Shuanggou Old Pit Cluster

Shuanggou Old Pit Cluster

The Shuanggou Old Pit Cluster is a cultural heritage site protected at the Jiangsu Provincial level.

The Shuanggou old pits have been in continuous use for brewing since the 18th year of the Hongwu era (1385), operating non-stop for 632 years. There are a total of 1,385 pits still in use, covering an area of approximately 6,300 square meters.

Through generations of master brewers’ repeated fermentation and cultivation, the Shuanggou old pits have garnered worldwide attention for their unique economic, cultural, historical, and scientific research value. Due to centuries of continuous use, they have naturally nurtured a highly diverse and beneficial microbial ecosystem for producing mellow-style Baijiu, forming a one-of-a-kind microbial environment. Tests have revealed that the Shuanggou old pits contain over 200 types of microorganisms, which ensure the exceptional quality of Shuanggou liquor and stand as a testament to the thousand-year-old brewing culture.

The old pits provide the most intricate and perfect internal structural foundation for Shuanggou liquor — a baptism for the life of fine spirits and a sublimation of their character. Today, the ancient Shuanggou pits continue to employ the traditional solid-state fermentation techniques using earthen pits and pure grain, earning them the title of “living cultural relics” in China’s brewing history. With ancient pits as the foundation and time-honored methods as the means, the brewing process continues day after day, year after year, without interruption.

The old pits, carved out by time, are irreplaceable treasures of Yanghe and Shuanggou. The artisans regard the pits as precious assets and meticulously maintain and care for each pit after every fermentation cycle. It is this careful attention from the artisans that allows the old pits to reward them with a rich abundance of microbes, ensuring the enduring fragrance of the mellow liquor and the generational continuity of traditional brewing culture.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units