Quake destroys liquor reserves

Xiao Lou felt drunk when the earthquake jolted Sichuan province on May 12, not only because the world was wobbling but also because the air reeked of liquor.

Then the keeper of Jiannanchun's biggest liquor deposit saw the liquid flowing from its storage space, washing over his feet like an incoming tide. At some point, he was knee-deep in tipple.

The deposit was the biggest of Jiannanchun, the third-largest brand of baijiu (white liquor) - China's staple spirit - after Moutai and Wuliangye.