Baijiu

Baijiu (Chinese: 白酒; pinyin: báijiǔ), also known as shaojiu or archaically as sorghum wine, is a Chinese alcoholic beverage made from grains. Báijiǔ literally translated means white alcohol or liquor, and is a strong distilled spirit, generally between 40 and 60% alcohol by volume (ABV).

Báijiǔ is a clear liquid usually distilled from fermented sorghum, although other grains may be used; southern China versions may employ glutinous rice, while northern Chinese varieties may use wheat, barley, millet, or even Job's tears instead of sorghum. The jiuqu starter culture used in the production of baijiu mash is usually made of pulverized wheat grains.

Because of its clarity, baijiu can appear similar to several other East Asian liquors, but it generally has a significantly higher alcohol content than, for example, Japanese shōchū (25%) or Korean soju (20–45%). It is closer to vodka in strength and mouth-feel.

History

Chinese liquor, which has been made for over 5000 years, is characterized by a double semisolid-state fermentation using fungi as the main microbial starter for the saccharification. This is a typical feature of liquors produced in the Far East. The brewing of Chinese baijiu mainly uses grain except for a few that use fruit.