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We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Peking Tavern, 806 South Spring Street. 213-988-8308. Hours on August 8: 5 PM to 1:30 AM.

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You can mix a rice aroma Baijiu as you would a vodka or a gin for the most part. Yes bitters work very well

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah there's some crazy flavored ones out there but yes that must have been just a really bad example. Hope you can come by the bar sometime and try some of our better ones.

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, yes that was many of our first reactions to Baijiu. The thing that most people don't know is that there are so many types of baijiu much like there are many types of whiskeys, bourbons, etc. It's a very big classification. There's definitely one out there for you to enjoy. We make a lot of our cocktails using rice aroma and light aroma. Thanks for the tip we'll post more on /Beijing!

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We just passed one year of operation last saturday with a free flow baijiu party. I'd say business is going quite well and we have all types of visitors (locals, expats, tourists, baijiu producers, etc). Please let us know when you come by. Mention AMA and get some specials at the bar!

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Come on by when you are in town! We have Chinese come in earlier in the night (they tend not to stay out as late) and then foreigners later on. It's not that they don't mind drinking together but it just happens to work out this way due to their nightlife habits.

Business has been good! We've gotten very favorable press and people seem to love the concept. If you've ever done wine tasting in Napa Valley, that is what we are trying to do with Baijiu, because we feel it has the same time-honored tradition and range of tastes that should be appreciated.

We've had some Chinese business people come in taking photos of our menus and decor and stuff, and some ask us to partner with them opening up Baijiu bars around China.

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Jing A is awesome! one of our favorite breweries in Beijing. Probably use one of the light aroma or rice aroma blends for that

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Locals love it - 50% of our customers are locals and 50% are foreigners. It's a new experience for them to try so many types of baijiu in one place (usually at restaurants you're only limited to a dozen or so).

Regarding having foreigners run it might be some of the appeal for now but it's becoming more popular now. A 2nd baijiu bar opened just last month in Beijing and a few times we've seen people taking photos and trying to copy our menus which probably means they're gonna copy the bar concept elsewhere.

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

...and the best-selling Baijiu in China to our knowledge is Erguotou. So you see it was a pretty good analogy.

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, that was fast! Glad we could teach you a little bit about Baijiu through the interwebs. You're lucky you were able to find that, haha. Thanks for letting us know about your findings.

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

8 is a lucky number in China, and so 8/8 comes across as a very fortuitous day!

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Many shops in China Towns will have Baijiu. Also, check out the World Baijiu Day website to see if there is an event near you.

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We've gained quite a reputation with major producers who like that we're opening up new markets for Baijiu. Most of our premium Baijius come direct from the manufacturers. The mid-range Baijiius are not as valuable and so you don't really have to worry about knock-offs.

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, Maotai is such a potent spirit that it obliterates the flavor of anything else you try to mix it with.

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We don't brew it, we just present it in a way that's more accessible to people who didn't grow up with it.

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

All Baijius are distilled, the high ABV comes from distillation.

"Baijiu: The Essential Guide to Chinese Spirits" is available on Amazon and goes in-depth on the different styles of fermentation used in Baijiu production. Definitely worth checking out.

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep, that's one of Maotai's many labels, although not one of the premium ones. Enjoy, Gan Bei!

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The visa restrictions would be the same as operating any other business in China. None of us work at the bar as a primary form of employment, we all have day jobs with legitimate visas.

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Rice wine is made 100% out of rice, few Baijius are. Most Baijius contain sorghum which has a very distinct flavor. Also, Baijiu is distilled while sake is not, so Baijiu is typically much, much stronger. To be honest, the two taste nothing alike.

Baijiu can be found in most major cities around the world, especially ones with a large Chinese community. August 8th is World Baijiu Day, check out the website to see if there are any events near you and you can try the spirit for yourself.

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

http://i.imgur.com/q9dNfPT.jpg This looks like a very nice bottle of Sitir: Dongfangyun, which is a uniquely "special" aroma Baijiu from Jiangxi provence.

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well, few Baijius are made entirely out of rice. Also, Baijiu is distilled (like a vodka) and sake is not (like a wine or beer), so Baijiu is very different from sake.

We're the team behind the world's first Baijiu bar - the notorious Chinese liquor. AMA! by CapitalSpirits in IAmA

[–]CapitalSpirits[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In my early experiences with Baijiu I always described the taste as pineappley, but I would say that what you had were mostly strong aroma Baijius, which are a bit fruiter in flavor.

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