Chinese fire water: Taizi
In China, a colourless liquor called baijiu outsells whiskey, vodka, rum, gin, and tequila combined, and now it’s being made here in Christchurch.
It’s the most popular alcoholic drink you’ve probably never heard of. Known as Chinese fire water, baijiu is a colourless liquor usually distilled in China from fermented sorghum and wheat. More baijiu is sold in China than whiskey, vodka, rum, gin, and tequila combined, yet it remains virtually unknown outside of the Chinese drinking culture. Christchurch brothers Sam and Ben Lu are changing that with Taizi, their version of the high-proof premium Chinese spirit.
“We’ve based our baijiu called Taizi on the baijiu we used to enjoy in our native Taiwan,” says Sam. “Rather than asking friends to bring some back with them if they went to visit Taiwan, in 2007 we decided it was time to try to make our own here in New Zealand. It took a number of years of research and development to come up with the right recipe, but eventually, with some tweaks for the Western palate, we believed we had it just right. It’s a blend of East meets West, proudly Canterbury-made and the first baijiu to be produced in the Western world.”
Taizi literally means ‘extreme purple’, but sounds the same as ‘crown prince’ in Chinese. Fitting then that the drink should come in a beautiful imperial coloured purple box and that its regal aroma hits your nose from the moment you open the bottle. Taizi can be drunk neat or used as the base for delicious cocktails, like the Fire and Ice Peach Fizz recipe below. To experience its rich Chinese essence, purchase yours from bottle stores and Ballantynes.
