The global spirit

Few modern statements of geocultural appropriation are as declarative as combining Chinese baijiu with British cocktail habits and craft beer. But in this quirky venture of innovative liquefaction, the traditional brewing and distilling cultures of East and West have been synergised to evoke a potentially legendary new drink.

One of baijiu's great strengths (quite literally) is its familiarity to all Chinese people; the Neolithic Age liquor is thought to be around 27,000 years old and is considered the planet's strongest spirit. Among the drink's weaknesses is the prevailing lack of awareness towards it in the West. Enter a group of overseas brewers and distillers to form Baijiu Society, composed of visionary alchemists creating a series of world-class Chinese baijiu concoctions. The group is led by Craig Butler, who fell in love with the ancient spirit on a trip to China 25 years ago and was determined to find ways to keep the enigmatic character of the nation's most storied spirit alive for generations to come – not just in China, but for a new global audience and via an inventory of creative drinks.

Here in Hong Kong, Baijiu Society's newly launching portfolio of exotic baijiu pours in six infusions of beautiful complexity with velvety-smooth finishes. The creations retain enigmatic features from the spirit's Eastern history while incorporating bold elements for darker, smoother and easier-drinking iterations.

Unexpectedly, there are also two premium baijiu-infused beers. Earlier this year, Baijiu Society earned a double-gold medal at the Asia Beer Challenge 2020 for its Baijiu Beer Premium, which balances baijiu's sweet vanilla tones with a light, crisp beer and velvety carbonation, while Baijiu Beer Original's pear drops, citrus and bittersweetness also caught the judges' eyes and palates.

And while COVID-19 may have put a dampener on so much of 2020, Baijiu Society notes an uptick in the numbers of people playing mixologist during their home-staycations. To wit, the group has created three signature cocktails – Baijiu & Tonic, Baijiu & Soda and Tropical Baijiu – to mix as part of its #BaijiuCocktailChallenge at home. All three concoctions use one of the craft baijiu spirits, which feature splashes of yuzu, star anise, clove, cherry, peach, orange lychee and even cinnamon.

Join the Baijiu Society and toast the spirit of the future. Ganbei!