Every place has its own liquor made from the resources and refined over time. In Jamaica, rum is made from sugar cane; in Russia, vodka is made from wheat or corn; and in Ireland, whiskey is made from barley. China also has their own liquor.

This liquor is known as baijiu or white spirit. The Western world has not been widely exposed to this type of alcohol or tasting it. Let me expose you to a new world. I will be focusing on the baijiu produced by the Langjiu Manor.

The estate, located in Erlang, Sichuan Province, produces a specific liquor called Langjiu which started in the Qing dynasty. The name is due to the special way the baijiu is produced and its ingredients, which causes Jianxiang or sauce aroma, and creates a unique soy sauce-flavoured liquor.

“Refined with Chishui River, Stored in Tianbao Peak, installed in pottery and hidden in Tianbao Cave”; that is how they describe their production process.

The distillery that makes the liquor is located on the left bank of the Chishui River and produces up to 72,000 raw liquors yearly. This baijiu is transported up the mountain to Tianbao Peak and placed outside in ceramic pottery jars to remove impurities. After 305 days, they are moved to the warehouse storage, where they stay for seven to 10 years.

After this, the liquor will finally be placed in the Tianbao Cave, which is located a little way down the mountain. This is where the aged baijiu will get the cave flavour, which is developed for an additional 10 to 50 years.

With this level of production, it will be a good baijiu; however, that is only half the picture. The ingredients for this liquor are also very important: the sorghum, wheat and the water from the Chishui River. The Chishui River is a tributary in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, which is one of the longest rivers in China.  

The Langjiu Manor takes care of the environment that runs through and surrounds it. The architecture incorporates those values in every section of their estate. They hope every Langjiu drinker practices taking care and have an appreciation of nature.

Baijiu is a unique liquor and is unlike anything you can get on the market. The liquor has a tangy but smooth flavour and goes without the burn you would get from other liquor. You will be able to find many kinds in China, so try it. Make sure also, try the unique Langjiu baijiu on your next trip to China.