World acquires a taste for Chinese spirit

On Baijiu Day, innovative bars all over the world do something creative with baijiu so it becomes better known internationally. The informal theme is "beyond ganbei (bottoms up)" and participating venues in more than 20 cities have embraced it by offering everything from cocktails, infusions and liqueurs to baijiu-inspired pizzas, beer and ice cream, as well as flights and food pairings.

As different categories of baijiu present different challenges, bartenders are required to think carefully about what flavors work well and what characteristics they want to draw out or hide.

One of those challenges: the strong aroma of baijiu, which is an acquired taste.

"I like using these with things like pomelo, strong teas, pear or smoky flavors," said Mathew, who recently took part in a baijiu seminar panel at the world's biggest International cocktail festival in New Orleans.

Eder de Oliveira Fonseca Neto, head of bar at Hakkasan Group, has been creating baijiu cocktails since 2015. His bar sells around 15 to 20 baijiu cocktails a day, priced at 12.50 pounds ($16) each.

"Baijiu cocktails tend to be fruity and earthy, whilst the majority of traditional cocktails would be one or the other," he said.

Neto said the distinctive character of baijiu adds a complexity to drinks when mixed well. "Bartenders are constantly searching for new products to take their drinks to the next level and baijiu certainly does the job," he said.

The growing popularity of baijiu cocktails is not limited to London. New York venues now regularly serving baijiu cocktails include the Mission Chinese Food, Red Farm, the Peninsula Hotel and the Park Hyatt Hotel.

Sam Anderson, beverage director at Mission Chinese Food at 171 East Broadway, said the key to making a good baijiu cocktail is to mix it with equally strong flavors.

"If you do a baijiu cocktail with St. Germain," Anderson said, referring to a liqueur flavored with elderflowers, "the St. Germain will get blown out of the water!"

Baijiu's growth abroad is in line with the increasing appreciation and understanding of China globally, Mathew said.

"Bartenders are becoming more educated and adventurous," he said. "They are increasingly looking to Asia for flavors and ingredients. We had bartenders from all over the world at a cocktail festival asking about mixing baijiu, production techniques and which brands to buy for the cocktails."

Some non-Chinese are wary about baijiu after being encouraged to drink it by friends or co-workers in China, where persuading people to drink is more a gesture of generosity and being a good host.

"Many (foreigners) find baijiu off-putting," said Bill Isler, co-founder of Beijing's Capital Spirits, the world's first baijiu-themed bar. "But it's not about the liquor itself."

In China, baijiu drinking is a hugely important part of the ritual of dining and cementing relationships. Sharing a bottle around the meal table is as much symbolic as it is for the consumption of alcohol.