300 shots and still standing

Ganbei! Salud! Cheers! However you drink, chances are China's infamous white liquor will leave you flat on your back after a few shots. Sun Ye chats to an unlikely baijiu aficionado and author, who discovered the more you drink, the better it gets.

If you think of baijiu, the typical Chinese spirit, as burning your throat, fouling your nostrils and offending your taste buds, read on, for your impression is a grave injustice to the country's national drink that should soon be dispelled.

At least, that is according to Derek Sandhaus from the United States, whose newly published book Baijiu: The Essential Guide to Chinese Spirits by Penguin China is written to turn baijiu critics into fans.