Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor

Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor

　　Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor is one of Tianjin’s three traditional famous exported liquors. Wujiapi liquor can be traced back over a thousand years to the Tang Dynasty, when Sun Simiao mentioned a medicinal wine named "Wujiapi" in his book *Essential Formulas Worth a Thousand Gold*. By the Ming Dynasty, the pharmacological value of Wujiapi liquor was further elaborated upon by the famous physician Li Shizhen. In his work *Compendium of Materia Medica*, Li described Wujiapi wine as having the health benefits of invigorating the spleen, benefiting qi, strengthening muscles and bones, and treating joint stiffness and rheumatism—making it highly valued for its medicinal properties. As a result, people during the Ming Dynasty drank Wujiapi liquor to strengthen their health.

　　　　Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor is made using Yijuyong Gaoliang (sorghum) liquor as its base, blended with a variety of precious traditional Chinese medicinal herbs such as Wujiapi, Polygonatum, Angelica sinensis, Gardenia, Rehmannia, and dried tangerine peel, all prepared according to ancient brewing methods. The liquor has a naturally bright ruby-red color, with the fragrance of the wine and herbs perfectly integrated. It boasts a smooth, harmonious aroma, a mild taste with a hint of sweetness, and offers health benefits such as promoting blood circulation, relaxing tendons, dispelling wind, and removing dampness. It also helps lower blood lipids and boost immunity. With over 200 years of export history, it has been sold to 183 countries and regions and is hailed in Southeast Asia as the "Chinese Divine Water." Through the passage of time, Tianjin’s liqueur industry has developed a unique traditional brewing technique, exemplified by Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor.

　　Main Production Process of Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor

　　　　Ingredient selection --- Processing --- Weighing --- Formulation --- Fermentation in jars --- Adding liquor --- Sealing with blood-proof mixture --- Special cellar storage --- Opening --- Juice extraction --- Pressing --- Blending --- Fine-tuning --- Aging for stability --- Natural clarification --- Inspection --- Packaging --- Re-inspection --- Finished product --- Release from factory

　　The craftsmanship of Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor features three main characteristics

　　First, high-quality light-aroma base liquor — Yijuyong Gaoliang liquor

　　Second, traditional formula and authentic medicinal ingredients

　　Third, unique brewing process

　　　　The base liquor of Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor is the uniquely styled Yijuyong Gaoliang liquor, which is one of the key factors determining its quality and style. Only with this base liquor can the Wujiapi wine achieve the perfect harmony between herbal fragrance and alcohol aroma, resulting in a smooth, well-balanced, mellow, and gentle flavor. No other type of base liquor can produce the same effect.

　　　　The formula of Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor has been passed down through generations. The combination of medicinal ingredients strictly follows the principles of sovereign, minister, assistant, and guide in traditional Chinese medicine, ensuring scientific rigor. It includes not only primary herbs that dispel wind and dampness, activate blood, and open meridians but also a large number of auxiliary herbs that soothe the liver, nourish the stomach, benefit the kidneys, and strengthen the body. Both warming and cooling herbs are used, along with licorice to harmonize all ingredients. This results in notable efficacy and a mild nature, making the liquor both palatable and effective. Its vivid ruby-red hue is derived from the complex colors of the medicinal herbs—an advantage unmatched by other brands of Wujiapi liquor.

　　　　According to reports from the research lab at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, the medicinal ingredients used in Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor have the following effects:

　　　　Wujiapi: Contains volatile tannins, palmitic acid, linolenic acid, and vitamins A and B. It helps dispel wind and dampness, strengthens muscles and bones, nourishes liver and kidneys, combats fatigue and radiation, enhances immune function, regulates blood pressure, lowers blood lipids, and has anti-tumor effects.

　　　　Angelica sinensis: Contains ligustilide, angelicone, and various amino acids. It promotes blood circulation and enriches blood, improves microcirculation, and enhances both specific and non-specific immune functions.

　　　　Dried tangerine peel: Contains limonene, β-phellandrene, vitamin C, and carotene. It aids in regulating qi, strengthening the spleen, drying dampness, and resolving phlegm.

　　　　Rehmannia: Contains catalpol, rehmannioside, mannitol, vitamin A, and amino acids. It is an important herb for nourishing kidneys, enriching blood, benefiting essence, and enhancing immunity.

　　　　Clove: Its main components are eugenol and acetyl eugenol, which stimulate gastric juice secretion, enhance digestion, provide localized pain relief, and inhibit various pathogenic bacteria.

　　　　Gardenia: Contains gallic acid and potassium and calcium salts. It benefits the spleen and qi, clears damp heat, calms the heart, relieves irritability, benefits the gallbladder, and relieves pain.

　　(Other herbs are not introduced one by one)

　　　　The combined effect of over twenty kinds of herbs gives Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor its distinctive color, flavor, and health benefits.

　　　　To ensure the quality of Wujiapi Liquor, all herbs are sourced from their optimal fixed growing regions. For example, Angelica sinensis must come from Gansu, Shaanxi, or Hubei, harvested in August after two years of growth, and dried in the shade before use; cloves must be premium male cloves from India or Malaysia, large in size, rich in oil, deep red in color, strongly aromatic, and sinking in water; Amomum villosum must be the Yangchun type from Guangdong or Guangxi, harvested in August or September, mature, large, firm, plump, reddish-brown, and intensely fragrant, then dried at low temperatures; Gardenia must come from Hunan, Hubei, or Zhejiang, harvested in October, reddish-yellow in color, thin-skinned, plump, scalded in boiling water, then dried in the sun; Polygonatum must be from Hebei or Henan, harvested in August, steamed and kneaded until transparent, then sun-dried; licorice must come from Hebei, harvested in August, using only the root, and sun-dried; Wujiapi must be from Hubei, Hunan, or Henan, harvested in September, with a grayish-white cross-section and no woody core, and sun-dried. Premium sourcing is maintained regardless of price fluctuations.

　　　　The extraction of active ingredients from these herbs also varies based on their pharmacological properties. Some are extracted with alcohol (soaked in liquor), others with water. Some herbs require over a year, while others just a month. The order in which various herbal liquids are added during the blending of Wujiapi Liquor is strictly specified in traditional processes. After blending, the liquor undergoes prolonged natural aging and sedimentation—mechanical filtration is avoided to prevent loss of medicinal components. Before bottling, the product undergoes sensory evaluation, physicochemical testing, and gas chromatography analysis, and only meets the required standards is it released from the factory.

　　　　The entire production process of the traditional brewing technique of Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor involves six major procedures and eighty-eight individual steps. The six major procedures are: ingredient selection, processing, aging, blending, curing, and packaging. Among the eighty-eight steps, six particularly representative processes are: ingredient screening, separate ingredient processing, blood-proof sealing, formulation by prescription, curing for stability, and natural clarification. These truly embody the unique craftsmanship centered around premium medicinal herbs, high-quality base liquor, and traditional techniques.

　　　　The traditional brewing technique of Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor is the core of its production. Every step adheres to ancient manual brewing methods. For instance, “blood sealing” is one of Yijuyong’s most unique production techniques—it involves sealing the fermentation jar with layers of highly breathable and airtight coarse paper and pig’s blood, ensuring a seamless seal that is both airtight and breathable. The traditional brewing technique of Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor is an extremely special and complex process, embodying the essence of numerous folk traditional crafts and rich in scientific, historical, cultural, economic, and social value. It is the crystallization of centuries of wisdom from generations of brewers, and even today, this traditional technique still plays an irreplaceable role.

　　　　To ensure the quality of traditional Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor, the company consistently adheres to traditional brewing techniques. Processes such as ingredient selection and blending are personally handled by experienced master brewers, who oversee the entire production. The steps in the traditional brewing technique of Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor are refined from the rich practical experience of generations of Yijuyong brewers, passed down through apprenticeships, effectively preserving the pure quality of the liquor. The unique production environment and distinctive brewing process form irreplaceable resources within the traditional brewing technique of Yijuyong Wujiapi Liquor, giving rise to its signature style: “a naturally vivid ruby-red color, a seamless integration of wine and herbal aromas, a smooth and harmonious fragrance, and a mild, slightly sweet taste.”

　　The Origins of the Jinxing Yijuyong Time-Honored Brand

　　　　The earliest industries in Tianjin were salt production and brewing. The Yijuyong Distillery has a long history, with its brewing techniques originating from the Zhigu Distillery of the Yuan Dynasty, established around 1880. At its founding, the initiator Mr. Liu Xin invested in property and set up a distillery in Tianjin’s Dazhigu. Thanks to the distillery’s superior brewing skills and continuous process improvements, its series of liquors—including Wujiapi—boasted unique flavors and pure aromas, quickly earning recognition among merchants and the public.

　　　　In 1901, after Dazhigu suffered devastation by the Eight-Nation Alliance, Yijuyong took the lead in funding the reconstruction of the Dazhigu liquor industry alongside other distilleries. This history is still recorded on the “Pacification Stele.” After rebuilding the distillery, Liu Xin fully leveraged Dazhigu’s unique natural conditions and Tianjin’s traditional brewing techniques to produce a new generation of Wujiapi and other series of liquors, greatly enhancing Yijuyong’s reputation. To expand sales channels and actively pursue overseas development, with great foresight, Yijuyong registered the English-branded “Golden Star” trademark in Nanyang and Hong Kong in 1927 and 1931 respectively, achieving instant success. Business rapidly expanded to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and across the broader Nanyang market, making Tianjin’s Golden Star-brand “Wujiapi” and other liquors beloved beverages in Nanyang to this day. In 1934, as the only liquor merchant from Tianjin, Yijuyong participated in both the “Capital National Products Exhibition” and the “Chicago Exposition,” establishing Yijuyong as a premium national product on the world stage of fine liquors.

　　Yijuyong Fights Counterfeits

　　　　Many people think that cracking down on counterfeit goods is a recent phenomenon, but few realize that the earliest such efforts took place 78 years ago.

　　　　The back half of the inside front cover of the 1931 publication *Tianjin Zhi Lüe* (A Brief Record of Tianjin) featured a statement. On one side of the horizontal title was written “Yijuyong Wine Shop,” and on the other side “Manager Liu Guisen (a.k.a. Liu Xiangjiu),” with a photo of Liu Guisen in the middle. The vertical title read “Statement on Counterfeits.” The main content of the statement was: “Notice: Our establishment has been operating in Tianjin’s Dazhigu for over fifty years. We produce a wide variety of fine products, including five-spice preserved vegetables, refined pure strong liquor, and various medicinal liquors, too numerous to list here. All our goods are made from carefully selected premium ingredients, brewed by specialized technicians using traditional methods, and aged for a year before being sold. Prices are kept as low as possible. Our products are widely sold across inland provinces of China, as well as in Europe, America, and various ports in Southeast Asia, earning widespread fame and praise. To further expand our business and meet our customers’ high expectations, we have engaged scientific experts to conduct detailed research based on chemical principles, making careful improvements. Beyond ensuring delicious taste, our products also help eliminate dampness, clear obstructions, relax muscles, and invigorate blood circulation—making them wholesome and hygienic. Customers, please look for our Golden Star brand sign without any doubt.”

　　　　Liu Xin, who founded the “Yijuyong Wine Shop” in 1880, carried out technological innovations on products such as Wujiapi liquor, gradually making the shop famous. Wine merchants flocked to it, especially those from Southeast Asia, who were particularly fond of the products and traveled great distances to Tianjin to purchase them. This brought substantial profits to both the shop and the merchants, which naturally also attracted many “envious” and “jealous” competitors. As a result, counterfeit Yijuyong products quietly appeared on the market.

　　　　Faced with this situation, Liu Xiangjiu, who had taken over Yijuyong in 1910, not only continuously improved the taste and quality of the liquor according to customer feedback, but also gradually developed a series of Yijuyong products. More importantly, he understood how to use the law to protect his brand. In 1927, he was the first to register the “Golden Star” brand for Yijuyong liquor in Southeast Asia, and in 1931, he registered the trademark in Hong Kong. Then, he uniquely published a “counterfeit statement” in *Tianjin Zhi Lüe*. At that time, Liu Xiangjiu’s series of actions to protect his products caused a strong reaction both domestically and internationally—people learned for the first time that this was how you “crack down on counterfeits.”

　　　　Today, the “Yijuyong Wine Shop” has evolved into Tianjin Food Import and Export Co., Ltd., but they continue to produce Yijuyong’s “Golden Star” brand Wujiapi liquor and other series of liquors, which remain popular overseas. On December 9, 2006, the “Golden Star” brand trademark of Yijuyong was recognized by China’s Ministry of Commerce as a “China Time-Honored Brand,” becoming the only liquor product in Tianjin to receive this honor. Now, in the company’s exhibition hall, visitors can see many materials, including records of Yijuyong as the only Tianjin liquor manufacturer participating in the 1934 Chicago World’s Fair in the United States and in the Capital National Products Exhibition, as well as the 1937 National Exhibition Award granted by the Nationalist Government’s Ministry of Industry and samples of various “Counterfeit Statements” published by Manager Liu Xiangjiu in domestic and international newspapers and magazines in different languages and formats to combat counterfeits.

　　　　From the 1919 *Tianjin Wine Trade Association Report* to the 1931 *Tianjin Zhi Lüe*, from Asia’s *Nanyang Shang Bao* (Nanyang Commercial Daily) to Europe’s *Huashang Ribao* (Chinese Merchants Daily), from Pingyin in Shandong to Jiangmen in Guangdong, from Seoul in South Korea to New York in the United States, from Tianjin to Paris—from history to the present—Yijuyong has endured a more than 200-year-long journey of fighting counterfeits and defending its rights. It has grown through competition and strengthened through safeguarding its intellectual property.