A Brief History of Baijiu that can be understood in five minutes

When it comes to modern baijiu, many people believe that its brewing history is long and its culture is ancient, with even emperors like Qin Shi Huang and Han Wu, as well as Tang and Song dynasties, drinking baijiu. Some may use the excuse of "Li Bai's hundred poems on drinking" to persuade those working late at night to drink.

However, in reality, during the Republic of China period, yellow wine was the mainstream choice. Looking further back in history, yellow wine (including rice wine) was still prevalent. The highly distilled baijiu we know today only became popular after 1949. As for the origins of baijiu, there are supporters for various periods such as Xia-Shang, Qin-Han, Tang-Song, Yuan-Ming... but the further back we go in time, the less accurate it becomes.

It's time to educate on the past and present of modern baijiu.

Let's start by explaining what "baijiu" is.

In ancient times, baijiu was known as rice wine, because it was really white in color. Modern baijiu was called "shaojiu" in ancient times, as it was produced in a pot and had a high alcohol content that could ignite when exposed to fire.

Baijiu is a distilled spirit made primarily from grains, using ingredients such as Daqu (fermentation starter), Xiaoqu (fermentation agent), Fuqu (yeast balls), and other enzymes for saccharification fermentation. It is produced through processes like steaming, saccharification, fermentation, and distillation. Baijiu is also known as shaojiu, laobaigan, or shaodaozi.

Chinese baijiu has various aliases such as shaojiu, sorghum liquor, and baigan liquor. After the founding of New China, the unified term "baijiu" replaced the previous names used for this spirit. - "Overview of Chinese Liquor"

During the Xia-Shang period: Yidi made fermented beverages while Dukang made millet wine. In accurate terms, Yidi and Dukang were both masters of brewing alcohol; in modern terms, Yidi can be considered the founder of yellow wine while Dukang can be seen as the founder of sorghum liquor.

Qin and Han Dynasties: With the deepening of archaeology, many places have discovered bronze distillation equipment from the Eastern Han Dynasty. Some experts believe that distilled baijiu originated in the Han Dynasty. However, other experts argue that at that time, distillation equipment was mainly used for making floral water or medicinal decoctions.

Tang and Song Dynasties: Many poems from the Tang Dynasty mention shaojiu (distilled liquor), with Bai Juyi mentioning "the lychees are ripe with a rooster's comb color, and the shaojiu emits an amber light." The "History of Later Tang" also mentions Jian Nan Shao Chun as a court imperial wine.

Yuan and Ming Dynasties: Li Shizhen wrote in his "Compendium of Materia Medica" that shaojiu was not made using traditional methods but was created during the Yuan Dynasty. It involved steaming strong liquor and lees to produce vapor, which was then collected as droplets. Any spoiled wine could be distilled in this manner.

In the centuries following the Yuan Dynasty, shaojiu remained a non-mainstream alcoholic beverage. Even in southwestern regions, it was not considered mainstream. Despite its advantages - being made from non-staple grains like sorghum which could be brewed year-round, easy to store, and having a high alcohol content - those who could afford yellow wine looked down on shaojiu. Yellow wine often cost several times more than baijiu; there is a saying: "Yellow wine is priced by volume while baijiu is priced by weight." Until the Republic of China period, Chinese liquor culture primarily revolved around yellow wine rather than today's popular baijiu.

In the tumultuous years after the late Qing Dynasty when wars were frequent and food scarcity prevailed, there was little surplus rice available for brewing yellow wine. Yellow wine became a luxury item while baijiu gained popularity among workers and farmers. During the Second Sino-Japanese War when the Nationalist government retreated to southwest China due to Japanese invasion, authentic yellow wine became scarce leading to baijiu gaining prominence at state banquets in regions like Sichuan.

During their 25,000-mile Long March through Guizhou and Sichuan provinces where they spent most of their time fighting battles against Kuomintang forces, soldiers of Red Army developed a special bond with baijiu. Historical events such as Zunyi Conference and crossing Chishui River four times were witnessed by baijiu during this period which held precious memories of revolutionary camaraderie. After overthrowing three major obstacles during their bloody struggle for liberation under Mao Zedong's leadership culminating in establishing New China in 1949 where people took control of their own destiny marking a new era for baijiu.

Distilleries across China began undergoing cooperative reforms transitioning towards industrialized production marking true industrialization of baijiu production. In mid-1950s when grain purchases were centralized under planned economy system ensuring supply to distilleries leading many small workshops to close down or go out of business gradually shifting towards promoting high-alcohol content yet resource-efficient baijius nationwide even in regions where it wasn't traditionally consumed before.

Baijiu Trivia

Compared to other strong liquors like gin, rum, tequila, vodka, brandy, and whiskey, the unique aspect of Chinese baijiu lies in its "qu" (fermentation starter).

"Qu" is a product of ancient Chinese wisdom. The microorganisms attached to the qu provide the fermentation power for grains, converting starches into sugars and then into alcohol.

In relation to liquor production, "qu" plays a similar role as sourdough or yeast does in bread-making. Bread made with added yeast is fragrant and sweet with a good texture.

Depending on the raw materials used, there are different types of "qu," including Daqu (large fermentation starter), Xiaoqu (small fermentation starter), Fuqu (bran fermentation starter), Maiqu (wheat fermentation starter), and Hongqu (red yeast rice).

Daqu: Also known as Kuaiqu or Zhuanqu, made from barley, wheat, peas etc., mainly used for producing solid-state pure grain baijiu.

Xiaoqu: Made from rice primarily used for making small qu baijiu or rice wine.

Fuqu: A modern type of qu made from bran mainly used for producing liquid-state method baijiu.

Maiqu: Made from wheat primarily used for brewing yellow wine.

Hongqu: Made from rice primarily used for brewing red yeast rice wine.

Why does the unappetizing sorghum become the main grain for brewing alcohol?

Throughout history, the primary reason for alcohol prohibition by various dynasties was to conserve grains. Sorghum, strictly speaking, is not a staple food for the common people, so there was often leniency towards sorghum liquor production in different eras.

Furthermore, after the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, frequent flooding of the Yellow River required large amounts of straw for building river embankments. Planting sorghum became a political task to provide straw for these construction projects.

Originally considered a substitute for other grains, sorghum is rich in starch and protein while also containing tannins. When brewed into baijiu, it produces a more aromatic and flavorful liquor. Therefore, due to its qualities enhancing the aroma and taste of baijiu, sorghum became the main grain used in alcohol production.