'Little Er' a time-honored Beijing spirit

For those of you who think Beijingers' obsession with Erguotou liquor is an urban legend, consider this: Each of Beijing's nearly 20 million residents bought 40 small bottles of the grain-distilled liquor on average last year, the most of any spirit in the capital, according to the latest production records.

And makers of the mild, clear and tasty spirit don't even spend much on advertising the 300-year-old beverage, which has used the same distillation techniques since the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1367).

The first bottle of Erguotou is believed to have been brewed by the Zhao family, who were good at producing affordable liquors and pickles at Qianmen in central Beijing.