Meijiao

Meijiao

　　Meijiao, originally named Meijiang Cellar Liquor, is produced at the Meitan County Distillery in the Meijiang region of Zunyi, Guizhou Province — a renowned wine-producing area in China. It gets its name from being brewed using the fine waters of the Meijiang River.

According to historical records from modern times, during the Kangxi era, people used barnyard grass as raw material and brewed liquor with water from the Meijiang River. “They would ferment it in jars, invite drinkers to gather around the jar, insert a pole into the mash, pour water over it, and people would drink by sucking on the pole, with hosts and guests standing and toasting in ceremony.” The liquor from that time might be what people referred to as Za Wine. When Shi Dakai, the Wing King of the Taiping Rebellion, traveled to the ethnic minority regions of western Guizhou, he drank Za Wine and wrote a famous poem about it: “A myriad of pearls gathered in one jar, even nobles bow their heads here. A black dragon lifts the pillar that touches the sky, sucking the waters of the Wu River backward.”

Although this poem was not written about Meitan, the description of drinking by inserting a pole is quite similar to local practices. Meitan boasts fertile land and a mild climate, making it an excellent place for brewing.

The Meitan Distillery is one of the earlier state-owned factories established in the Zunyi region after liberation, with a history of nearly forty years and an annual production capacity of more than two thousand tons.

Meijiao has a unique production process. It uses locally grown high-quality glutinous sorghum as its main ingredient, employs medium-temperature wheat Qu (a fermentation starter) as the saccharifying and fermenting agent, and adopts artificially cultivated old pits. Fermentation takes place at low temperatures in submerged pits with mixed steaming and mixed burning. Continuous mash fermentation is practiced, and both the mash and the distilled liquor are sorted by quality before being stored in pits. The final product is carefully blended. Meijiao is known for its crystal-clear appearance, rich aroma, pure sweetness, refreshing taste, and long-lasting aftertaste. During the 1960s and 1970s, it was repeatedly recognized as a famous liquor in the Zunyi region. In 1983, it was named a famous liquor of Guizhou Province. In 1986, at the fourth Guizhou Liquor Appraisal Conference, it once again earned the title of famous liquor in Guizhou and was awarded the Golden Cup Prize. Meijiao is not only widely sold across the country, becoming a preferred choice for banquets and gifts, but has also entered the international market and gained popularity among overseas consumers. Customers praise it as “ambrosial nectar fragrant across the four seas, a celestial brew renowned throughout the nine provinces.” (Zunyi)