Depending on your nationality and cultural background, we are
all subjected to different customs when it comes to drinking alcohol. Liquors
play a rather important role in our way to socialize and interact with other
people.
In western countries, we can find whisky as one of the most
iconic drinks. On the other hand, in Asia, Chinese baijiu is without doubt, the
most popular liquor.
As people are growing more and more interested in baijiu, we
would like to share with you how to properly drink Chinese
Baijiu and appreciate it better.
First Impression
During their stay in China, most foreigners, have at least tried
drinking Chinese baijiu once.
Usually, baijiu is offered during both formal and informal
dinner table. The host is responsible to invite each guest to have a toast,
this is a sign of respect towards the guests. Following the host, the other
guests have to toast with each other and return the toast to the host as
well.
Remember, it is considered impolite to turn down the host when
you’re invited to. It could be difficult in the beginning though, it will
surely be a fun and unforgiving experience.
How to Appreciate Chinese Baijiu
Spirits tasting is not as simple as it looks like. When it comes
to professional tasting of baijiu, color, aroma, and flavor must be evaluated
just like the other famous spirits in the world.
First, observing the color and transparency of the liquid and check
if there is any sediment in it. Premium -quality Chinese baijiu is
clear without any impurities.
Second, sniff the fragrances, you could tell the different types
of baijiu by the aroma, such as light-aroma, strong-aroma and sauce-aroma. The superior
distilled liquor can be recognized by its natural scent of fruits and flowers.
At last, take a small sip and let it linger on your palates
before swallow. After taste is also important in baijiu just like wines, better
quality leaves smoother aftertaste.
Normally, the alcohol content of baijiu is 25-60%. If you are
not a fan of high alcohol spirits, light-aroma (25-42%) could win your heart.
There’re many light-aroma baijiu brands in China, in recently
years, Jiangxiaobai PURE that produced by Jiangji Distillery arose in
international market with its silky texture and subtle sweet aftertaste.
Smooth, light and pure could be a fine introduction for you to Chinese baijiu.
Baijiu cocktail is getting trendy now, instead of being
appreciated by neat, more and more bartenders have discovered the charm of
baijiu in cocktails. The champion of World Cocktail Championship 2019 won the
medal by using Jiangxiaobai as base.
As the sixth most
consumed spirit in the world, Chinese baijiu should be recognized by both young
Chinese and foreign consumers not only for its marvelous flavor, but also for
its profound culture background
