The Invention of Alcohol

China is one of the first countries to have invented alcohol as a drink. A large number of pottery wine vessels were discovered in Shandong at the ruins of the Dawenkou culture which dates back 5,000 years. Recorded history tells about wine-making techniques of more than 4,000 years ago.

The earliest wines were made from food grains, mainly various kinds’ office, broomcorn and millet. As a result of improvements in brewing skills, the yellow wine made its appearance probably in the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.).

From an ancient tomb of the Warring States in Pingshan County of Hebei Province, large numbers of wine-storing and drinking vessels were excavated in the 1970s. Two of them contain an alcoholic drink made from wheat 2,280 years ago. It is probably the oldest liquor ever brought to light in the world.

2. Well-known Drinks in China

Chinese wines and liquors were assessed by a national panel of wine-tasting experts on three occassions, in 1953, 1963 and 1979. The 1979 honour roll lists eighteen drinks, namely: Maotai, Fenjiu, Wuliangye, Jianchunjiu of Sichuan, Gujing Tribute Liquor, Yanghe Daqu of Jiangsu, Dongjiu, Luzhou Tequ, Shaoxing Jiafan, Longyan Chengangjiu, Tsingtao Beer, Yantai Red Wine, China Red Wine of Beijing, Great Wall White Wine of Shacheng, Hebei, Minquan White Wine, Yantai Vermouth, Yantai Gold Stars Brandy, and Zhuyeqing of Shanxi.

Maotai has always been at the top of any listing of China's famous drinks. It is named after the small town of Maotai in Guizhou Province where it is produced.

Being almost indispensable at state banquets held in Beijing or official receptions given by Chinese envoys abroad, Maotai used to be the "national drink" or "diplomatic drink" of the country. It is the most valued drink when friends and relatives gather on holidays or other festive occasions. But owing to the big gap between supply and demand, its price has gone up greatly in recent years.

Maotai is made from a high-quality gaoliang (Chinese sorghum) as its main material. The distiller's yeast is prepared from wheat, and the water, which is important to its taste, is from local springs. Unique, too, is its process of manufacture, which consists of eight times of distillation after as many periods of fermentation, each lasting more than a month following the addition of yeast. So the whole process takes more than eight months. It is then stored away for ageing for three years before it is allowed to appear on the market.

Maotai looks crystal clear. Though a potent drink, it is never burning to the mouth or throat, nor does it go to the head or upset the stomach. Since ancient times it has been a favourite drink with poets and other people of artistic penchant. They believe that when setting their writing or painting brushes to paper, they find inspiration from a cup of Maotai more than anything else.

The yellow wine is a specialty of China, known to the ancient people as early as 4,000 years ago. Made of glutinous rice or broomcorn millet by a special process, it has an alcohol content of 15-20%. It is called "yellow wine" because it is amber in colour.

Traditionally, yellow wine is to be drunk warm. It is heated in a metal (usually, brass or pewter) wine pot, half immersed in a bowl of hot water before it is served. It is believed that warm wine is appetizing and good for the stomach and builds up general health.

The best yellow wine is made in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, and is generally known as Shaoxing laojiu after the name of the place. A local custom handed down from ages is to make or buy a few jars of yellow wine at the birth of a baby and store them away sealed with mud in the family cellar till the child's wedding when it will be served to the guest. Matured in the jars during some twenty years, the wine is particularly satisfying because it is unsurpassed in colour, smell and taste.

The yellow wine is also an important condiment in Chinese cooking. A spoon or two of yellow wine in the preparation of a dish will enhance the taste of meat and fish, adding a subtlety to its deliciousness.

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