Monthly Archives: July 2012

‘A peculiar oriental odor’

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Derek

The love-hate (but mostly hate) relationship between baijiu and the outside world has been well documented. I’m doing my damnedest to win over a few new recruits to team baijiu, but I recognize that this is an uphill battle against … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical oddity, Q&A | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

All in the family

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Derek

This morning I sent my parents off to the airport after they had spent a month visiting China. Since the day they arrived I promised (read: threatened) to do a baijiu dinner with them. For their last meal, I made … Continue reading →

Posted in Tastings | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Making baijiu made simple

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Derek

Apologies for the absence last week, I was travelling sans VPN and the Chinese government hates wordpress almost as much as they love baijiu. It was not an entire loss, though, because during this moment of introspection it dawned on … Continue reading →

Posted in Baijiu basics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Q&A: Bao’an blues

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Derek

It’s Q&A time again. This question, from Roger in Shanghai, calls for a stiff drink with a splash of melodrama: Let’s say, theoretically, that I had RMB 117 and your average convenience stores nearby (Lawsons, Kedi, Family Mart, etc.). Let’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Q&A | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Blood in the baijiu

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Derek

I was recently asked if I thought China had reached peak ganbei: the point at which China’s baijiu binging reaches its natural climax and recedes into boring restraint. Based solely on my recent experiences traveling around the country, I had … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments