Cocktail Project

[spacefrog]

I want to develop a line of recipes using Baijiu (a Chinese distilled beverage). Alcoholic would be happy to live in China where 38% alcohol can be as cheap as 50 cents a bottle. But fine rice wine can be sold to $60,000 per bottle.

Chinese Baijiu is like vodka but with a special aroma. I have not develop the taste to drink it straight but I thought it would be fun to make some cocktail out of it.

have anybody tried Baijiu or made cocktail with it before? one time

[Hassouni]

Check out recipes for shochu or soju, similar stuff

[bartenderkyle]

I just bought a bottle of Baojing a few weeks ago. Since I haven't had a lot of time to play around with it and am slightly uncreative, so far I've just used it as I would a vodka, albeit an especially aromatic one. It does have a very distinct aroma, though, and I've been experimenting on using it as an aromatic garnish.

[Rafa]

Sours and swizzles are good ways to tame fiery spirits; all the ice, fresh juice, and sugar help take the edge off, and can complement (or drown out if you're not careful) the aromatic flavors of the spirit.

I haven't had Baijiu. Is it as intensely aromatic as schochu?

Another idea might be to use it as a float in recipes with another base spirit, the way that Tiki drinks use intensely aromatic overproof rums.

[Rafa]

A batida (fresh fruit-flavored cachaca sour) might be a good model. Here's an example:

Watermelon Batida

by Dan Chadwick, but surely lots of people have done this sort of thing.

2 oz Cachaça

1/2 oz Lime juice

1/4 oz Simple syrup (or more to taste)

1 oz Watermelon (pureed with immersion blender)

1 spg Mint (muddled)

Puree watermelon, muddle mint, add ingredients, shake w/ ice, fine strain. Rocks. Low-ball

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[bartenderkyle]

Sours and swizzles are good ways to tame fiery spirits; all the ice, fresh juice, and sugar help take the edge off, and can complement (or drown out if you're not careful) the aromatic flavors of the spirit.

I haven't had Baijiu. Is it as intensely aromatic as schochu?

Another idea might be to use it as a float in recipes with another base spirit, the way that Tiki drinks use intensely aromatic overproof rums.

Haven't had shochu and the only baijiu I've had is the one I mentioned, but it is very aromatic, it reminds me of a genever. And it does work very well as a float.

[opinionated_alchemist]

Who haven't tried Baiju has no idea...

Unfortunately I really hate it. I thought, that a spirit, which is consumed by so many people [millions of Chinese] it has to ok. Awgh was I wrong.

I got two "samples" of a Chinese colleague [should have been a present - but I rather see it as torture] - but I also tried some when I was working as Beverage Manager in a hotel with a Chinese restaurant.

It is like rocket fuel - only that rocket fuel would taste far better than it!

I really cannot think of anything, which would tame down the taste. It is not so much the fiery character, is more the penetrating taste, which seems to last with you for hours.

Sorry - I am usually quite creative, even at least a bit diplomatic. But not for Baiju.

The taste reminds me pretty much on Awamori [Japanese rice spirit]- however latter has just a hint of funkiness and this can be incorporated in recipes and could result into an enjoyable cocktail. Baiju - not at all. If my liquor cabinets would be empty and if I could not buy any liquor, I would stay teetotaling - I would not touch a drop of it.