What Is Baijiu? China's National Spirit, Explained
1:49 · October 12, 2026 · Spirits
Baijiu is the most consumed spirit in the world and one of the least understood on American back bars. In under two minutes, learn how solid fermentation with a qu starter shapes its flavor, the four aroma styles to know, and how to serve it.
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In this video
- 0:00 The world's most consumed spirit
- 0:10 What baijiu is
- 0:23 Solid fermentation and qu
- 0:50 The four aroma styles
- 1:13 How to serve it
- 1:19 The US market
- 1:32 The free Baijiu Basics course
Transcript
It's the most consumed spirit in the world, and you'll barely find it on an American back bar. It's called baijiu.
Baijiu is a clear grain spirit from China, most often made from red sorghum. It's bottled strong, from the high thirties up to 53 percent alcohol and beyond.
What makes it different is the fermentation. Most spirits ferment a liquid. Baijiu ferments cooked grain as a solid, using a starter called qu that's packed with wild yeast, molds and bacteria. Then steam pulls the spirit out of the grain. That's where the flavors come from: pineapple, soy sauce, white flowers, jasmine. Nothing is added.
China sorts baijiu by aroma, and four styles cover most of what you'll see. Sauce aroma is savory, like soy sauce and dried mushroom. Strong aroma is tropical fruit, and it's the workhorse for cocktails. Light aroma is crisp and floral. Rice aroma is soft and gentle, an easy first pour.
Serve it at room temperature in a small glass, and sip slowly. Or put it in a sour or a mule.
The US market was 657 million dollars in 2024 and is forecast to pass a billion by 2033, so the questions are coming. Be ready for them.
Baijiu Basics is a free course on Learn Brands: six short modules with flashcards, knowledge checks and a completion badge. The full guide is on this page, and the course is one click away.