Celebrate World Baijiu Day in Beijing on Saturday, Aug 8

Jim Boyce | Aug 7, 2015 9:00 am | Add a comment | 1904 reads

I've been writing about baijiu for the Beijinger magazine the past five months as a warm-up for World Baijiu Day on August 8. That warm-up included some fieldwork on Wednesday as a group of aficionados, reporters, and random customers taste-tested five baijius, including brands from New Zealand and The United States, at Pop-Up Beijing in Sanlitun South. In turn, Pop-Up will host a tasting on Saturday, August 8, from 5-8pm, featuring these same baijius and possibly a few more:

  • Taizi, a baijiu made in New Zealand by a Christchurch-based company, wowed most of the tasters. This one is full-flavored and tongue-tingling, with a licorice edge at the finish.
  • ByeJoe, produced in China and filtered and packaged in the United States, came closest to neutrality and is well-suited for cocktails. If Ketel One and Luzhou Laojiao had a baby, it might turn out like this slightly peppery spirit.
  • Yimuquan, made in nearby Baoding in Hebei Province, is a touch sweet, fairly smooth and flavorful, and easy to sip at 38 percent alcohol.
  • Harmony, produced by a family-owned operation in Wuhu in Anhui province, is a punchy spirit, with a long, long finish and anise and umami characteristics.
  • Wu Ling, a sauce aroma baijiu positioned as a competitor to Moutai, has that distinct maotai smell, a blend of savory and sweet elements, and a fairly clean body.

Samples of these baijius will be available at Pop-Up Beijing 5-8pm on Saturday, while supplies last. There will also be a tasting of sojus to coincide with an exhibition of North Korean art. Jing-A Taproom, Windy City Ballroom, Capital Spirits, and The Schoolhouse at Mutianyu will also hold World Baijiu Day events this Saturday. Full details at worldbaijiuday.com.

Photo: Jim Boyce