Baijiu is a traditional - but relevant – Chinese spirit. In fact, this unique, clear concoction is the world’s best-selling spirit, thanks to its popularity in its home country. Baijiu is fruity, funky, slightly smoky and wonderfully strange, making it a worthwhile excursion outside your comfort zone.

Baijiu starts with plain old sorghum that distillers moisten and leave out at an ideal temperature for local microbes. Nearby yeasts and bacteria take their shot and grow on the grain – not wildly different from sourdough starters, really. Distillers turn this funky, flavor-packed substance into bricks and “inoculate” them into larger batches of grain, which ferment, creating alcohol and many of baijiu’s complex flavors. After distilling that to around 50% alcohol, they age it in terracotta clay jars before blending.

Baijiu comes in a spectrum of “aroma” strengths, from fairly neutral light to strong – even soy sauce. You’re most likely to find “strong aroma” in this hemisphere. “Strong ” isn’t hyperbole, either: this stuff can be intense and complex. Expect big fruit aromas, from pineapple to ripe plums, to cherries and even watermelon Jolly Rancher. Clay is there, too. Flavor is funky in that barnyard, “horse blanket”, wet hay kind of way that actually reminds us of Belgian wild ales. We’d bet the farm that there’s plenty of wild yeast driving Baijiu fermentations. Wild yeasts make wild beverages! Black licorice and nice smoky flavor balance the funk. Expect Baijiu to challenge your taste buds in fun new ways.

Serve baijiu at room temperature in a Glencairn scotch glass to best focus the complex aromas. Bring trusted friends along so you can discuss what on earth you’re tasting. Swirl, sniff, consider. After sipping, breathe out through your nose and let the vapors take another pass over your senses.

If straight baijiu at mealtime isn’t your thing, it can add great complexity to cocktails. Offset baijiu with rum or gin and follow its inherent fruit aromas with some pineapple juice. It’s quite interesting replacing vodka in a Moscow mule, too. Baijiu cocktail culture is a newer thing, so the best new recipe might be your own.

Once low profile in the west, baijiu’s ready to make its move as we become more curious. You won’t forget your first taste. Go find some and try something wildly different!

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