🥃 Kweichow Moutai

Kweichow Moutai is the best-known brand of baijiu, a Chinese grain spirit. It is made in Moutai town near Renhuai, in Guizhou province, on the Chishui River. The style is called sauce aroma. The flagship Feitian is 53% ABV, and the company is controlled by a provincial state body.

History. Distilling in Moutai has been documented since at least the early 18th century. In 1915 the spirit was shown at an exhibition in San Francisco, where it won an award. In 1951 three local distilleries merged into a state enterprise. A joint-stock company emerged in the late 1990s and listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2001. According to Morningstar, Moutai Group holds control of about 49% of the shares.

How it is made. The raw material is local red sorghum, called 'sand' because of the colour of the crushed grain, and the qu starter is made from wheat. The production is described by the code '12987': one annual cycle, two additions of grain, nine steamings, eight fermentations and seven distillation cuts. Before bottling, according to Spirits Selection, the spirit is aged in cellars for more than three years.

Protection of the name. Under the EU-China agreement on geographical indications, in force since 1 March 2021, the name Moutai Jiu is protected on the EU market. The name Moutai is tied to the place, not only to a single company.

Why this matters to you. Baijiu is not vodka: it is fermented in solid state with qu starter, so the aroma is quite different. 53% ABV is a very high strength, and it is drunk in small glasses. Read the full name: Feitian, Wuxing and other versions differ. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.