[dacox]

If that's the case then just get a bottle of Er Guo Tou or something similar to try. It looks like this...



All the little convenient stores have bottles like this that are 3-4 oz. for like $0.50-$1. Any of them will give you a taste of the flavor. If you like it let me know and I can recommend some better quality stuff.

Edit: For reference, this stuff is like what Skol/McCormick is to a good vodka. You'll get a sense of the flavor, but the quality is still pretty ******. Since the flavor can't really be compared to any other kind of booze though, I think it's a good starting point.

 

[dsmolken]

Distilled sorghum? Haven't had that before, that should be definitely worth a try.

 

[dsmolken]

I followed the advice and picked up a half-liter bottle of Red Star, will get it Monday as I only had carry-on luggage and stuck it in a colleague's suitcase.

 

[changy]

No sure if you are still there. You can pick up a bottle of Shui Jing Fang which is a high end Bai Jiu. Even if you don't like the stuff, the bottle is pretty enough.

 

[PeterMetro]

Other thing you might consider - many restaurants will have jars of liquor with funny things floating in them. Ants, snakes, sea horses, lizards, various roots, fish, etc. Each funny floating thing is supposed to help with ailments: high blood pressure, joint pain, etc. 85% are for virility.

They are more traditional Chinese medicine than it is liquor, but they are definitely unique and difficult to find outside of China.