Fake Liquors Flow as Demand Soars for China’s Fabled Sorghum Spirit(2)
It is not clear whether the president heeded the warnings as he circled the room vigorously toasting his hosts. But Chinese officials have long attributed the visit’s success to the 30-year-old Moutai that was sloshing around the Great Hall of the People. “As the sweet fragrance of Moutai wafted across the room, the American guests became intrigued, grins appeared on their faces, and they were visibly happy and relaxed” is how the Communist Party’s official account described the evening.
Even as rising incomes and changing tastes fuel increased sales of imported wine and spirits, the Chinese are still extremely fond of their baijiu. Last year, consumers downed 1.8 billion gallons of homegrown baijiu compared with 264 million gallons of wine, both domestic and foreign, according to Mr. Liu of the national liquor association.
Back in Maotai, population 49,000, the entire town seems to be in the throes of baijiu fever. In recent months, 15,000 people have been evicted from the hills overlooking the distillery to make way for an expansion that will nearly double annual production, now at 23,000 tons. In the coming years they will be joined by 16,000 more people, most of whom will be relocated to what officials are calling “New Town of National Liquor,” a generic stand of high-rises a few miles down a newly built highway.
Even as the Moutai distillery turns large swaths of the ancient town to rubble, it is rare to hear a disparaging word about the company.
Wang Yi, 25, a warehouse worker who graduated from company-run Moutai High, eagerly welcomed a group of foreigners into his living room recently. His three-story house, newly built and faced in gleaming white tiles, was a testament to the prosperity generated by the distillery. It was also slated to be demolished.
Mr. Wang shrugged when asked how he felt about moving. “There’s nothing we can do about it,” he said. Then he took out a business card for his family’s private baijiu distillery. Asked if it had a name, Mr. Wang demurred. “We can make any brand you want,” he said with a smile.
