Key Points
- Baijiu, China's national spirit, is a popular option for many during Lunar New Year.
- However, it is not well-known overseas due to its strong taste and punchy flavour.
- Melbourne's baijiu sellers are attracting new customers with creative spin-offs, including cocktails, coffee and gelato.
For many Chinese people, images of family gatherings and drinking baijiu automatically spring to mind when it comes to Lunar New Year.
Twenty-seven-year-old Ryu Wang is no exception.
He comes from Beijing, the capital of China, and has been living in Melbourne since 2015 to study.
He told SBS Chinese that baijiu, a national high-alcohol-content spirit in China, is not an unusual presence in his family, especially during Lunar New Year.
"Probably since I was three or four years old, they [older generations] would drink baijiu whenever we gathered for the Lunar New Year," he said.
"My dad has a glass of baijiu with every meal."
Growing up in the northern part of China, Ryu Wang said baijiu is a must for his family gatherings, particularly during Lunar New Year. Credit: Ryu Wang
A 'go-to drink' with hotpot but not in Australia
In China, the Lunar New Year is often seen as the peak season for baijiu, as drinking it is considered an important social activity, and the spirit is traditionally given as a gift during the festive period.
The spirit, first created centuries ago, is traditionally drunk straight as a shot and accompanied by peanuts or other side dishes.
Wang said his first sip of baijiu was not pleasant. "I didn't think it tasted as good as soft drinks," he said.
Now, baijiu has become my go-to drink when having lamb hotpot.Ryu Wang
Despite carrying the mantle as the world's most-consumed alcoholic spirit mainly due to its popularity in China, baijiu is yet to reach the same heights in Australia.
Its strong taste and punchy flavour can take some getting used to, including among some young Chinese people.
"They [my friends] think baijiu is horrible ... they prefer some sweeter drinks," Wang said.
China's baijiu is traditionally drunk straight as a shot and accompanied by side dishes such as peanuts. Source: SBS / Tianyuan Qu
Only 1.7 per cent of the total baijiu exports were from China to Australia in 2022.
A glimmer of hope for the baijiu industry
However, restauranteur, Jun (Tony) Yan, said he believed he had found a way to make the spirit "more palatable" to Australians after dozens of attempts.
He uses baijiu as a base mix with rum, Aperol, peach, lime and syrup to create a baijiu cocktail at his Asian-themed restaurant in Melbourne's CBD, named Ming.
Yan said the cocktail had been very well-received since being added to the drinks menu in late 2023.
"Non-Chinese people barely know baijiu, and they will never accept it if they drink it (straight)," he told SBS Chinese.
"But if you make a cocktail out of baijiu, they'll be willing to take a sip because they know what rum and Aperol are."
Restauranteur, Jun Yan, uses baijiu, a spirit from China, to make cocktails in his restaurants. Source: SBS / Nicole Gong
She said the idea of infusing cocktails with baijiu was "a natural thought".
We use spirits for cocktails .... since baijiu is also a spirit, I thought why not try it?Mohan Cao
Baijiu - which is colourless - typically has an alcohol content of between 30 per cent and 60 per cent.
Cao added that because of the "strong flavour" of baijiu itself, making baijiu cocktails with citrus fruits could neutralise its aroma.
"Baijiu has a pungency in it when you drink it, citrus fruits can neutralise it a bit, such as oranges and peaches," she said.
Mohan Cao said that the idea of making cocktails with baijiu was "a natural thought" for her. Source: SBS / Nicole Gong
Baijiu coffee and gelato
Likewise, other baijiu makers are developing alternative ways to attract new customers to the beverage.
In addition to cocktails, another brand in China launched a baijiu-infused latte in 2023 after its baijiu-flavoured ice cream proved popular.
According to , this alcohol-infused latte sold more than five million cups on its first day, setting a new sales record for the Chinese coffee chain.
This baijiu coffee trend then spread to Melbourne.
But instead of a baijiu latte, about 200 Melburnians (aged 18 and over) got the opportunity to try a free long black infused with the Chinese spirit at the grand opening of a baijiu store in the CBD.
An alcohol-infused latte sold more than five million cups on its first launch day in China in 2023. Credit: FLORENCE LO/REUTERS
"Consumers who are familiar with spirits may have heard of Irish coffee, a drink made from whiskey with coffee and cream, and we felt that using our liquor for coffee would appeal to younger (people) who don't usually drink baijiu," Fu said.
"Also, Melbourne is famous for its coffee so it's also more accessible to Western customers."
In addition to baijiu-infused coffee, they've also partnered with a local gelato maker to develop a mandarin-flavoured baijiu gelato.
Eason Fu says a baijiu-based long black and gelato have proven to be effective marketing strategies to attract new customers. Credit: Eason Fu
"Not everyone is willing to shell out that much money to buy a bottle of baijiu without even knowing about it," Fu said.
"I think it's a business practice that works to market it in a medium that young people are more familiar with."
Looking to the future
Both Cao and Yan said they believed there was a glimmer of hope that baijiu would gain greater popularity outside of China, including in Australia.
"I think there has been a great increase in the acceptance of baijiu in Australia," Cao said.
"You can see a wider range of baijiu at some Australian liquor stores, which previously only had a very small baijiu display area."
She added that promoting baijiu in the form of cocktails helped make it more accessible and catered to international tastes.
"I believe that the baijiu cocktail will attract some new young customers," she said.
"We wish that we could have soupy steam buns, aka xiaolongbao, and drink baijiu in Australia or all over the world in the future."
In Australia, you must be 18 or older to buy or drink alcohol. When drinking, enjoy in moderation.
