Bai jiu literally means ‘white alcohol and that’s exactly what it is, the Chinese version of vodka. To me it tastes slightly sweeter and so it can go down easier. It tends to have a higher alcohol volume than vodka so once you stand up you will feel it! Bai jiu has a really strong flavour too, so if your drinking it it may be a good idea to have something to chase it down to ease the flavour.
Bai jiu comes out at all special occasions, unfortunately for me when I visit China it is a special occasion for my friends in and dinner can end up leading to a headache the following morning.
Business in China is done in restaurants not the boardroom and bai jiu plays an important role. Bai jiu breaks barriers and creates bonds and relationships with one another and relationships are key to business in China. So to get business done, you need to be able to hold your drink, otherwise you may be too drunk to seal the deal!
干杯!
Bai jiu can also come in very pretty bottles. Here are a few I drunk earlier.
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