Beijing’s cheap, fierce sorghum liquor, sold in small green bottles and drunk without ceremony. The name means second pot: the Yuanshenghao distillery adopted the method in 1680, keeping only the middle run of the spirit and discarding the rest.
Distilling is illegal without a licence, and the cut that defines this spirit is precisely the step that separates ethanol from the methanol-bearing heads.
What goes into it
- sorghum
- qū starter
- water
How it is made
Sorghum is steamed, mixed with qū and fermented in pits, then distilled. What gives erguotou its name is the cut: the distiller discards the first fraction and the last and bottles only the second pot — the middle — which is where the drinkable spirit is. It is sold young, with little or no ageing.
How long it takes: weeks of fermentation, then distilled and bottled quickly
How it is eaten
Neat in small cups, with skewers and cold dishes, at a Beijing street table.
History
Named for the second pot of distillation; Beijing’s Yuanshenghao distillery adopted the method in 1680, keeping only the middle run of spirit.
Frequently asked questions
What is Erguotou?
Erguotou is a wine & spirit from China: beijing’s cheap fierce sorghum liquor, sold in small green bottles. Named for the second pot of distillation; Beijing’s Yuanshenghao distillery adopted the method in 1680, keeping only the middle run of spirit.
How is Erguotou made?
Sorghum is steamed, mixed with qū and fermented in pits, then distilled. What gives erguotou its name is the cut: the distiller discards the first fraction and the last and bottles only the second pot — the middle — which is where the drinkable spirit is. It is sold young, with little or no ageing. It takes weeks of fermentation, then distilled and bottled quickly.
Can I make Erguotou at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. Distilling is illegal without a licence, and the cut that defines this spirit is precisely the step that separates ethanol from the methanol-bearing heads.
What goes into Erguotou?
Sorghum, qū starter, water.
How is Erguotou eaten?
Neat in small cups, with skewers and cold dishes, at a Beijing street table.
