China Drinks Guide: What to Order and How to Drink It

China’s drinking culture is simultaneously one of the world’s most sophisticated (a 5,000-year tea tradition; baijiu made with multi-year fermentation processes no Western distillery attempts) and one of the most challenging for foreign visitors (banquet toasting rituals that seem designed to ensure maximum intoxication, a beer culture that defaults to drinking warm, and a tea menu in Chinese with no English translation).

This guide covers the practicalities.

Baijiu (白酒): China’s National Spirit

Baijiu is the world’s most consumed spirit by volume — over 10 billion litres sold annually in China — and almost entirely unknown outside Asia. It is a distilled grain spirit with alcohol content typically between 40% and 65%.

The Main Types

Sauce-aroma (酱香型, jiàng xiāng): The prestige category; includes Moutai (茅台) and Langjiu. Complex, savoury, almost aged soy sauce-like aroma; the preferred style for formal banquets. The most expensive type.

Strong-aroma (浓香型, nóng xiāng): The most widely consumed category; includes Wuliangye (五粮液) and Luzhou Laojiao. Sweeter and more approachable than sauce-aroma; this is what most Chinese people drink most of the time.

Light-aroma (清香型, qīng xiāng): Cleaner and lighter; includes Fen Jiu (汾酒) from Shanxi. The easiest style for Western palates unfamiliar with baijiu.

Baijiu Etiquette

Gan bei (干杯): “Empty cup” — the full-glass toast. Strictly interpreted, this means drinking your whole glass. At formal dinners, multiple gan bei toasts are expected.

Declining politely: Acceptable to cite health reasons (我不能喝酒, wǒ bù néng hē jiǔ — “I can’t drink alcohol”) or to request a glass of water/juice to toast with. Hosts who pressure someone past a polite decline are committing a social faux pas.

Reciprocating: If your host fills your glass and toasts you, reciprocate by filling their glass. Not reciprocating is noticed.

Beer (啤酒): Regional Varieties

Major brands: Tsingtao (青岛, Qingdao), Snow (雪花), Yanjing (燕京, Beijing), Harbin (哈尔滨). All are light lagers with 3.5–5% ABV and mild flavour — designed for hot weather and spicy food pairing.

Regional craft beer: A Chinese craft beer scene has developed since 2010, particularly in:

• Shanghai: Several notable craft breweries (Moonzen, Strong Ale Works, Boxing Cat)
• Beijing: Great Leap Brewing, Arrow Factory
• Chengdu: Chengdu Brewing Company, Moonzen satellite locations

Beer at restaurants: Chinese restaurants typically do not chill beer. Order “ice cold beer” (冰啤酒, bīng pí jiǔ) explicitly, or request ice (冰块, bīng kuài) to chill your glass.

Chinese Wine (中国葡萄酒)

Chinese wine has improved dramatically since 2010. The key regions:

Ningxia (宁夏): The most acclaimed wine region; Helan Mountain East foothills produce Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that compete with mid-tier Bordeaux. Chateau Changyu Moser XV and Kanaan Winery are internationally recognised labels.

Xinjiang (新疆): High altitude (1,000–1,400m) and extreme continental climate; excellent Merlot and Cabernet. Suntime (新天) is the largest producer.

Yunnan (云南): Shangri-La county produces high-altitude wine (2,200–2,600m) from Cabernet Franc; unusual terroir with significant day-night temperature variation.

On restaurant menus: Chinese wine sections are typically limited; Great Wall (长城) and Dynasty (王朝) are the ubiquitous standard labels. In better restaurants, request the wine list specifically — Chinese fine wine rarely appears on standard menus.

Tea (茶): Ordering Without Reading Chinese

The six categories (remember the colours):

At tea houses: Point to these six category names; staff will show you options within each. Hot water refills should be free; you are paying for the tea leaves, not the pot.

At restaurants: 茶水 (cháshuǐ) is complimentary tea (jasmine or generic green); ordering specific teas incurs an additional charge.

Soft Drinks and Non-Alcoholic Options

Packaged drinks from convenience stores:

• Nongfu Spring water (农夫山泉) — national standard for decent mineral water
• Vita soy milk (维他) — available in original, chocolate, red bean
• Yakult/lactobacillus drinks — widely available; good for stomach adjustment

At Starbucks/Luckin/Heytea: All offer reasonable coffee alternatives if you need a coffee-culture baseline; Heytea (喜茶) and Nayuki (奈雪) are the premium milk tea chains with actual good tea bases.

Understanding what’s in the glass in China isn’t just practical — it’s the fastest way into the hospitality culture, where what you’re drinking and how you’re drinking it carries as much social meaning as the food itself.