Wherever you travel in China you will probably be told that the local Baijiu is the best. However Erguotou Red Star is unequivocally one of the country’s most popular. It’s also the brand that tourists are most likely to come across because it hails from Beijing.
During the Chinese Revolution of 1949 many of the old distilleries were destroyed or went out of business. Twelve former Baijiu distilleries came together to form the Hóngx?ng (which means ‘Red Star’ in Mandarin) distillery making it the first to be created in the People’s Republic of China. In fact this was the first business licence granted by the People’s Republic demonstrating just how important Baijiu is in China. As you can imagine Erguotou Red Star therefore has a deep cultural association in the capital and across the nation.
Erguotou Red Star Baijiu is made from sorghum in the ‘light’ aroma style (find an explanation of this below). Light herbal notes are joined by crunchy green fruit pineapple sorbet and spice in this much-loved Baijiu. To put in perspective just how popular it is the brand sell so much that their bottling line can rattle out 30 000 bottles of Red Star per hour. So this is the perfect way to drink like a local. Although Red Star can be sipped neat because of its potent strength we recommend that the uninitiated start by mixing it into cocktails.
Baijiu has been China’s national drink for more than five millennia and is the most-consumed hard liquor on the planet (18 billion litres are made each year). Although the West has been slow on the uptake that’s all about to change. Sales of this fascinating spirit are exploding around the world. And it’s worth noting that Baijiu is as important a part of Chinese heritage as silk tea ceramics martial arts and calligraphy all of which have become very popular on these shores.
The name translates as ‘clear spirit’ and Baijiu can be distilled from sorghum wheat rice sticky rice or corn. What makes it unique is two-fold. Firstly it’s an ingredient called ‘Qu’ – bricks of damp grains left in a warm place until they grow yeasts fungi and microorganisms – that is used to kickstart the fermentation a little like koji for Japanese Sake. This gives Baijiu a distinctive aromatic funk which reminds us a little of high-ester Jamaican rum. Secondly it’s the fact that Baijiu – unlike any other spirit we’re aware of – is created by distilling the solids not the liquid. Baijiu is then matured in ceramic jars; something that’s becoming increasingly fashionable in the world of wine also. These breathable containers allow micro-oxygenation of the spirit and remove impurities all without adding flavour.
Again like fine wine production methods vary and there are strong regional variations. So the Chinese generally classify Baijiu by its distinctive smell. The primary categories are ‘rice’ a sweet and floral style from the south; ‘light’ a delicate style from the north made with sorghum; ‘strong’ the most popular style crafted using at least two grains and mud pits for fermentation; and ‘savoury’ or ‘sauce’ an expensive and umami style thought to resemble soy sauce. Following a similar trajectory to other strong artisanal spirits like Mezcal Baijiu is traditionally sipped neat but it has recently captured the attention of cocktail aficionados and the world’s finest bartenders. Baijiu now looks set to cement its status as the greatest spirit on the planet by increasing its global reach.
SKU No.: 3518044
Style No.: 901998
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 56%
Volume: 500ml
Wherever you travel in China you will probably be told that the local Baijiu is the best. However Erguotou Red Star is unequivocally one of the country’s most popular. It’s also the brand that tourists are most likely to come across because it hails from Beijing.
During the Chinese Revolution of 1949 many of the old distilleries were destroyed or went out of business. Twelve former Baijiu distilleries came together to form the Hóngx?ng (which means ‘Red Star’ in Mandarin) distillery making it the first to be created in the People’s Republic of China. In fact this was the first business licence granted by the People’s Republic demonstrating just how important Baijiu is in China. As you can imagine Erguotou Red Star therefore has a deep cultural association in the capital and across the nation.
Erguotou Red Star Baijiu is made from sorghum in the ‘light’ aroma style (find an explanation of this below). Light herbal notes are joined by crunchy green fruit pineapple sorbet and spice in this much-loved Baijiu. To put in perspective just how popular it is the brand sell so much that their bottling line can rattle out 30 000 bottles of Red Star per hour. So this is the perfect way to drink like a local. Although Red Star can be sipped neat because of its potent strength we recommend that the uninitiated start by mixing it into cocktails.
Baijiu has been China’s national drink for more than five millennia and is the most-consumed hard liquor on the planet (18 billion litres are made each year). Although the West has been slow on the uptake that’s all about to change. Sales of this fascinating spirit are exploding around the world. And it’s worth noting that Baijiu is as important a part of Chinese heritage as silk tea ceramics martial arts and calligraphy all of which have become very popular on these shores.
The name translates as ‘clear spirit’ and Baijiu can be distilled from sorghum wheat rice sticky rice or corn. What makes it unique is two-fold. Firstly it’s an ingredient called ‘Qu’ – bricks of damp grains left in a warm place until they grow yeasts fungi and microorganisms – that is used to kickstart the fermentation a little like koji for Japanese Sake. This gives Baijiu a distinctive aromatic funk which reminds us a little of high-ester Jamaican rum. Secondly it’s the fact that Baijiu – unlike any other spirit we’re aware of – is created by distilling the solids not the liquid. Baijiu is then matured in ceramic jars; something that’s becoming increasingly fashionable in the world of wine also. These breathable containers allow micro-oxygenation of the spirit and remove impurities all without adding flavour.
Again like fine wine production methods vary and there are strong regional variations. So the Chinese generally classify Baijiu by its distinctive smell. The primary categories are ‘rice’ a sweet and floral style from the south; ‘light’ a delicate style from the north made with sorghum; ‘strong’ the most popular style crafted using at least two grains and mud pits for fermentation; and ‘savoury’ or ‘sauce’ an expensive and umami style thought to resemble soy sauce. Following a similar trajectory to other strong artisanal spirits like Mezcal Baijiu is traditionally sipped neat but it has recently captured the attention of cocktail aficionados and the world’s finest bartenders. Baijiu now looks set to cement its status as the greatest spirit on the planet by increasing its global reach.
SKU No.: 3518044
Style No.: 901998