In China drinking baijiu plays an important role in building relationships (particularly among men). The rituals involved with drinking baijiu help Chinese men build and maintain guanxi. In Chinese, 关系 – Guānxì means ‘relationships’.
We sat around a dinner table on a wrap-around balcony overlooking Shenzhen Bay. The shade from grape vines and flowers growing around the pergola shielded us from the brutal summer sun.
A delicious spread of steak, shrimp, and salad was displayed across the table. In the middle sat a few bottles of red wine, and near the corner rested a mini-keg of German beer.
My friend, who had lived in China for many years, told me before dinner what I should expect. “Look mate,” he said with his Kiwi accent. “Sometime during the middle of dinner, out host will bring out a bottle of some real nice baijiu.”
“What’s baijiu?” I asked, still ignorant to most of Chinese culture.
“It’s like Chinese vodka. Real strong stuff. Now mate, every time he pours us a shot, you need to stand up, say a few kind words, and cheers him.”
It all seemed easy enough to me. Stand up, say something nice, cheers, take a shot. My college education provided me with plenty experience with the last part of the drill.
So just as my friend predicted, sometime during the middle of dinner, after warming-up with red wine and beer, our host retreated to his kitchen. A few moments later he emerged with a knowing grin and a bottle of Luzhou Laojiao. He poured the shots and passed the glasses to my friend and me.
Our hospitable host, brandishing a potent bottle of Luzhou Laojia.
Image: Jeff Johnson
As instructed, I rose from my chair and thanked him for the wonderful dinner at his beautiful home. We then said ganbei clinked our glasses, and downed the shots.
We did this a few times, with my friend and I rotating the responsibility of praising the host. We went through the typical compliments: delicious food, lovely family, beautiful home, bla bla bla. And we stood up and said ganbei again, and again, and again.
Then things get blurry.
I’ll never know how much baijiu we drank that night. I vaguely remember our host disappearing to his room and never returning, while my friend and I finished off the drinks. Sometime after that, things went black.
The next morning I woke up staring at the rotating blades of my ceiling fan. The morning shadows danced across my bedroom. I looked to the ground to find my bedroom door laying on the floor. How that happened remains a mystery to this day.
In that moment, as an impish grin spread across my face, only one thing was certain to me.
I enjoyed my first time drinking baijiu.
What is Baijiu?
Baijiu is everything your mother warned you against. It’s a strong clear liquor distilled from Sorghum. The name itself (白酒- Báijiǔ) simply means ‘clear liquor’.
The alcoholic content of baijiu generally falls around 52% ABV, with some strains exceeding 60% ABV, making it stronger than most vodka sold on the market.
Most baijiu comes in a ceramic jars or glass bottles. Baijiu drinkers traditionally consume the beverage in small shot glasses.
The newly-established People’s Republic of China christened Baijiu as the national drink during the 1950’s, solidifying the liquor’s place in China’s cultural heritage.
Despite baijiu’s cultural significance in China, many Westerners consider baijiu’s strong flavors to be
abhorrently repugnant.
Image: MandMX
Baijiu and Relationships
In China drinking baijiu plays an important role in building relationships (particularly among men). The rituals involved with drinking baijiu help Chinese men build and maintain guanxi. In Chinese, 关系 – Guānxì means ‘relationships’.
Business relationships especially demand the building of guanxi, which is why you will often see Chinese businessmen clinking baijiu-filled glasses at any higher-end hot pot joint. These ‘business meetings’ revolve around building personal relationships. By getting each other intoxicated, they can evaluate each other’s character. If they can trust each other under the influence of baijiu, they know they can trust each other when making sober decisions.
Drinking baijiu also plays a significant role among male family members and friends. Chinese men will often drink baijiu with their relatives during Spring Festival. When invited to someone’s house for dinner, bringing a bottle of quality baijiu wins you valuable social points.
There is even a Chinese saying: 不喝酒不是真朋友 – Bù hējiǔ bùshì zhēn péngyǒu.
Translation: If you don’t drink together, then you are not real friends.
Richard Nixon and Zhou Enlai becoming true friends.
Image: Nixon Library
Be a Connoisseur: Styles of Baijiu
Most Westerners tend to label all baijiu as being the same pungent spirit. However, there are actually four styles of baijiu. These types of baijiu vary from one another just as much as different types of whiskies.
1. Strong Aroma (nóng xiāng – 浓香): This most popular style of baijiu generally comes from Sichuan Province. The flavor, as the name suggests, tends to be stronger and fierier than other styles. Nongxiang are made with at least two types of grain. Luzhou Laojiao is one of the most famous brands of this baijiu variety.
2. Light Aroma (qīng xiāng, 清香): This style comes from Northern China, especially the Beijing area. Qingxiang are sorghum-based and generally have a lighter aroma. Red Star brand dominates the market of light aroma baijiu.
3. Sauce Aroma (jiàng xiāng, 酱香): This style emits a strong, complex aroma. Many people say it smells like soy sauce. The leading brand of sauce aroma baijiu is undoubtedly Kweichow Moutai. This state-sponsored brand earns more profit than Johnnie Walker!
4. Rice Aroma (mǐ xiāng, 米香): This style generally comes from Southern China. Made from rice, it offers a sweeter and more mellow flavor than other styles of baijiu. Most baijiu drinkers consider Lao Guilin the best rice aroma brand on the market.
Chinese men building camaraderie, one shot at a time.
Image: CNN
Final Tips
There are some intricacies to Chinese drinking etiquette. Let’s check out some important points:
1. Stand up and cheers everyone. You will look much more polite, especially if you’re in a large group. If one-on-one, it’s more acceptable to cheers sitting down.
2. Say something. Thank your hosts, thank your friends. Then say ganbei. This simply means ‘dry glass’ in Chinese.
3. Make sure your glass is lower. When clinking glasses, you should always keep your glass lower than the other person’s. This shows good manners and humility. Sometimes this will result in a battle to the floor, as each party tries to flatter the other.
4. Drink it all. Baijiu is no sippin’ whisky. Down that sucker whole, and show your friends the empty glass.
5. Don’t drink alone. Unlike in the West, where it’s perfect acceptable to drink at your own pace, Chinese people prefer to drink as a group. Wait until the toast is given, and drink with everyone else.
6. Don’t be late. Arriving tardy to a party will result in you taking three shots. This is called 自罚三杯 – Zì fá sān bēi. This translates to ‘three cup punishment’.
Ganbei pengyoumen!
Image: The Daily Dot
It’s all pretty simple folks!
Next time you’re invited to the home of Chinese friends, bring some baijiu. If they’re women, then red wine may be a better option.
Be sure to enjoy yourself, show that you are thankful for hospitality, and maintain face by handling your drinks!