Mian Zhu Da Qu Laohao

Baijiu is an East Asian grain alcohol that usually weighs in between 70 and 120 proof. Also known as shaojiu, this liquor is colorless and can vary in flavor profiles across a wide range of fermentation techniques. The most common grain for baijiu is fermented sorghum, though it can be made from a wide range of different grains like wheat, millet, barley or glutinous rice — it all depends on the region and who’s making it.

Alright, Westerners, brace yourselves: baijiu can be a challenging taste at first. Most describe its flavor as “funky” — a more honest description might even include the words “rotting fruit” — and it has a nuttiness that contributes to a complex, unique, sweet-savory flavor. This flavor comes from a thousands-of-years-old tradition that’s been passed down through generations.

A baijiu maker usually starts by cooking sorghum and then fermenting it with a starter called jiuqu (the very same fungus used in the production of sake, miso and soy sauce). The fermented sorghum then goes through saccharification and further fermentation. Finally, the spirit is distilled and flavored according to local customs and makers’ preferences.