Baijiu

Editor's note:

Shenzhen isn’t just about the hustle. Even though you might have to dig a little to find great nightlife in the city, when you do, you’re sure to strike gold. 

Boutique cocktail speakeasies are opening faster than you can muddle a mojito, the craft beer scene is growing, and the city boasts one of the hottest underground clubs in China.

China’s infamously potent firewater, báijiǔ (白酒) is a family of clear spirits distilled from grain or rice with an acquired taste that ranges from pineapple to soy sauce, liquorice, gasoline or old socks!

The toast of banquets and business dinners, baijiu is knocked back in thimble-sized glasses to the shout of “gānbēi!” (‘dry the glass!’). If you’re invited to a few rounds of baijiu drinking, pace yourself, and don’t be afraid to turn down a refill.

Unlike most spirits, which are distilled from a liquid, making baijiu involves a solid “mash” of grains and starter that is left to ferment in pits – sometimes for many months – absorbing layers of flavor-packed bacteria before being distilled and then aged in terracotta jars.

Baijiu ranges in price from a few yuan to thousands; Guizhou Province’s Moutai, the official baijiu of state banquets, became the world’s most valuable spirits brand in 2017. Young Chinese drinkers gravitate to cheaper, hipper brands like Chongqing’s Jiangxiaobai, which sponsors rock festivals, has cool branding, and is lower in alcohol percentage than the more old-school varieties.