Jiu (酒 pinyin jiu3) is the Chinese word that refers to all alcoholic beverages. Many Chinese wines are made from grains and herbs and distilled to high concentration. Chinese wines from southern China are mostly made of rice, those from northern China are mostly made of wheat and sorghum. Most are colorless clear liquid unless other herbs are added to give a different color.
Name of some famous Chinese liquors, wines:
- Fen jiu (汾酒) - this wine was dated back to Northern and Southern Dynasties (550 A.D.). It is the original Chinese white wine made from sorghum. Alcohol content by volume: 63-65%.
- Zhu Ye Qing jiu (竹葉青酒) - this wine is Fen jiu brewed with a dozen or more of selected Chinese herbal medicine. One of the ingredients is bamboo leaves which gives the wine a greenish color and its name. Alcohol content by volumne: 46%.
- Mao Tai jiu (茅台酒) - this wine has a production history of over 200 years. It is named after its origin at Mao Tai town in Guizhou Province. It is make from wheat and sorghum with a unique distilling process that involves seven iterations of the brewing cycle. This wine is made famous to the western world when the Chinese government served this in state banquets entertaining the US presidents. Alcohol content by volume: 54-55%.
- Gao Liang jiu (高粱酒) - Goa Liang is the Chinese name for sorghum. Besides sorghum, the brewing process also use barley, wheat etc. The wine was originated from DaZhiGu (大直沽, east of Tianjin) since the Ming Dynasty. Nowadays, Taiwan is a large producer of gao liang jiu. Alcohol content by volume: 61-63%.
- Mei Gui Lu jiu (玫瑰露酒 rose essence wine) - a variety of gao liang jiu with distill from a special species of rose and crystal sugar. Alcohol content by volume: 54-55%.
- Wu Jia Pi jiu (五加皮酒) - a variety of gao liang jiu with a unique selection of Chinese herbal medicine added to the brew. Alcohol content by volume: 54-55%.
- Da Gu jiu (大麴酒) - Originate from Sichuan with 300 year of history. This wine is made of sorghum and wheat by fermenting in a unique process for a long period in the cellar. Alcohol content by volume: 52%.
- Yuk Bing Shiu jiu (玉冰燒酒) - a rice wine with over 100 year history. It is made of steamed rice. It is stored a long period after distillation. Alcohol content by volumne: 30%.
- Sheung Jing (雙蒸酒 double distill) and San Jing (三蒸酒 triple distill) Jiu - two varieties of rice wine by distilling twice and three times respectively. Alcohol content by volume: 32% and 38-39% respectively.
- San Hua (三花酒 three flowers) jiu - a rice wine made in Guilin with allegedly over a thousand year history. It is famous for the fragrant herbal addition and the use of spring water from Mount Elephant in the region. Alcohol content by volumne: 55-57%.
- Fujian Glutinous Rice wine (福建糯米酒) - made by adding a long list of expensive Chinese herbal medicine to glutinous rice and a low alcohol rice wine distill. The unique brewing technique use another wine as raw material, not starting with water. The wine has an orange red color. Alcohol content by volume: 18%.
- Hua Diao jiu (花雕酒) - a variety of yellow wine originates from Shaoxing, Zhejiang (浙江省紹興市). It is made of glutinous rice and wheat. Alcohol content by volume: 16%.
