Qiao Family Baijiu

Qiao Family Baijiu

　　In the Tang and Song dynasties, the brewing industry in Baoying was already thriving, with folk distilleries and taverns scattered all over the place. By the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, “Qiao Family Baijiu” rose to prominence, leading the brewing industry along the Li-Xia River for decades and becoming a tribute to the imperial court. In 1934, its “Chen Gua Wine,” made using traditional techniques and aged melon as an auxiliary ingredient, won a gold medal at the Panama International Exposition, gaining fame both at home and abroad. In the mid-20th century, the people of Baoying further developed the “Qiao Family Bai” techniques to produce third-generation products “Wu Qiong Jiang” (Five Fine Liquors) and “Ling Jiu” (Age Liquor), which were awarded the title of Famous Liquor of Jiangsu Province for over ten consecutive years and became a well-known provincial trademark.

　　“Qiao Family Baijiu” is a strong-aroma Daqu liquor, brewed through solid-state fermentation. Its brewing techniques originated in this millennia-old wine region and have been refined and perfected over generations by master brewers. The selection of raw materials is meticulous, the brewing process is finely detailed, the operational requirements are strict, and key control points must be precisely managed. Modern Baoying brewers, building on this foundation, use modern scientific methods to draw on the essence of strong-aroma Daqu liquor, and carefully craft the beverage using five types of high-quality grains as ingredients. The resulting baijiu features a prominent strong aroma, moderate alcohol content, clear and transparent color, rich cellar fragrance, full-bodied and mellow taste, pure flavor with a clean finish, and a uniquely pleasing mouthfeel. It has been hailed by wine-tasting experts as “a premium product, a treasure among fine liquors.” Its brewing technique fills a gap in Jiangsu’s baijiu offerings among the national five major aroma types and ten categories, establishing it as a Famous Liquor of Jiangsu Province and a well-known provincial trademark. Ling Jiu, brewed using traditional methods with premium traditional Chinese medicinal herbs as auxiliary ingredients, pioneered a new path in the production of health-focused alcoholic beverages in China and was honored with the title of China’s Quality Health Food.

　　Qin Hanzhang, a doyen of China’s liquor industry and authority on baijiu, once wrote a poem in praise: “The Qiao name echoes with pear-blossom scent, / In ancient yards is brewed the Five Fine Liquor’s blend. / Autumn winds bring tunes from Yangzhou’s tune fields, / Where scholars make their drunken study fields.”