Yijuyong Rose Liqueur

Yijuyong Rose Liqueur

　　Yijuyong Rose Liqueur is one of Tianjin’s three traditional famous export liquors. It is made using Yijuyong’s high-quality grain liquor as the base, crafted through traditional methods and blended with natural roses grown at altitudes above 800 meters, following ancient brewing techniques. It is colorless and transparent, with an elegant rose fragrance, fragrant floral notes, rich liquor aroma, sweet and mellow taste, delicate body, and a long-lasting aftertaste. With over 200 years of export history, it is sold to 183 countries and regions and enjoys international acclaim as the “Chinese Brandy.” Drinking this liqueur offers health benefits such as soothing the liver, regulating the stomach, promoting blood circulation, and nourishing beauty, while also providing an elegant indulgence and a refined lifestyle. The drink can be enjoyed in various ways, not limited to sipping alone—it also serves as a key ingredient in many premium cocktails. Over time, Tianjin’s liqueur industry has developed a unique traditional brewing technique represented by Yijuyong Rose Liqueur.

　　Yijuyong Rose Liqueur — China’s “Brandy”

　　　　One day in 1880, the aroma of roses wafted from Yijuyong Distillery located by the Haihe River in Dazhigu. At the time, no one could have imagined that simply infusing white liquor with roses would add a touch of romance and beauty, thus giving birth to an extraordinary “beauty” in the world of spirits — Rose Liqueur. From then on, whether nobility or commoners, people came to see Rose Liqueur as a symbol of love and affection.

　　　　Cao Xueqin described Rose Liqueur in *Dream of the Red Chamber*, and Jin Yong mentioned it multiple times in *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*... Although Liu Xin, the founder of Yijuyong, created the romantic and intoxicating Rose Liqueur, his own life was far from romantic.

　　　　Liu Xin founded Yijuyong Distillery during the Qing Dynasty. Thanks to the development of water transport, Tianjin’s liquor industry was thriving, with dozens of distilleries along the Haihe River and around 2,000 workers. During the Qianlong era, poet Cui Xu praised the fine wines of Dagu in *One Hundred Poems of Tianjin – Dagu*: “Famous wines are all called Dagu, their color amber, their taste smooth as suet.” Another poem reads: “When men and horses pass Dagu, the wine’s fragrance drifts for miles.” Amidst this flourishing scene, Liu Xin, who had a deep passion for brewing, invested in property and set up a still in Dagu to formally establish Yijuyong Distillery. Confident in his venture, Liu Xin repeatedly shared with others that he named the distillery “Yijuyong” to convey his business philosophy: he believed in conducting business with “righteousness (yi),” because only with “yi” could one gather merchants (“ju”) and ensure everlasting prosperity (“yong”).

　　　　True to his vision, Yijuyong flourished under Liu Xin’s management. Making full use of Dagu’s exceptional natural conditions and Tianjin’s traditional brewing craftsmanship, he quickly produced Rose Liqueur—a luxury once reserved for royalty and officials. To ensure the richness and aroma of Yijuyong’s Rose Liqueur, the roses used are sourced exclusively from wild natural roses growing at altitudes above 800 meters in the mountainous regions of North and Northwest China. These wild roses, benefiting from cool and humid climates and long hours of sunlight, accumulate exceptionally high nutritional content in their petals. When infused in sorghum liquor, the essence of the roses organically blends with the spirit, resulting in an even more profound rose fragrance.

　　　　In 1900, just as Yijuyong Distillery was at its peak, the gunfire of the Eight-Nation Alliance shattered Liu Xin’s “dream.” The distillery and six generations’ worth of hard-earned assets—six large quadrangle mansions—were reduced to ashes. On the *Dagu Pacification Record* stone tablet, which documents the devastation of Dagu during the Boxer Rebellion, one can sense the destruction wrought upon Dagu’s brewing industry by the invasion: “Villages were set ablaze... the fires raged for over a month, reducing all houses to scorched earth... an unprecedented catastrophe in history...” At the time, to escape the chaos, Liu Xin fled with his family to Xiaoshaoke in the western suburbs. Though physically away, his heart remained tied to the lingering rose fragrance. After the fighting subsided, Liu Xin was the first among distillers to initiate the rebuilding of Dagu’s distilleries. Yijuyong even advanced funds for reconstruction, and other distilleries pitched in to help, leading to a rapid recovery of Dagu’s liquor industry within two years. However, due to Belgium’s forceful establishment of a concession in Dagu, Yijuyong relocated from the riverbank to the eastern end of Qianjie in Dagu.

　　　　After 1912, Yijuyong firmly established itself in Tianjin’s competitive liquor industry, ranking first in capital and workforce size, gradually becoming a leader in the sector. In 1915, Liu Xin, along with 55 other Tianjin liquor merchants, applied to establish a liquor guild and received approval. Liu was also elected as the deputy director of the Tianjin Liquor Merchants Research Institute, with offices located at the old Caocao’an on Nanma Road.

　　　　Yijuyong Rose Liqueur is beloved not only in China but also enjoys high global recognition, hailed by the international liquor industry as the “Chinese Brandy.” On December 9, 2006, Jinxing Yijuyong, a premium brand under Tianjin Food Import & Export Co., Ltd., was honored with the title of “China Time-Honored Brand”—the only one in Tianjin’s liquor industry to receive this distinction.