? Wine or liquor means “jiu” in Chinese. Actually the word “wine” gets rather loosely translated. Jiu is used to mean all types of beverages, from beer (pijiu) to liquor of all sorts, including the grape wine. Many Chinese “wines” are in fact spirits. Tibetans have an interesting brew called qingkejiu , made from barley.
? Wine has been intimately intertwined in almost every aspect of Chinese culture since earliest times. Wine has traditionally been an important part of special celebrations and festivals. Besides, wine is important in cooking, and it is a part of the meal.
?Legend tells that Du Kang who lived in the Xia Dynasty invented wine. Today his name is still used to indicate alcohol. There is archaeological evidence of wine production in the agricultural communities along the Yellow River 7,000 years ago. As early as in the Shang Dynasty, the use of grain to make wine has become widespread. Inscriptions on bones and tortoise shells as well as bronze inscriptions preserve the records of wine drinking and the worshipping of ancestors with wine in the Shang .
?For the most part, grains were used to ferment wine throughout China in ancient times. Ancient governments decided whether to lift their ban on wine making, or how heavy a wine tas to levy based on whether or not the grain harvest was bountiful. In ancient times emperors and kings often held banquets with wine. Every sort of wine vessel also served as an important kind of sacrificial object. Over the ages, wine gradually became directly linked to daily life.
? Traditionally, Chinese people drink wine only when eating. It is believed that wine should be consumed slowly to enhance its pleasure. When drinking, Chinese play games. The goal of the games is not to get drunk, but to have fun. One of the popular games is finger guessing. Wine aims to heighten the drinking atmosphere. Chinese people do not typically frequent western-style bars. Public drunkenness causes displeased looks from other people.
?? It is not polite at formal dinner to drink wine or liquor by oneself. If you want to drink, you may offer a toast to anyone at the table and then enjoy yourself. In the same way, if you happen to be the guest of honor at a meal, or the “object” of numerous toasts, it is perfectly acceptable to raise your glass to your lips and lick the wine lightly. Ganbei is a popular toast term in China, which means “empty your glass” or “bottom Up”. As a rule, toasts are necessary at banquets. If you really can’t drink, you can fill your wine glass with tea instead. Usually Chinese woman don’t drink (except beer) in public.
? In China, a host serves three or four different types of beverages during a formal meal. A large glass holds the orange soda pop or beer, or a pleasant mixture of the sodas; the tiny glasses are for wine.
? Beer, though not a native product, has been brewed in China since the 19th century. The best known is Tsingtao beer, made with a mineral water. At present, local beer breweries are found in all the major cities. It has become popular, and particularly in summer it is in great demand in many places.
? For centuries, China has been producing a wide range of strong clear liquors. The principle ingredient is kaoliang, a grain belonging to the sorghum family. China was the first country to distill liquor with sorghum. Sorghum and corn have a very similar composition, but sorghum makes better liquor. Famous sorghum liquors include Maotai in Guizhou, Fenjiu in Shanxi, and other well-known liquors in Sichuan. The most famous liquor is Maotai. It is used for toasting at banquets. Drinkers are advised to take Maotai in small sips, and not to drink it on an empty stomach..
? At present the traditional winemaking techniques and drinking habits continue, and imported wines also gained acceptance. When dining with friends and relatives, there is now a wide range from which to choose. This has not only enriched the pleasure of drinking, but also it has made the wine-drinking culture of Chinese people more colorful.
?Drinks in Sichuan
?Local people started to make and drink wine as early as in the Shang Dynasty according to a recent display on the ancient wine containers and utensils unearthed at Sanxingdui Ruins in Guanghan country, Sichuan Province.
? In the Han Dynasty, Sichuan agricultural techniques reached a rather high standard, and grain yield in Chengdu also increased. The whole society appeared prosperous, and the winemaking industry developed.
? In the Western Han Dynasty, Sima Xiangru, a well-known scholar and Zhuo Wenjun managed a pubic wine house as means of livelihood in Chengdu, Sichuan. Sima Xiangru sold wine; Zhuo Wenjun cleaned utensils and cups.
? In 1977 and 1978, a large amount of ancient brick and stones dating back to the Eastern Han Dynasty were unearthed in the suburbs of Chengdu. On the surface of each stone of brick were figures of animals or house, which portrayed the ancient local people’s daily life. Some relief stones display how the people brewed wine, managed public wine houses, or drank wine. However, most of the present well-know liquors didn’t come into being until the Tang or Song dynasties. At that time the local liquors were taken as gifts to the imperial court.
? Wine drinking is a custom enjoyed by people all over the world. But the culture in wine drinking differs. Ancient Chinese men of letters, after tasting a wine, might write all sorts of wine poems or monographs. I’d like to list some scholars who has those experiences.
?Li Bai was one of the greatest poets in Chinese literature. He moved with his family to Sichuan when he was five. He enjoyed drinking wine in Sichuan, and some of his poems described his happiness before after his wine drinking. His poems on wine drinking have immortalized him.

?For the Moment, Dinking Wine
Drink your fill in high delight,
And leave your golden wine-cup empty facing the moonlight.
Heaven born, my talents will find a place.
A thousand gold coins spent, more will come again.
So roast the goats, kill the cattle and let us merry be,
And down three hundred cupfuls
In a single breath and high glee.
Inquiring of the Moon, Wine cup in hand
My only wish is that when wine and song are near.
Moonlight will forever linger on this goblet fair.

?Du Fu was a well-known poet of the Tang Dynasty. He frequently used his poetry to expose social injustice and the voices of suffering people. He came to Chengdu in 759. Here he lived in peace, and composed over two hundred poems. These poems expressed his appreciation of the local landscape and good relationships among neighbors. Some of the poems were closely associated with wine drinking. For an example:

?A Friend visits
So far from market, the food is plain.
A needy household can drink is this home brewed wine.
If you like, I’ll call across the fence to my old neighbor
To toast the last cups!

Su shi was also known as Su dongpo. He was born into a family with a long tradition of government service in Meishan county, Sichuan . He was the leading poet of the northern Song Dynasty. The following is some lines from his ci-poems, which display that he enjoyed drinking like Li Bai.

How fair the lakes and hills of Southern land, with plains extending as a golden strand!
How oft, wine-cup in hand , have you been here
To make us linger drunk though we appear?
Written for Chen Xiang at the Scenic Hall
(Tune: “The Beautiful Lady Yu”)

Bright moon, when will you appear?
I ask the sky, holding my wine-cup in hand high
(Tune: “Prelude to the Melody of Water”)

?There are also some legends, which show the power of wine in Sichuan. One story says that a long time ago a kind of pestilence occurred in Luzhou areas. Zhuge Liang happened to station his troops there. He asked his soldiers to collect a hundred medicinal herbs. The he made a drug with these herbs, and ordered his soldiers and local people to take the drug with these herbs, and ordered his soldiers and local people to take the drug together with a special liquor wine. The mixed medicine and liquor effectively prevented the pestilence.
Another story says that Zhang Xianzhong, one of the top farmer’s rebellion leaders in the Ming Dynasty, occupied Luzhou city with his soldiers. One evening he was patrolling the city when the smell of liquor greeted him. He approached the spot, and saw a big liquor container, which was leaking. Zhang drank a cup of the liquor from the container. Unexpectedly he felt relaced and happy. With his tongue and teeth full of a sweet scent, he then composed the poem below:
The scent overwhelms the Luzhou city,
And continues flowing ten miles around.
Xianzhong drank one cup only,
And his face radiates with smiles
In Sichuan there are four special local products. They are liquors, wines, tea and traditional herbal medicine. At the present time the wine production is the main part of the local food industry. Distilleries in Sichuan produce varieties of liquors, which are sold in China and aboard. Government departments concerned with the liquor industry often hold commodity fairs at the national level. During the fairs, experts in the liquor fields judge the quality and value of hundreds of liquor exhibits. Then they nominate the best quality liquors. Traditionally there are ten liquors across China, which are commonly recognized as the top quality liquors. Five of them are from Sichuan. They are Wuliang Ye , Luzhou Laojiao Tequ, Jianan Chun, Quanxing Dachu and Gulin Langjiu.
Jiannan Chun Liquor
Jiannanchun Liquor is produced in Mianzhu country, Sichuan province. This country has a 2,000-year history of wine making. In the Tang Dynasty, a wine named Juannan Zhi Shaochun? was produced in this area. Jiannan refers to the geographical location. Shao means “burning.” Chun is a refined sounding name for spring. The liquor became famous in the Song Dynasty with the names of Mijiu and Edan. During the Qing Dynasty it was called Mianzhu Daqu. In 1958, it was formally named as Jiannan Chun. In 1979, it joined the list of China’s Ten Top Liquors.
The liquor is made from grains and the water from Wangfei Spring. The grains include sorghum, rice, glutinous rice, wheat and corn. The ready-made liquor looks translucent, has fragrance and tastes mellow. It offers a lasting and agreeable aftertaste.
Wuliangye Liquor
? Wuliang Ye Liquor is produced in the Yibin area of Sichuan Province. Wuliang means five different food grains. Its original name was the Food Grains Liquor. As early as in the Ming Dynasty, the Food Grains Liquor became famous in Suchuan. The main grains consisted of good-quality rice, glutinous rice, sorghum, wheat and corn. The liquor was made based on the secret recipe preserved by Wen Defeng, a well-known distillery. In 1915, the Food Grains Liquor won a gold medal when Zhang Wanhe Distillery exhibited the liquor won a gold medal when Zhang Wanhe Distillery exhibited the liquor at the Panama International Exposition. In 1952, the local government established a state-owned Wuliang Ye Distillery with better facilities. Later the distillery evolved into Wuliang Ye Group Co., Ltd.
In 1988, the distillery received the quality certificate for its products from the national government and the Quality Control Prize from the National Ministry of Commerce. In 1991, it won the title of One of the Ten Top Brands in China. In 1994, the distillery passed the BVOI International Quality Attestation by the International Quality Inspection Bureau of France. In 1995, the 50th worldwide Statistics Conference recognized the distillery as the King of Liquor Distillery in China.
Wuliang Ye Liquor is a kind of translucent liquor, which has heavy fragrance. It tastes mellow, sweet and refreshing. The main products of the distillery include 3 types, 18 varieties and 42 specifications of the liquor. They include Wuliangye, Wuliang Chun, Wuliang Chun and fruit wines. The produces are on sale across China and are exported to more than 130 countries and regions.
Luzhou Laojiao Tequ Liquor
Luzhou Laojiao Tequ Liquor is produced in Luzhou area in Sichuan Province. The most prestigious product is Tequ Liquor, followed by Touqu Liquor and Erqu Liquor. They are made with a kind of ferment called daqu. They are made with a kind of ferment called daqu wine makers in the distillery set up a 1-to-20 point standard related to the liquor’s storage in cellars, taste and rate. During the liquor production the liquor is categorized as Tequ Liquor if its quality is beyond the 16th point. The same case is true if Touqu Liquor’s quality is within 10-to-16 point; Erqu Liquor’s quality is below 10th point.
Tequ Liquor is a handicraft product with a several hundred-year-old tradition. The liquor distillery started as in the Ming Dynasty, and now it has lasted over 400 years. The oldest earth cellar is years old. At the end of the Qing Dynasty there were more than three hundred households involved in the production. Between 1950-1955, two local state-run liquor distilleries were set up in Luzhou: Luzhou ‘s Liquor Distillery and Luzhou City Distillery.
Traditionally, solid-state yeast fermentation and the special Longquan water are used. The water tastes slightly sweet and is a bit acidic. The liquor in distillery is usually stored in cellars for many years before being blended into Luzhou Laojiao.
Quanxing Daqu Liquor
??Quanxing Daqu Liquor literally means prosperity in an all-around way. It is produced in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. During the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, Fushengquan Distillery produced the liquor with the water from the Xue Tao well. In 1951, Chengdu Distillery was set up on the same spot of the ancient Quanxing Distillery. In 1963, the liquor was put on the list of the top ten famous liquors in China. In 1984, the liquor won a gold medal again conferred by the Chinese authoritative department concerned. Since then , the liquor has won a numbers of prizes at international food expositions or at national wine appraisal meetings.
The liquor is made from sorghum and wheat. It has a heavy fragrance, and it tastes mellow and sweet. Soon after tasting, drinkers feel utterly refreshed.
In 1989, Quanxing Distillery displayed a series of the liquor at the Fifth National Wine Appraisal Meeting. Its alcoholic contents respectively include 38,52 and 60 proofs. All of its series of the liquor expectedly won gold medals. At present the liquor sells not only in China, but also in other counties and regions.
Gulin Langjiu Liquor
Gulin Langjiu Liquor is produced in Gulin country, Sichuan province. Gulin Langjiu is unique Sichuan liquor, which enjoys a similar heavy fragrance and taste as Maotai Liquor. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, a local distillery in the Erlang town, Gulin country, produced a liquor named the Huisha Langjiu Liquor, which gained a commendable name both in Sichuan and Guizhou at the that time. Erlang Town is 70 km away from the village, which is the birthplace of Maotai Liquor, and s river called Chishui River flows between the two places. Due to the location near Maotai Liquor Distillery, Guolin Langjiu has similar brewing techniques an used at Maotai. The raw materials are top quality sorghum and wheat.
In 1984, the liquor won a gold medal and was put on the list of the top ten Chinese liquors during the Annual National Wine Appraisal Meeting. The distillery has developed its series of products to satisfy the different needs for different consumers. Its alcoholic contents respectively include 53%, 43%, 39%, 28%, and 25%. The other products are Heavy Fragrance-typed Gulin Tequ Liquor, Gulin Touqu Liquor and Gulin Daqu Liquor.