Chinese Brews

I think there is no end to what Asians have been produce from rice. I've heard just about every type of food... noodles, cakes, ice cream, oil, and a variety of snacks and crackers. It's used for paper, soap, and cosmetics. It's even used as building insulation.

But of course, kudos to the Asians for turning the little white grain into alcohol. In Korea, there was soju. A very drinkable liquor, easy to mix into Coke or Sprite... not dissimilar to vodka.

But in China... it's Baijiu. And baijiu is a horrible, violently disgusting 100-proof liquor you wouldn't want to touch on a bet.

On first smell, I thought it might be do-able. People had terrible things to say about soju, but I ended up liking it. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. Beside the turpentine stench that accompanies it, the minute I choked it down, my tongue and lips felt a little tingly and numb. Not exactly what you hope for from a cocktail.

I couldn't do more than the mini-shot I took to taste it. And I'm happy to say that's where my encounter with baijiu ends. According to some well-versed in the beverage, baijiu hangovers seem to be in a category of their own. Most people have told me the hangover lasts for days, and it takes quite a while to stop smelling it on your clothes and your skin.

So, while I won't be enjoying the local booze (which is really disappointing, because the bottle it comes in is pretty cool), I will be taking some home for everyone to try. Get ready, folks.