Get Blitzed on Baijiu History at Beijing's Maotai Museum
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And now a toast to China's most infamous alcohol (and its biggest proprietor), now the subject of recently-unveiled a museum in the capital. Yes, Maotai has opened a mecca for our favorite love-to-hate white spirit 白酒 báijiǔ just east of Tiananmen Square.
The front gate of the Maotai Wine Culture Museum
First, a little background on how the Maotai brand earned its revered status among the Chinese elite. Named after a small town in Guizhou province, Maotai began production of baijiu during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), making it the longest-running liquor distillery in China. That helped it secure the coveted title of China's "national drink" in 1951 and to this day it remains the country's most-renowned tipple, with prices for its various products ranging from "let's grab a bottle for lunch" to "it's so nice to finally meet you, Mr. Xi."
The specific conditions in which Maotai must be produced, as well as the limited run of some of its bottles, means that the product has become extremely sought-after by wine collectors around the world. Given Maotai's baijiu accrues value over time, it's often the case that new releases are snapped up and stockpiled by collectors as soon as they hit the market, which only adds to their rarity and price.
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An example of one of the earliest editions of Maotai
The liquor itself is distilled from a limited annual production of sorghum, which is put through a long and tedious process in order to squeeze a mere 0.1kg of liquid from 9kg of grain. This feat alone, however, was not enough to send Maotai to the top of China's list of comestible commodities.
Wider international fame for Maotai came when it was poured at tables during occasions with great diplomatic significance, including Richard Nixon's watershed state visit (and many ensuing banquets) in China in 1972. Since then, it has become synonymous with government leaders and lavish dinners, and on account of superfluous spending at the taxpayers' expense, corruption. That being said, if you're ever lucky enough to be presented with a bottle in the brand's iconic white and red regalia, consider yourself a distinguished guest.
So, where does the Maotai Museum (茅台博物馆 máotái bówùguǎn) fit into all this rich history of socialist throat-glugging? Well, for one it happens to be right next to Tiananmen Square, making it the perfect pitstop once you've navigated the nearby hordes.
The section that shows the relation between Maotai with recent historically significant issues
It's also rather peaceful, with five exhibitions laid out over 1,700sqm in a traditional palace building. The sections are divided into distinct periods during Maotai's two-century ascent as well as the process by which its fiery drink is made, and the relating drinking culture that it has spawned. Altogether, the museum provides not only a closer look at this giant distillery but also a peek into modern Chinese history and diplomatic relationships.
A collection of older and newer Maotai bottles
The collections of older bottles on display, produced between 1955 and 1996, are extremely rare and you're unlikely to see them anywhere else. A highlight of those are the bottles produced between 1967 to 1982 i.e. China's Three Great Revolutions period (三大革命 sān dàgémìng), a time of great domestic turbulence but during which Maotai surprisingly survived as a capitalist product wearing a socialist coat. Just one bottle of Maotai from this period can fetch around RMB 350,000, so feast your eyes here at the museum because you're not likely to see it at dinner anytime soon.
Tickets for the Maotai Museum cost RMB 20 and can be bought via WeChat here:
Maotai Museum 茅台博物馆
Tue-Sun 10am-5pm
7 Changpuheyan, Dongcheng District
东城区菖蒲河沿7号
Photos: SCMP.com, douban.com, dianping.com
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