Baijiu, a handy guide for beginners seeking adventure

My fellow foreigner friends in China typically fall into two categories when it comes to baijiu, or white spirit. The large majority think all baijiu tastes the same - bad - and associate it with high-paced ganbei (bottoms up) sessions followed by highly painful hangovers. The minority know the different styles and appreciate that, as with wine, beer and whiskey, the world of baijiu is diverse.

Given baijiu is the planet's most popular spirit, with more than 10 billion bottles sold per year, and that Chinese New Year is nigh, most of us will be facing this beverage in the coming weeks. Here are a few suggestions for those who loathe the stuff and wonder if there is some way to develop a taste for it.

The best way to underscore baijiu's diversity is comparative tasting. A dozen shots of Red Star are unlikely to prove enlightening. But trying different baijiu varieties side by side reveals contrasts, just as it does with single malts or gins. A good place to start is with the three major categories.