Wuliangye is a baijiu, a high ABV Chinese liquor traditionally enjoyed with food and served at official occasions.
Wuliangye (WU = five, LIANG = grain, YE = liquor) is a luxury white spirit from China made from a blend of five organic ingredients, broomcorn, glutinous rice, rice, wheat and corn delivering a unique aroma and taste. The spirit was originally created during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) using Yibin’s local spring, the purest water sourced from the Sichuan province. Wuliangye is distilled in a subtropical climate with year round average temperatures of 18oC and 85% humidity.
Wuliangye (52% ABV) is crystal clear in colour and markedly viscous in the glass, with small beads forming above the rim. On the nose, it is highly pungent with a marked nose burn indicative of its high ABV. Once accustomed to the nose prickle, fruity and estery aromas emerge. On the palate, there is marked fruitiness mainly pineapple notes, liquorice, with savoury elements, soy sauce and a distinct dryness. The finish is very dry, long and lingering with alcohol burn.
China’s number one selling spirit is a luxury product and comes in a 500 ml bottle with anti-counterfeiting technology on its packaging, much like what is done with paper currency.
Just like Moutai, China’s other luxury white spirit, Wuliangye is enjoyed by the elite who sip it neat or enjoy it with food. While it may be challenging to the unaccustomed western palate, it is well worth trying in cocktails and with food.
Wuliangye Cocktails
Three cocktails created by bartender Alex Dickson highlight different notes of the spirit without masking its flavour.
Beijing Blush is made with Wuliangye, pineapple juice, lychee juice, 2 dashes of Angostura bitters, shaken and served up in a martini glass garnished with 2 lychees on a skewer. See recipe for Wuliangye Beijing Blush here.
The Five Grain Goddess featured Wuliangye with white crème de cacao, fresh lemon juice, 2 dashes of chocolate bitters, egg white, is shaken and served over ice garnished with chopped chocolate and lime wedge.
The Panda’s Paw with Wuliangye, Disaronno, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, a whole mint sprig, 2 dashes of absinthe, is shaken up with the mint, fine strained and served over ice and garnished with a mint sprig.
This article was originally published on July 6, 2015 on our sister website Gourmantic.
You may also like: Essential Guide to Baijiu
