China Drink Guide
From the mist-draped tea gardens of Hangzhou to the grain distilleries of Guizhou — China has been developing its drinking culture for over three thousand years, and it shows in every glass.
A banquet table in Beijing tells the whole story. At one end sits a bottle of baijiu; beside it, a carafe of Shaoxing yellow rice wine warming in a hot-water bath; at the other end, red wine from Ningxia and a round of beer. China does not drink one thing — it drinks everything, often simultaneously, and each tradition goes back further than most visitors realise.
China’s wine culture began 2,500 years ago with Shaoxing’s fermented rice wine — brewed in clay urns, sealed with lotus leaves, drunk warm through winter. Grape wine followed in the 1890s, when the first Chinese winery was founded in Yantai on the Shandong coast. Baijiu — the grain spirit distilled in earthen pits — has been produced in Sichuan since the Tang Dynasty and is now the world’s most consumed spirit by volume. Beer arrived with German colonists in 1903 and became the nation’s everyday drink. And tea, invented here and still the backbone of daily life from Hangzhou to Chengdu, underlies everything.
This guide contains information about alcoholic beverages and is intended for adults of legal drinking age in their country.
Wine — Grape & Rice, Ancient & Modern
China has two distinct wine traditions: Shaoxing’s amber-coloured huangjiu — fermented from glutinous rice, aged in clay urns for up to twenty years — predates French wine by two millennia. And China’s grape wine industry, born in Yantai in 1892, now spans Shandong, Shanxi, and the Ningxia desert vineyards that are winning Decanter gold medals against Bordeaux.
Yantai & Shanxi — Grape Wine
China’s grape wine industry began in Yantai, on the Shandong Peninsula, where the maritime climate moderates summer heat and delays harvest into autumn. Zhang Bishi founded Changyu here in 1892 — making it one of the oldest wineries in Asia — and planted Cabernet Gernischt (later identified as the French Carménère) alongside European varieties. Three hours inland, the Loess Plateau of Shanxi offers high altitude, wide diurnal swings, and ancient soils that French viticulturalist Denis Boubals identified in the 1990s as suited to premium Cabernet Sauvignon. Grace Vineyard, planted in Taigu in 1998, produces wines that compete credibly at international blind tastings.
Key varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot · Chardonnay · Marselan · Cabernet Gernischt (Carménère)
Changyu Wine Culture Museum
56 Dama Road, Yantai, Shandong
Founded in 1892 by Zhang Bishi on the Shandong Peninsula, Changyu is the oldest winery in China — and still one of its largest, exporting to over 80 countries. In 2025, French President Macron was presented with a six-litre bottle of Changyu’s Longyu at Wine Paris. The Changyu Wine Culture Museum at the original Yantai site covers nearly 10,000 square metres: a history hall, film hall, modern production hall, treasure hall, and the century-old underground cellar housing the three massive oak barrels known as the “Kings of Asia.” Over 20 interactive experiences include personalised wine labels and hands-on bottling. National AAAA-level tourist attraction, consistently rated China’s top wine museum.
⏱ 08:00–17:00 daily (last entry 16:30) · 💰 $12 · 📍 56 Dama Road, Yantai · 📞 +86-535-6633860
Visit Changyu Museum →
Grace Vineyard
Taigu, Jinzhong, Shanxi Province
China’s most internationally recognised boutique winery — planted in 1998 with French seedlings on the Loess Plateau at 800 metres above sea level in Taigu, Shanxi. Wide diurnal temperature swings preserve natural acidity; the deep loess soils concentrate flavour without irrigation stress. Chairman’s Reserve is a Bordeaux-blend aged 18 months in French oak; Deep Blue is their most structured single-vineyard red. The Yiyuan Winery is open for guided visits and food-and-wine pairing at the on-site EYAN restaurant. Listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2018; also operates a Ningxia vineyard.
⏱ Visits by arrangement · 📍 Dongjia Village, Taigu, Shanxi · 🍽 EYAN restaurant on-site · WeChat: 19103425862
Visit Grace Vineyard →Shaoxing, Zhejiang — Huangjiu (Yellow Rice Wine)
Huangjiu is China’s oldest surviving fermented beverage — brewed from glutinous rice and a wheat-based starter called qu, aged in lotus-leaf-sealed clay urns for a minimum of three years (often five, ten, or longer). Unlike baijiu it is not distilled; at 14–20% alcohol it sits closer to wine than spirit. The colour deepens from golden to amber with age; the flavour moves from mellow sweetness to nutty, complex, with dried fruit and caramel notes that recall aged sherry. Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province has produced the benchmark version for over 2,500 years. Gu Yue Long Shan, whose Shen Yong He Distillery has operated continuously since 1664, was the designated wine of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2010 Shanghai Expo, and the 2016 G20 Hangzhou Summit.
Key varieties: Nữ Er Hong (daughter’s red) · Zhuang Yuan Hong (scholar’s red) · Hua Diao (carved flower) · Jian Hu · Shen Yong He
Gu Yue Long Shan — Shaoxing Yellow Rice Wine
Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province
The landmark name of Chinese huangjiu — produced by China Shaoxing Yellow Rice Wine Group, whose Shen Yong He Distillery has operated without interruption since 1664. Nữ Er Hong (brewed when a daughter was born, opened at her wedding) and Zhuang Yuan Hong (brewed to celebrate academic success) are the cultural flagships, each aged a minimum of five years. The company operates the national 3A-level Shaoxing Huangjiu scenic area in Dongpu Town: an active distillery combined with heritage displays, fermenting cellars and tasting rooms. Bottles exported to over 40 countries and widely available at duty-free stores worldwide.
📍 Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province · 🌐 English website · 📶 Available at duty-free stores worldwide
Visit Gu Yue Long Shan →🍷 China Wine Tips
- 🍷 Ningxia’s Helan Mountain East Foothill region is China’s fastest-growing fine wine area — over 100 wineries on arid slopes at 1,100–1,200 metres, several winning Decanter gold against French competition. Grace Vineyard, Silver Heights and Helan Qingxue are names to seek out
- 🍷 Cabernet Gernischt is China’s signature grape variety — brought to Yantai by Changyu in the 1890s, identified by DNA analysis in 2009 as Carménère. At its best: dark fruit, herbaceous character, silky tannins. Order it at Changyu to understand why the Chinese wine industry began here
- 🏺 Nữ Er Hong — “Daughter’s Red” — is a jar of huangjiu buried when a daughter is born and opened on her wedding day, sealed with mud and lotus leaves; traditional aging is 18–20 years. If you see a genuine aged Nữ Er Hong at a Shaoxing restaurant, order it
- 🏺 Huangjiu is drunk warm — heated to 40–50°C in a hot-water bath, which opens the nutty, caramel aromatics that cold serving suppresses. Ask for it jiārè (warmed) at any Shaoxing restaurant
- 🏺 Shaoxing wine is the base of red-braised pork (hóngshāo ròu), drunken chicken (zuì jī) and steamed fish — the wine in the pot is often the same producer as the wine in your glass
Baijiu — China’s National Spirit
The world’s most consumed spirit by volume — and one of its least understood outside China. Baijiu is distilled from grains (sorghum, wheat, rice, or a combination of five) after months of fermentation in earthen pits. The result ranges from clear and floral to intensely savoury, nutty and complex, depending on the fragrance type.
Yibin & Luzhou, Sichuan — The Heartland
Sichuan Province produces more baijiu than any region on earth. Yibin, at the confluence of three rivers in southern Sichuan, has distilled continuously since the Tang Dynasty — Wuliangye’s five-grain formula, protected by the EU as a geographical indication since 2021, is made in ancient earthen pits some of which have not been emptied since the Ming Dynasty. An hour downstream, Luzhou takes the tradition further back still: the 1573 National Treasure Cellars at Luzhou Laojiao — designated China’s first state-level protected cultural relic in the baijiu industry — have been in continuous operation for 452 years.
Key grains: Sorghum · Rice · Glutinous rice · Wheat · Corn
Yibin Baijiu Heritage Day Tour
Yibin, Sichuan Province
A full-day small-group tour (maximum four participants) into Wuliangye’s industrial park and Liquor Culture Museum: grain selection, pit fermentation, distillation and cellaring — a cycle of at least five years before any bottle reaches market. The afternoon moves to Lizhuang Ancient Town on the Yangtze, a remarkably preserved Ming and Qing settlement. English-speaking guide throughout; local farmhouse lunch included. Departs from the East Gate of Yibin Jiudu Theater at 08:00, returns 18:00. Book at least three days in advance.
📅 Full day (08:00–18:00) · 🌐 English-speaking guide · 📍 Yibin, Sichuan · Max. 4 participants · Lunch included
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Luzhou Laojiao Distillery
Sanxing Street, Luzhou, Sichuan
The 1573 National Treasure Cellars — dug in 1573 and never emptied since — are the oldest continuously operating fermentation pits in China and the first state-level protected cultural relic in the baijiu industry. The brewing techniques, passed through 24 generations, are included in China’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The flagship Guojiao 1573 is a strong-aroma style with notes of pineapple, sweet grain and long finish. The scenic area at Sanxing Street is open daily; the guided tour covers the ancient cellars, traditional distillery floor, and a tasting of the house range. Admission from $5.1.
⏱ 09:00–12:00, 14:00–17:00 daily · 💰 From $5.1 · 📍 Sanxing Street, Jiangyang District, Luzhou · 📞 0830-2393388
Visit Luzhou Laojiao →Know Your Baijiu
Baijiu is classified by fragrance type — a system developed in the 1950s that describes the dominant aromatic character. Knowing the four main types helps you order with intention rather than guesswork.
Baijiu is always served neat, at room temperature — typically $4.4 to $12 per measure at a restaurant. The toast “Gānbēi!” means “dry glass” and implies draining it. Saying “suíyì” (as you like) indicates you will sip — most hosts will respect this.
Beer — From Tsingtao to Craft
China is the world’s largest beer market by volume. It started in 1903 when German colonists built a brewery in Qingdao using Bavarian brewing methods and local spring water — that brewery became Tsingtao. A century later, a new generation of independent brewers in Beijing and Shanghai is making the most creative beer in the country.
Qingdao & Beijing
Two very different experiences: Qingdao’s Tsingtao Museum traces a century of Chinese brewing history through the original 1903 German-built brewery, with fresh draft beer from the source. Beijing’s Jing-A Brewing represents the new wave — founded by craft brewers in 2012, operating taprooms across the capital, making beers that draw deliberately on Chinese ingredients and brewing traditions.
Styles to look for: German Lager · IPA · Pale Ale · Red Koji Ale · Mandarin Wheat · Seasonal Sours
Tsingtao Beer Museum
56 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao, Shandong
The original 1903 German-built Tsingtao brewery at 56 Dengzhou Road — preserved and opened as a museum in 2003 for the centenary — is now China’s most-visited industrial heritage site, drawing over 9.5 million visitors from more than 100 countries. Three zones trace the full arc: a history hall with original German equipment and documents from the colonial period; an active production floor viewable from a glass-floored catwalk directly above the fermentation tanks; and a tasting hall where fresh draft Tsingtao — including black beer and specialty brews unavailable in bottles — is poured straight from the conditioning tanks. The tour takes 1–2 hours; multilingual guides in Chinese, English, Russian, French, Japanese and Korean are available. A private tour from Qingdao city centre including museum entry and lunch can be arranged through GetYourGuide, rated 4.8 out of 5.
⏱ 08:30–17:30 daily (last entry 16:30) · 📍 56 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao · 🌐 Multilingual guides available · Admission from $4.4
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Jing-A Brewing
Multiple locations, Beijing
Founded in Beijing in 2012 by Kris and Alex — two friends with a shared obsession with craft beer and Chinese ingredients — Jing-A has become the brewery that defined modern Beijing’s craft beer scene. Their beers are built on Chinese identity rather than imported templates: the Koji Red Ale is brewed with red koji rice from the Chinese huangjiu tradition; the Mandarin Wheat uses mandarin orange and coriander for a citrusy twist; the Flying Fist IPA (6.5% ABV, tropical fruit aromas, award-winning) is the flagship. Jing-A operates five taprooms across the city, with the 798 Arts District location featuring 24 taps, a rooftop bar, and event programming; the Longfusi taproom in Dongcheng District has 150+ seats, a sourdough pizza oven, and outdoor garden seating. Seasonal and collaboration beers change regularly. The brewing philosophy: obsessive ingredient sourcing, constantly evolving recipes, and beer that knows where it comes from.
⏱ Multiple locations — hours vary by site · 📍 798 Arts District / Longfusi / Sanlitun, Beijing · 24 taps at 798 taproom · Rooftop bar in summer
Visit Jing-A Brewing →Tea — Three Thousand Years in the Cup
China invented tea. Green, white, oolong, black, pu’er — every category originated here, the techniques refined across dozens of generations. The two experiences below put you directly inside that tradition: one in a Hangzhou tea village, one in a traditional Shanghai teahouse.
Hangzhou & Shanghai
The hills around West Lake in Hangzhou produce Longjing — Dragon Well — China’s most celebrated green tea, harvested by hand in the days before the Qingming Festival each April. A few hundred grams from the finest plots cost more than a very good Burgundy. In Shanghai, a three-hour afternoon walk through the city’s historic neighbourhoods anchors in a proper tea ceremony: five types tasted in sequence from a guide who knows each origin and how to brew it.
Varieties worth knowing: Pre-Qingming Longjing · Pu’er (Yunnan) · Tieguanyin oolong (Fujian) · Biluochun (Suzhou) · Jasmine (Sichuan)
Longjing Village Tea Tour
Longjing Village, Hangzhou, Zhejiang
A half-day guided experience in Longjing Village: walk the terraced tea rows above West Lake, learn the two-fingered picking technique, then fire your own batch in a traditional iron wok until the grassy scent fills the room. The session closes with a comparative tasting of four Longjing grades — from everyday to pre-Qingming premium — with commentary on what distinguishes each. English-speaking guide; small group means the picking and firing are hands-on rather than observed. Runs spring through autumn from multiple daily departure times.
📅 3 hours · 🌐 English-speaking guide · 📍 Longjing Village, West Lake, Hangzhou · Small group
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Shanghai Tea Ceremony & Dessert Tour
Huaihai Road, Shanghai
A three-hour afternoon walk through Shanghai’s most characterful streets with a local guide, structured around the city’s tea and dessert culture. The tour settles into a proper tea ceremony at a traditional teahouse — five types tasted in sequence, from Hangzhou green to Fujian black. Continues to Cantonese dessert restaurants for milk puddings, mango sago and almond tofu. Rated 4.9/5 across 15 verified bookings; guides Jim and Jade singled out in multiple reviews for genuine cultural depth.
📅 3 hours · 🌐 English, Chinese, Korean · 📍 Metro Line 1: South Huangpi Road, exit 2 · Hotel pick-up available
Book a tour →🍵 Tea Tips for China
- 🍵 The most prized Longjing is picked before Qingming (early April) — the mingqian harvest represents less than 10% of annual production and commands dramatically higher prices. Seek it out specifically if visiting in April
- 🍵 Pu’er from Yunnan is the only Chinese tea that improves with age — good 1990s vintages trade at collector prices. In Yunnan markets you can still find compressed “bing” cakes from small producers at accessible prices; these will be worth more in ten years
- 🍵 Gongfu cha — the ceremonial preparation with a small clay teapot, multiple short infusions and graduated cups — is not tourist performance; it is how serious tea drinkers prepare oolong and pu’er at home. When offered this at a teahouse, watch carefully: each infusion changes the character of the tea
- 🍵 Chinese green tea brews at 75–80°C, not boiling — boiling water destroys the amino acids that give good Longjing its sweetness and umami. Let boiling water cool two minutes before pouring
- 🍵 In Chengdu, outdoor teahouse gardens in People’s Park are a full afternoon institution — a pot of jasmine gaiwan tea refilled for hours, typically $2.2 to $4.4 for as long as you stay
💡 Good to Know
- 🍷 The most celebrated Chinese teas — Longjing, Biluochun, Tieguanyin — are protected geographical indications; only tea from designated counties can legally carry the name. When buying, ask for the certificate of origin (chánshěngdì zhèngmíng)
- 🥃 Baijiu toasting at business dinners follows strict protocol: the host toasts first, the most senior guest returns the toast, junior participants wait for an invitation. Saying “Wǒ bù huì hē jiǔ” (I don’t drink alcohol) is always accepted — pushing someone to drink after this is very poor form
- 🏺 Shaoxing wine is sold at nearly every Chinese supermarket and duty-free store. For aged labels, look for chén (陈) on the label indicating aged stock — price at origin in Shaoxing is significantly lower than export retail
- 🍺 Snow Beer (Xuěhuā Píjiǔ) is technically the world’s best-selling beer by volume — available only in China. Served at street barbecue restaurants (shāokǎo) for $0.7 to $1.5 a bottle; light, cheap, and perfectly matched to chili-charred lamb skewers
- 🥃 Moutai sauce-aroma baijiu has a distinctive soy-umami character that confuses most first-time drinkers — the standard advice is to try it three times before drawing a conclusion. The aroma lingers on glassware for days; this is a sign of quality, not a defect
- 🍺 Tsingtao is best drunk fresh and on draft — the directly tapped version from the brewery district in Qingdao bears no resemblance to exported bottled Tsingtao. Look for sănpí jiǔ — loose draft sold by the bag near the old brewery — for around $1.5 per litre