Jizhou Liquor

Jizhou Liquor

　　Jizhou Liquor is a specialty of Jixian County, Tianjin.

　　The water used in brewing Jizhou Liquor is sourced from the Pan Mountain range in Jixian, filtered through multiple layers of medical stone to create fully mineralized, deep natural high-quality medical stone mineral water. It is low in sodium, high in strontium, and rich in various minerals and trace elements beneficial to the human body, such as selenium and metasilicic acid.

　　Historical Origins of Jizhou Liquor

　　Jixian County is located in the northernmost part of Tianjin. Historically known as Jizhou, it boasts a history of human activity spanning tens of thousands of years and a cultural heritage of over a thousand years. With a long history and profound cultural roots, it served as the capital five times from the early Zhou Dynasty to the end of the Sui Dynasty. Before the Qing Dynasty, it was always the political, economic, cultural, and military center of the eastern region of Beijing, earning the title "Key to the Eastern Capital." The area enjoys distinct seasons, a pleasant climate, abundant resources, beautiful scenery, rich culture, and numerous historic sites. In ancient times, it was praised as a land of natural bounty and exceptional people, and today it is known as the "Back Garden of Beijing and Tianjin." The brewing history of Jizhou is even more ancient. Folklore tells of the origin of Jizhou’s liquor-making, claiming that 5,000 years ago, the ancient immortal Guang Chengzi, the eldest disciple of the Primordial Heavenly Worthy and the foremost of the Twelve Immortals in Taoism, retreated to the stone chambers of Kongtong Mountain north of Jizhou City to cultivate immortality. Xuanyuan Huangdi, the human ancestor of Chinese civilization, visited him twice to seek enlightenment and finally received the true teachings. The great Tang Dynasty poet Chen Zi’ang wrote: "Climbing the Jizhou Mound to the north, I gaze toward the ancient Xuanyuan Terrace. The Azure Dragon is no more, only dust remains where horses once grazed. I still think of Guang Chengzi, whose traces linger by the white clouds." Legend has it that Guang Chengzi was a deity who loved wine immensely. Ancient descriptions of him say: "With thick brows standing upright and a voice like thunder, he would pour his cup upon hearing of injustice. Wielding his sword, he would ride a thousand miles to aid a guest, leaving at the stroke of one and returning by the next. ----" He chose to cultivate in Jizhou precisely because the region produced fine wine. There was an old saying: "Jizhou abounds in fine wine, brewed from sprouted grains." "Sprouted grains" refer to Job’s tears, also known as coix seeds. The *Illustrated Pharmacopoeia* states: "It makes drinks fragrant and benefits the middle energizer and diaphragm." The *Miscellaneous Records* say: "When brewed and drunk in hot weather, it warms the stomach and benefits qi and blood." Traditional Chinese medicine describes its effects as: "Sweet, bland in flavor, slightly cold in nature, with functions of strengthening the spleen, eliminating dampness, clearing heat, and discharging pus. It warms the middle, disperses cold, and supplements qi and blood." When brewed into wine, its effects of dispelling cold, warming the stomach, strengthening the spleen, and benefiting qi and blood are significantly enhanced. It seems even immortals dwelling in caves for long periods could not avoid the invasion of cold and dampness, so drinking a bit of "Job’s tears" wine is quite beneficial. Artifacts unearthed in various parts of Jixian County show that Jizhou’s liquor culture can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty. After thousands of years of inheritance and development, by the early Qing Dynasty, the liquor industry in Jizhou had become quite advanced.

　　The predecessor of Jizhou Liquor, Xiao Family Distillery (later renamed Jizhou Distillery), has a history of over 300 years, producing Jizhou Old Liquor with both storefront and workshop. Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty once visited Jizhou incognito and paid a secret visit to Jizhou Distillery, leaving behind the tale of "Emperor Qianlong Visits Famous Liquor Incognito, Remarkable Woman Vows to Write a Remarkable Book." It is said that during one of his outings to Pan Mountain, Emperor Qianlong arrived at Tiancheng Temple, performed Buddhist rites, and the abbot prepared a banquet. The emperor and his accompanying ministers drank together, and when they reached the most delicious part, Qianlong raised his wine cup and recited: "Icy-cold wine, one dot, two dots, zero water." Liu Yong immediately responded: "Lilac flowers, one hundred words, one thousand words, ten thousand word heads." Pleased by this, the emperor and his ministers drank heartily, unfortunately leaving the old abbot with no wine left after their revelry. The next day, Qianlong woke up feeling refreshed and, recalling the exceptional quality of the previous night’s wine, was about to inquire about it when the abbot came to pay his respects. Seeing the emperor’s curiosity, the abbot quickly explained: "Your Majesty, thirty li south of Jizhou City lies a market town called Shangmicang (today’s Shangcang Town). North of the town, in Guojiazhuang Village, there is Xiao Family Distillery, which makes the best liquor in Jizhou." The abbot then recounted the legend of Xiao Family Distillery to Emperor Qianlong.

　　The legend goes that Xiao Family’s ancestors were a prosperous and kind-hearted family, often aiding villagers during famines and harsh times, earning them the nickname "Kind-hearted Xiao." For generations, the Xiao family made a living running a distillery, but due to the mediocre quality of the well water in their courtyard, the liquor they produced was also average, and the family business saw little growth over the years. As the saying goes, "Good liquor must come from good springs." One cold winter, with howling north winds and flying snow, a ragged Taoist priest passed by their door early in the morning. Seeing him shivering and poorly clad, Kind-hearted Xiao hurriedly called him in: "Taoist priest, please come in and warm yourself." After the priest entered, Xiao poured him a bowl of wine. The priest downed it in one go, smiled, and walked away. The young assistant remarked: "He drank the wine for free." Xiao replied: "Drinking helps ward off the cold and prevents freezing to death on the road." The next day, as the snow grew heavier, Xiao heard someone knocking on the door. Opening it, he found the same Taoist priest, who stumbled into the house. Seeing him half-frozen, Xiao told his wife to prepare warm wine and hot food. Shortly after, the priest finished eating and drinking, thanked them, and prepared to leave. Despite Xiao’s insistence, the priest refused to stay. The assistant grumbled: "At this rate, our business will be ruined sooner or later." Xiao responded: "What do you know? Only by accumulating virtue and doing good deeds will one receive blessings in return." On the third day, the priest returned, drinking three bowls of wine in a row before collapsing drunk onto the table. After a long while, he awoke and told Xiao: "To repay your kindness, I will repay wine with water. Your liquor’s taste is average mainly because you lack good water. Come with me." The priest led Xiao to a spacious area south of the village, drew a circle in the snow with a stick, and said: "The good water is here." Following the priest’s instructions, Xiao indeed struck good water. The liquor he brewed afterward was vastly superior to before, and Xiao Family Distillery’s reputation soared. The Taoist priest turned out to be none other than Lü Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals. After the well was dug, Lü Dongbin brought the other seven immortals to see the magical spring. Han Xiangzi scattered honey from a hundred flowers, Iron-Crutch Li added the Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Elixir, Lan Caihe tossed in the Spirit-Enlightening and Intelligence-Enhancing Essence, and He Xiangu sprinkled Immortal Lotus Dew for Longevity, making the spring water even more crystal-clear, refreshing, and sweet. After drinking the new water-brewed liquor, the Eight Immortals all became heavily intoxicated. Arriving at the village entrance, they pointed south and declared: "The villages ahead shall share this water." From then on, the water quality south of Guojiazhuang all the way to Shangcang was far superior to other areas, and the nearby village to the south was renamed "Several Villages" (Jigezhuang). Over generations of refinement, Xiao Family Distillery developed a unique set of liquor-brewing techniques. They carefully selected locally grown Job’s tears (also called coix seeds or grass beads) as the raw material. The resulting liquor not only had a rich cellar aroma, was soft and mellow, sweet and refreshing, but also had the effects of dispelling dampness, clearing heat, strengthening the spleen, and nourishing the lungs. Coupled with the Xiao family’s reputation for generosity and kindness, their fame spread far and wide over the years.

　　Upon hearing this, Emperor Qianlong was deeply moved and decided to visit incognito, partly to observe the people’s lives and partly to seek out fine liquor for enjoyment. This led to the tale: "Emperor Qianlong Visits Jizhou for Famous Liquor, Remarkable Woman Vows to Write a Remarkable Book."

　　That afternoon, Qianlong, accompanied by Heshen and a few personal guards—six in total—headed straight for Shangcang. Before the hour of You (around 5–7 PM), they arrived at Guojiazhuang Village north of Shangcang Town and spotted the wine flag of Xiao Family Distillery from afar without even asking. Entering the courtyard, following the abbot’s advice, they first inspected the water before tasting the liquor. The village head, Xiao, seeing the distinguished demeanor of the guests, promptly came out to welcome them. Upon learning they wanted to see the water, he quickly had his family fetch a bucket of water from the sacred spring well. Qianlong carefully examined and sipped the water, noting its crystal-clear transparency, refreshing sweetness, and taste like fine liquor. Looking around the courtyard, the neighboring houses were clean and tidy, though the air was filled with the rich aroma of liquor.

　　The village head, Xiao, invited Qianlong and his entourage to the main room. After Qianlong praised the water, he and Xiao discussed liquor. Soon, the family served wine and dishes. Xiao had his family bring out the finest aged liquor from the deepest part of the cellar. The host and guests took their seats and began drinking. After several cups, Qianlong, in high spirits, recited: "Skillful hands brew nectar so fresh?" Xiao replied: "Shangcang ancient town has sweet springs." "In my exalted position, I rarely taste such flavor," Qianlong said. Realizing the person before him was the "Son of Heaven" himself, Xiao panicked and knelt down: "I wish to offer this fragrant brew to delight Your Majesty’s face." Qianlong told him to rise, saying: "Fine liquor indeed comes from famous springs—this is no lie." At this moment, Xiao’s daughter, Xiao Jingyu, entered the room. Xiao instructed her: "Jingyu, quickly pour wine for His Majesty." Xiao Jingyu shyly filled Qianlong’s cup and said: "Your Majesty, please drink." After several rounds, night fell, and Xiao arranged lodging for Qianlong. Half-drunk, Qianlong remarked: "Your daughter is lovely; she is a fortunate woman. How old is she?" Xiao, at a loss, was persuaded by Heshen to let Xiao Jingyu accompany the emperor for the night. The next morning, Qianlong saw Xiao Jingyu sitting by the kang (heated bed) and asked: "Why are you here?" She quickly knelt and bowed: "This humble woman, Xiao Jingyu, serves Your Majesty and begs for Your Majesty’s favor." Qianlong replied: "Oh, so you’re seeking an imperial title." A young maiden had spent the night with him, and though nothing had happened, he felt obliged to offer some recognition. He casually granted her the title of "Noble Lady" and promised to send for her to enter the palace upon returning to the capital.

　　As a Noble Lady, Xiao Jingyu henceforth stayed within her quarters, sitting alone in her embroidery room, yearning day and night. From spring to summer, autumn to winter—year after year, two, three… yet no imperial envoy came to fetch her. Consumed by worry, her beauty faded. The heart of an emperor is the cruelest. Xiao Jingyu finally realized she had been "deceived" by the Son of Heaven. Amid longing, sorrow, anger, and depression, she turned to books and wine, pouring her heart into writing. She eventually completed the 400,000-word timeless masterpiece *Ten Golden Pills*.

　　After Xiao Jingyu (daughter of Xiao Tingzan, founder of Jizhou Distillery) wrote the remarkable book *Ten Golden Pills*, Xiao Family Distillery gained even greater fame. Xiao Jingyu’s nephew, Xiao Chaozong, seized the opportunity to further expand production, increase output, reduce costs, and refine brewing techniques, making it the largest distillery in eastern Beijing. During the Tongzhi era, the Xiao family helped relatives establish multiple distilleries in Machiqiao, Xiacang, and Shangcang in Jizhou. Later, Li Jiang, a native of Jizhou who once served as an official in the Ministry of Rites, presented Jizhou Liquor to the Qing court’s dignitaries, and it became an imperial tribute liquor.

　　Jizhou Liquor

　　 The administrative regions of Shangcang Town, Yangjinzhuang Town, and Xiawotou Town in Jixian County, Tianjin (totaling 3 towns)

　　 *Letter from Jixian County People’s Government on Delimiting the Geographical Indication Product Origin Range of Jizhou Liquor in Jixian County*, Jizheng Letter [2014] No. 69

　　 Enterprise Standard of Tianjin Guayue Brewing Co., Ltd.:

　　Q/tjgyj002-2008 *Jizhou Liquor Production Technology Operation Specifications*