The Chinese started making vodka quite a long time ago. According to the chronicles, seven hundred years ago they cooked mash - baijiu - in huge cauldrons. A detailed description of the production of Chinese vodka has been preserved to this day.
The vat with mash was placed in a cauldron, which was closed with a lid. Condensation flowed down it into a special gutter. There was no talk of any cleaning.
The first Chinese vodka had a strength of about sixty degrees, and it contained a huge amount of toxins leading to poisoning of the body. Afterwards I had a headache and nausea. To somehow alleviate the condition, the drink was served heated.
In a specially made vodka vessel They poured vodka into a narrow neck and placed it on hot coals. Light impurities evaporated while the alcohol did not have time to evaporate.
The raw materials for the production of mash were millet, barley, rice and corn.
Baijiu has a specific and very unpleasant taste and smell. Some compare it to kerosene and even dichlorvos.
One type of baiji is Chinese Maotai vodka. The production of this drink is located in the city of the same name in Guangzhou Province. The company that produces Maotai is state-owned and brings considerable income to the country's budget. Its strength ranges from forty to sixty degrees. Chinese vodka is being prepared from sorghum, broken wheat and rice. It has a special smell, characteristic only of Maotai, and its color is yellow.
For China, this alcoholic drink is a national pride. Its sales abroad are breaking all records, and every international meeting with the Chinese delegation does not take place without Maotai.
Maotai's recipe
The recipe for making Chinese vodka is as follows:
- For preparation, early ripening rice of a special sticky breed and kaoliang are used.
- The powdered cereal is mixed with yeast.
- Broken rice and whole grains are placed in kettles to boil the wort.
- Braga is prepared at a high temperature, unlike other alcoholic drinks. This lasts about a month, after which distillation is done at least eight times.
- Old distilled Maotai is mixed with the young drink.
The resulting vodka has fifty-three degrees of strength. It is quite soft and absolutely safe from the point of view of intoxication. Maotai vodka is prepared for a long time and painstakingly. After eight purifications, it is aged for about three years in a dark place with a temperature of no more than ten degrees. This explains such a high price of the drink.
But Maotai, according to Chinese nutritionists, does not harm the gastric mucosa. The drink has a characteristic feature: at the very beginning it may not be intoxicating, but after a while intoxication comes sharply and suddenly.
This Chinese vodka is one of the most expensive alcoholic drinks in the world. Its price ranges from one hundred fifty to nine hundred US dollars.
The world first learned about Chinese vodka in nineteen eighty-six, when Maotai was awarded a prestigious prize in Paris. A year earlier, she received three gold medals during an international food conference. In total, Maotai has fourteen gold medals, received in different years since the eighties.
The uniqueness of this vodka lies in the fact that such a rare culture as kaoliang is used for its production. No less significant is the fact of using water from a mountain spring.
The cereal culture of Kaoliang is famous its beneficial properties:
Gaoliang is recommended for diabetics to lower blood sugar levels, as well as for pregnant women. It is also indispensable in the diet of older people as a source of easily digestible vegetable protein. The waxy coating of kaoliang grains contains a substance called polycaschanol, which fights the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels.
The beneficial qualities of this cereal were passed on to Maotai. Experts say that moderate consumption of the drink helps normalize the function of the brain and nervous system. Thanks to the active components in gaoliang, the immune system is strengthened and the risk of arthrosis is reduced.
The drink absolutely does not cause a hangover due to high-quality and reusable purification, as well as the content of antioxidants in its composition.
How to drink Maotai
Traditions are of great importance in the life of every Chinese. Drinking alcohol in China is more like an ancient ritual. How to drink Chinese vodka:
Surprisingly, the most popular toast in China is “Drink to the bottom.”
Vodka Ulyanye
It is produced in Sichuan province. Corn, rice and wheat are used as raw materials. There are several types of Ulyanye, varying in strength. They produce vodka with a strength of fifty-two degrees, thirty-nine and sixty-eight. Unlike Maotai, this vodka is absolutely transparent, with a pleasant aroma.
Wuliangye has entered the top ten best vodkas in China and is also actively exported to other countries.
Jiang Nan Chun
It is one of the favorite alcoholic drinks of the Chinese. Its strength is fifty-two degrees, but recently vodka with a strength of sixty has appeared. It has a rich aroma and good taste. It is not recommended to store Jiang for a long time, as over time it acquires the taste and smell of sourdough. Vodka is prepared from special glutinous varieties of sorghum, glutinous rice and corn.
Jiang making method is very ancient. The province of Sichuan began producing alcoholic beverages earlier than other places in China. Even during the reign of the Tang Dynasty, drinks from Sichuan were supplied to the palace and used exclusively by the court nobility.
This vodka earned recognition three hundred years ago . When was Mian Zhu Da Qu called. It was renamed only in nineteen fifty-eight.
Fenjiu
Gaoliang is used for its production. and clean spring water in the village of Xing Hua. Fenjiu vodka originates from Shanxi province, where it is still produced. During production, the Chinese tried to preserve ancient traditions only by slightly improving them. This alcoholic drink is also one of the ten most exported vodkas in China. Its strength is sixty degrees, and the taste and unique smell make the drink memorable among other products.
Sheun Jing
Translated as “double distillation.” This vodka is made exclusively from special varieties of rice with high gluten. The strength of the drink is thirty-five degrees.
San Hua
Translated: “three flowers.” It is made using ancient technology, since the history of this vodka goes back more than a thousand years. It got its name thanks to floral aroma. The strength of San Hua vodka is fifty-seven percent.
Luzhou
This drink is the pride of the Sichuan alcohol industry. It has a rather pungent smell of sour peaches. The strength is fifty degrees.
Vodka with additives
China also sells many medicinal drinks based on high-quality alcohol. They contain various medicinal herbs, flowers and berries. You can also find drinks containing scorpions, lizards or snakes that are quite shocking in their composition. Tourists often wonder how safe it is to drink such alcohol?
Given the fact that production of strange drinks have existed for centuries, the Chinese have learned to make them absolutely safe with any additives. The main thing is not to drink too much when consuming it, but to limit yourself to the recommended amount.
This weak drink contains only twenty degrees of alcohol. The Chinese call it wine, although the drink contains no fruit.
Yellow wine is prepared like any vodka . Rice is used in production with high gluten and millet. It is served heated in copper or bronze vessels. Yellow wine is often used for cooking in Chinese cuisine.
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China was one of the first countries in history to discover alcoholic beverages. A large number of clay wine vessels were found during excavations at the Dawenkou culture site in Shandong province. The finds are more than 5000 years old. Historical records also record the presence of winemaking in China more than 4 thousand years ago.
The first Chinese wines were made mainly from grains such as rice and millet. As a result of improved winemaking techniques, the so-called yellow wine appeared during the Warring States period (475-221 centuries BC).
In 1970, in the town of Pingshan, Hebei Province, during excavations of ancient tombs of this period, a large number of vessels for storing and drinking wine were found. Two of them contain remains of an ancient alcoholic drink made from wheat. He was about 2280 years old. This may be the oldest alcohol on the planet.
| Famous liquors in China |
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Chinese alcoholic drinks were subjected to strict evaluation by experts within the country three times: in 1953, 1963 and 1979.
As a result of the All-China competition of alcoholic beverages, the following were included in the honorary list of “first wines”:
Vodka Maotai, Fenjiu, Wuliang'e, Jianchunjiu of Sichuan province, Gujing liqueur, Yanghe Daqiu vodka from Jiangsu province, Dongjiu, Luzhou Teqiu, Shaoxing wine Jiafan, Long'yang Chengangjiu, Qingdao beer, Yantai Red wine, Chinese "Red wine" from Beijing, white wine "Great Wall" from Shacheng, Hebei Province, white wine Minquan, Yantai vermouth, Yantai brandy "Golden Stars" and Zhueqing from Shanxi Province.
MAOTAI
Maotai vodka has always been the most famous in China. It is named after the town of Maotai in Guizhou Province, where it is produced.
This alcoholic drink has become almost mandatory at official government banquets in Beijing and presentations abroad. It is the "national drink" and "diplomatic drink" of China. Now in China it has appeared on open sale and is usually used on special occasions and in everyday life: on holidays, during weddings, etc. However, due to the fact that demand significantly exceeds supply, the price of Maotai remains consistently very high.
Maotai is made with high quality gaoliang - a variety of Chinese sorghum - as the main ingredient. The starter is made from wheat, and the water is taken from local sources. The process of making the drink itself is also unique. It goes through eight stages of distillation, alternating with fermentation, each lasting at least a month. At each new stage, additional leaven is added. The entire process takes more than eight months. After this, the vodka is aged for at least three years and only after that it is released for sale.
Maotai turns out crystal clear. Although it is quite strong - it does not burn the mucous membranes and throat, does not hit the head and does not upset the stomach. Since ancient times, Maotai has been a favorite drink of poets and people of other creative professions. It is believed that many of China's geniuses drew their strength from Maotai.
The most famous brands of Chinese vodka (baijiu) based on materials from consumer sites
WuliangyeProv. Sichuanwww.wiliangye.com.cn
MaotaiProv. Guizhouwww.china-maotai.com
Guojiao1573 国窖Prov. Sichuanwww.lzlj.com.cn
Jian nan chun 剑南春Prov. Sichuan www.jnc.com.cn
Shui jing fangProv. Sichuan http://www.swellfun.com/
Fen jiu 汾酒 Zhu ye Qing jiu 竹叶青酒Prov. Shanxi http://www.fenjiu.com.cn/
Tuopai 沱牌 prov. Sichuanhttp://www.chinatuopai.com/
Jiuguijiu 酒鬼酒 Prov. Hunan www.china000799.com
Gujing 古井 prov. Anhuiwww.gujing.com
Yanghe 洋河 view Jiangsuwww.chinayanghe.com
YELLOW WINE
Yellow wine is a specific Chinese product. It was known 4000 years ago. It is made from glutinous rice or millet using a special technology. Alcohol content is 15-20 percent. It is called "yellow" because of its amber hue when exposed to light.
Traditionally, yellow wine is served warm. It is heated in metal (usually copper or bronze) kettles or jugs, half immersed in hot or boiling water. It is believed that warm wine stimulates the appetite and has a beneficial effect on the entire human body.
The best yellow wine is made in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province. It is also known as Shaoxing laojiu, which literally means “Shaoxing old wine.” The secrets of making this wine go back centuries and are passed down from generation to generation. In some areas of China, it is customary to buy several jugs of good Shaoxing wine for the birth of a child and store it until the wedding of this child, when it is solemnly presented to the guests. Wine not only does not deteriorate over time, but also acquires a brighter taste, color and smell.
Yellow wine is also an essential ingredient in Chinese cuisine. A couple of spoons of it improves the taste of cooked fish or meat. Sometimes meat is soaked in some types of yellow wine for later cooking.
To all this it is worth adding that Chinese vodka has a specific taste and smell for a white man raised on whiskey, cognac, vodka, and other European alcoholic drinks. In some cases, despite this specificity, some types of vodka actually do not produce a clearly defined hangover syndrome. But some have quite a noticeable effect on the liver.
Shaoxing wine for a Russian person resembles cheap mumbo jumbo from his youth - like Agdam or Port wine for 1.7 rubles. But it’s worth considering that firstly: long-aged wines (over five years) are more pleasant to the taste; and secondly - due to the degrees it gives a quick hop effect, and in most cases - a “happy hop”. Although this may be individual. In addition, Shaoxin has a pronounced diuretic effect and in large quantities it also puts a lot of pressure on the liver, exhausted by Narzan. In conclusion, it is worth noting that real Shaoxing wine can only be bought in Shaoxing. Everything else is surrogate crafts. And the highest quality wine can only be bought by the glass from large clay jugs.
GRAPE WINE
For a long time, the Chinese practically did not know what grape wine was. Although the art of winemaking was quite developed, grape wines were not a popular drink in China. The situation began to change after the revolution, especially after the start of reforms. Western-style red and white grape wines not only began to become fashionable, but China itself began to gradually become involved in the competitive process of winemaking throughout the world. With the help of French and other world-famous wine companies, first joint ventures and then completely Chinese wine companies began to be created in Shandong province and in the Tianjin region, in areas with unique climatic conditions favorable for growing elite grape varieties. And although significant successes have been achieved in this field, the culture of drinking grape wines in China is quite difficult to take root. The power of habits, traditions and tastes among the Chinese is very strong. However, the last three to four years have seen a massive “offensive” by leading wine companies from Europe, Australia and the USA. Wine boutiques are being created in big cities. There are already entire networks of specialized wine stores that sell both imported wine and alcohol, and those made in China. Among the wealthy segments of the population, expensive and refined grape wine is becoming fashionable and prestigious. And not least of all, this is the merit of Hong Kong popular films and show business in general. Meanwhile, Chinese winemakers are not wasting time and promoting their products to foreign markets. So far without much success. But they are not lacking in perseverance, perseverance and patience.
The announced ranking of “Top Ten Most Expensive Luxury Brands in the World 2012” includes the famous Chinese vodka brands Maotai and Wuliangye. The Maotai brand, worth $12 billion, took fourth place in the ranking, which exceeds the value of the Mercedes and Chanel trademarks. Among alcoholic drinks, the price of Maotai is higher than Hennessy, Moet & Chandon champagne and Remy Martin.
I know the wisdom that wine brings,
It opens the soul into vastness.
Li Bo "Drinking Alone Under the Moon"
Among today's traditional Chinese types of vodka, Maotai is one of the most famous and ancient, with a historical reputation. In ancient times, artists and poets drew creative strength from maotai.
The absence of fusel spirit and a whole bouquet of aromas is also not so rare - this can be said about “Ulyangye”, “Gotai”, “Ergotou”. But I have never experienced such an aftertaste after drinking any other baijiu - “white wine”, as the Chinese call vodka. It happens that even a day later, from the depths of the stomach, the aroma of yesterday’s feast can suddenly be heard...
Is it surprising that I immediately jumped at the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Chinese outback - the province of Guizhou, where the drink of the same name is brewed in the ancient town of Maotai? The secret of vodka lies in the special temperature regime, humid climate and soil. That is why the production of special vodka is possible only in a single place. Also, it is not possible to mechanize the production process without spoiling the traditional taste of Maotai.
In China, provinces often boast of some differences: “21 oddities” in Yunnan, “3 absences” in Guizhou... Lack of sun - in five days I really never saw the sun behind the clouds, fogs and rain clouds. The absence of a plain is perhaps an exaggeration, but the landscape is indeed dominated by mountains, which local residents divide depending on their shape into maiden breasts and dumplings. Lack of money - Guizhou remains a deprived outskirts region from century to century, and is now the poorest in terms of GDP per capita. Timber, tobacco, coal, shale gas and the energy of mountain rivers are all its small wealth. No, not all. There is also a centuries-old tradition of producing baijiu. The purest rivers, mountains covered with virgin forests of acacias, thujas and ficus trees, red-brown soil that filters abundant rainfall, high-quality gaoliang - these components provide local residents with success in the production of various types of vodka, among which the most famous is “Maotai”.
Maotai Vodka is made from sorghum, which is a type of kaoliang. Vodka is slightly yellowish in color, thick in consistency, its taste is refined, subtle and pleasant. Its production includes six stages: malt production, vodka production, storage, mixture production, testing and packaging. The entire production cycle lasts 1 year. On the traditional Duanwu (beginning of summer) holiday, wheat is harvested as a starter, and on the traditional Chongyang (Double Nine Festival) grain is added.
In the process of producing vodka, it is boiled 9 times, fermented 8 times, distilled 7 times, then it is specially stored for some time, and then a mixture is made, after 5 years the vodka can be packaged for sale. The process of making Maotai vodka is unique and has its own characteristics, such as adding grain for fermentation twice, fermenting in a solid state, making starter at high temperatures, as well as adding grain and distilling at high temperatures.
Among today's traditional Chinese vodkas, Maotai is one of the most famous and ancient, having a historical reputation, as described in the Maotai Museum. The exhibition goes far beyond the thousand-year continuous history of Maotai vodka. Among the cultural monuments excavated in the area where Maotai vodka is produced are many wine accessories dating back to the eras of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. This suggests that in those periods there was already wine in this area. More than 2 thousand years ago, during the reign of the Han Emperor Wudi, vodka was produced in the Maotai area, which was historically called Guojiang vodka.
Essentially, we are talking about the place of the “intoxicating potion” in Chinese civilization: history, literature, calligraphy, military affairs, diplomacy... It turns out that back in the 2nd century BC. The great Emperor Wudi of the Western Han dynasty heard from his ambassador about the delightful properties of the wine that was distilled by the inhabitants of the Yelan state, which existed in the lands of present-day Guizhou and neighboring provinces, and sent messengers there. The Chinese then drank weak wine Shuijiu (“water”), while the mountaineers from the Miao and Yao tribes already sublimated their “white wine” to about 40 degrees. The strong drink was enjoyed not only by warriors, but also by philosophers and writers, helping to quickly achieve “enlightenment.” Without a bottle of gourd filled with wine, it is impossible to imagine the image of Lao Tzu, the founder of the great teaching of Taoism. The giants of Chinese classical poetry Su Dongpo, Bo Juyi, Li Bo became famous not only for their poems, but also for their addiction to the “intoxicating potion”. Apparently, under its influence, Li Bo even left this mortal coil, jumping from a boat into the river to catch the reflection of the Moon...
The wars and revolutions of the last century were not without the “white wine”. In the 30s, the remnants of the Chinese Red Army, under attacks from Kuomintang troops, retreated into the Guizhou hinterland and ended up in Maotai. Local residents treated the wounds of the fighters with vodka compresses and raised the spirit of the red army with selected “Maotai”. Immediately after the victory of the Communists and the proclamation of the People's Republic of China in October 1949, the question of a solemn banquet arose. In post-war Beijing, there were no stocks of various drinks and “Maotai” was put on banquet tables. Soon, in 1951, it was officially proclaimed “state vodka”. The decision was lobbied by Premier Zhou Enlai, a great connoisseur of this drink. Since then, Maotai has been served at official receptions in Beijing and Chinese embassies around the world. Chinese officials in Guiyang drink 1,200 bottles of Maotai vodka a year.
Statues of Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek with glasses in their hands remind of the agreement concluded in 1936 by the Communist Party and the Kuomintang to jointly fight against the Japanese aggressors. The photo of Zhou Enlai and Richard Nixon clinking glasses reflected another fateful moment - the normalization of Sino-American relations in 1972.
However, Chinese Maotai vodka is an extremely treacherous drink. An inexperienced maotai, even an experienced drinker, needs to calculate his strength in advance, based on the strength of the vodka and the size of the glass. Tactics based on sensitive listening to the body's reactions usually do not work at first acquaintance. Severe intoxication occurs sharply and immediately.
During the Chinese feast, everyone drinks to the health of everyone present in turn, accompanying the drinking instead of the usual “be healthy” for Russians with shouts of “drink to the bottom”, “gan bey!”. Refusing to drink to someone's health means being tactless. As a last resort, it is permissible to turn the empty glass upside down. An inverted glass means that its owner has already reached the “needed condition” and cannot continue the marathon along with everyone else.
The text uses materials from orientalist Yuri Tavrovsky
Maotai is a Chinese vodka made from rice malt, crushed grain and rice. It has a characteristic odor and yellowish color. In China, maotai is the most famous alcoholic drink. It received its name in honor of the village of Maotai in Guizhui Province, where its production was established.
Recipe
Chinese vodka made from Shanlan rice is famous all over the world. Initially, the recipe for its preparation was the property of the Li people. Maotai is prepared from sticky early Shanlan rice, which is specially grown in the vicinity of the village. The rice is ground into powder and then yeast is added. The fermentation of the drink occurs at high temperatures, which distinguishes this type of alcohol from other types of vodka produced at low or average thermometer readings.
Crushed and whole grains are mixed in the required proportion and added in two steps to cauldrons filled with a mixture of rice and yeast. The product is fermented for a month, then distilled. The procedure is repeated eight times, after which the resulting drink is placed in the basement and aged for three years. After this, the ripened young maotai is mixed with older drinks waiting their turn in the storerooms. This is done to minimize differences in taste between different batches of vodka. If maotai is prepared according to all the rules, then the result is 53-proof Chinese vodka with an extraordinary taste, pleasant aroma and exquisite softness.
National treasure
Not a single serious event in China is complete without this alcoholic drink. It has become an almost mandatory element at official government meetings in Beijing and at presentations in other countries. Until recently, Chinese rice vodka was considered an elite drink, inaccessible to mere mortals. However, now it has appeared on the market and is often used, especially on special occasions: weddings, holidays, banquets. Despite the fact that the price of this alcoholic drink is consistently high, maotai is in high demand.
Currently, Chinese bread vodka has begun to appear on the tables of ordinary residents of the Middle Kingdom, whose wealth allows them to sometimes enjoy this wonderful drink.
Uniqueness
The main component in the production of vodka is high-quality gaoliang, a type of sorghum. Gaoliang is distinguished by its resistance to cold and early ripening. The ferment used to make Chinese vodka is made from wheat, and the water is drawn from the purest local sources. The process of preparing an alcoholic drink also has no analogues in the world. Eightfold distillation followed by fermentation, each of which lasts about a month, makes the process of producing vodka very painstaking and time-consuming. At each subsequent stage of production, a new starter is added to the drink.
It takes at least eight months to produce each batch of vodka. Maotai is sold after three years of aging. It turns out unusually clean. Despite its exceptional strength, the drink does not hit the head, does not burn the mucous membranes and does not upset the stomach.
Story
Since time immemorial, Chinese vodka, the name of which coincides with the name of the village in which it is produced, has been the favorite drink of creative people in China. There is an opinion that many outstanding minds of the Celestial Empire drew inspiration from this alcoholic drink. The village of Maotai enjoyed the attention of many great people of various dynasties, songs and legends were composed about it.
Maotai has a history of more than 2000 years. It is believed that the prototype of the famous vodka - jujiang - began to be produced back in 135 AD. In 1704, the name "maotai" appeared. At the beginning of the 20th century, towards the end of the Qing Dynasty, the productivity of factories producing this unique drink was approximately 170 tons per year. By merging the three largest distilleries in China in 1951, the state-owned Maotai concern emerged. This event marked the beginning of the modern history of the production of Chinese rice vodka.
The birthplace of vodka
The village of Maotai has a reputation as a unique place with a favorable climate and very high quality water. It is called the birthplace of vodka. Of the seven thousand residents of this urban village, half are employed in the production of the famous alcoholic drink. Other localities also tried to make maotai. However, it turned out that the secret of its unique quality lies in a special combination of temperature, humid climate and fertile soil, which is found only in the vicinity of the village of Maotai. Excessive mechanization of the production of this type of alcohol will lead to the fact that Chinese rice vodka will lose its traditional unique taste.
There is a legend according to which such a strong alcoholic drink was not invented in China by accident. The fact is that local hardworking rice farmers worked in very harsh conditions: in any weather, regardless of dirt and dampness, they went out into the fields. In order to warm up and come to their senses, peasants in different parts of the country used sizzling. In the north of China, they made “hypocrite” from gaoliang. And in Maotai they invented a world famous product.
Drink of Chinese diplomats
Maotai is a Chinese vodka that is one of the three most famous alcoholic drinks in the world. It was used by the statesmen of the Celestial Empire - Zhou Enlai, Mao Zedong. At special events, state leaders are treated to this alcoholic drink. The Chinese leadership has always highly valued maotai as a national treasure and a tool with the help of which important political problems were resolved. Chinese vodka is included in the list of gifts that diplomats give to leaders of other countries. In addition, Maotai is actively exported abroad and has the highest foreign exchange export rate compared with other Chinese alcoholic beverages.
Awards and prizes
In 1915, this unique product was presented by three of the largest manufacturers to visitors to the Pacific International Exhibition and Fair in Panama. According to legend, during the event several bottles of alcohol were unexpectedly broken. The aroma that spread around captivated the people present, as a result of which Maotai was awarded the highest prize.
International Food Exhibition in Paris in 1985 and 1986. brought this unique product two gold medals. After that, the whole world learned the name of Chinese vodka. In total, the alcoholic drink Maotai has won fourteen gold medals at various international exhibitions.
Maotai in Russia
Back in 2010, Maotai vodka producers entered the Russian market. The traditional elite alcoholic drink, familiar to residents of the Middle Kingdom, evokes mixed impressions among Russian consumers. On the one hand, strong Chinese vodka - 56 degrees - does not cause a hangover and is of good quality. On the other hand, it has a very high price, a specific aroma and taste, which not all Russians can appreciate.
In addition, despite all its sophistication, maotai has exceptional strength. According to reviews from some customers, severe intoxication from it occurs instantly, so you need to use it carefully, sensitively listening to the body’s reactions.
It is known that the shares of the manufacturer “Guizhou Maotai” (“Guizhou Maotai”) increased significantly in price after the PRC Central Television showed a story in which Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014, on January 17, during a press conference in Sochi twice spoke positively about the famous Chinese vodka.
Snake drink
China produces a lot of alcoholic drinks, sometimes quite exotic. One of them is Chinese vodka with snake. Manufacturers claim that it is not just an alcoholic drink, but a healing tincture that improves the health and well-being of any person. Usually this vodka consists of plants, medicinal herbs and... snakes. It is credited with medicinal properties. It is believed that it improves potency, increases vitality, helps treat arthrosis and arthritis, strengthens the immune system, stabilizes brain activity - the list is endless. Whether this is true or not is difficult to say. According to some consumers, this alcoholic drink stands out only for its unusual appearance. It tastes not much different from traditional Russian vodka.
Conclusion
According to one poet of the Celestial Empire, three hundred glasses of wine can save him from a thousand years of sadness. If this person tasted maotai, a few cups would be enough for him. It is no coincidence that this alcoholic drink is considered the king of all Chinese vodkas. It is impossible to say how well it corresponds to the tastes of Russian consumers. Chinese rice vodka, made according to a traditional recipe in compliance with all necessary conditions, is a great gift for any occasion. It will be interesting for every connoisseur of elite alcoholic beverages to try it.
People have been drinking alcohol in China for more than two thousand years, and alcoholic drinks are not very much inferior in popularity to green tea. Chinese alcohol has significant differences from the alcohol produced in Europe or America. Chinese alcohol is based on cereals such as rice, corn, millet, wheat and a number of others. Some drinks use berries, fruits and even flowers.
For a long time, Chinese Maotai vodka has been and remains popular. It received this name in honor of the city of the same name, where it is produced. This drink is also called diplomatic, as it is served when receiving delegations from different countries. Previously, it was very difficult to find this drink on open sale, and even now demand significantly exceeds supply, and therefore the price of this vodka not only does not decrease, but on the contrary regularly increases. This vodka is prepared from a grain such as gaoliang, which is one of the varieties of sorghum. Water is taken from local sources. The uniqueness of the drink is that during preparation it goes through seven stages of distillation. There are many more nuances in preparation, but the preparation process itself lasts about eight months, after which the vodka does not go on sale, but is aged for another three years and only then is it sold. The vodka turns out to be quite strong and crystal clear. It is precisely because of such a complex technological process that the price of this vodka is always high and the product is always in short supply. If we talk about the specific price, then you will have to pay at least $50 for a bottle of vodka, but it is worth the money.
Only China produces such an alcoholic drink as yellow wine. This drink has been made in China for more than 4 thousand years. It is based on millet, glutinous rice and special manufacturing technology. In this wine, the alcohol percentage is in the range of 15-20%. The drink has a yellow tint, hence the name. The peculiarity of serving this wine is that it is served heated in bronze or copper vessels. In China, they believe that warm wine has a beneficial effect on the human body and increases appetite. In some Chinese areas, it is a tradition to buy a certain amount of wine after the birth of a child and store it until the wedding. This tradition is evidence of how respectful the Chinese are to this drink. Over time, the wine does not deteriorate, but rather becomes more aromatic. This wine is widely used in Chinese cuisine, especially in preparing fish and meat dishes.
Beer is very popular among the local population. In China it is very mild in taste and light in color (dark beer is not held in high esteem here). The most common brand of Chinese beer is Snow beer, which costs no more than 30 rubles per bottle. Beer in China has a low strength, so it is consumed in large quantities. There are also types of beer such as black and green. Well, the best beer is the one that is brewed and immediately served to customers - some Chinese restaurants provide this service.
You can also pay attention to Chinese medicinal tinctures based on alcohol. Alcohol is taken as the basis, and then various herbs, berries, flowers are added, as well as ingredients that are also unusual for us such as snakes, lizards, scorpions, both as a whole and as individual components. Many people immediately wonder how safe these tinctures are for health. But there is no need to worry, since the Chinese have been using these recipes for centuries. The main thing is not to abuse these tinctures and take them no more than 50-100 grams per day. Ask the seller, and he will tell you in detail about each tincture and what diseases it will help cope with.
In China, along with natural alcohol, its cheaper analogues are sold, but I do not recommend buying them, since they are often low-quality drinks that can undermine your health. It is better to drink and bring some high-quality alcohol with you.
