A Guide of Special Drinks for Travelers

When you come to China, besides the world-famous Chinese cuisine, the local specialty drinks are absolutely a unique experience you can't miss! Chinese alcohol culture is rich and diverse, with different regions breeding totally different types of wine and drinking ways. Put aside the complicated history, let's directly introduce you to these special drinks worth trying by yourself:

1. Baijiu: China's National Spirit, A Bold Flavor Choice

This is China's most representative spirit, and also one of the most consumed distilled wines in the world. It is usually brewed from grains like sorghum and wheat, with an alcohol content mostly between 40-60% ABV. It has a rich, unique and strong aroma, offering a totally different flavor experience from the vodka or whiskey you are familiar with.

• How to drink it: Traditionally, Chinese people drink it in one gulp with small cups, paired with rich dishes. Toasting with it during dinners is a way to show friendliness and respect.

• Tips: For first-timers, you can start with light-aroma baijiu with lower alcohol content. It has a fresher taste, which is easier for people who try it for the first time to accept.

2. Huangjiu: A Mild & Mellow Rice Brewing Classic

This is a unique brewed wine only in China, fermented from high-quality glutinous rice. It has a low alcohol content, usually between 14-20% ABV, with a mellow and slightly sweet taste, and the natural aroma of grains.

• How to drink it: The most classic way is to warm it to about 40°C before drinking. Warmed huangjiu will fully release its aroma, with a mild and smooth taste. A cup of it in cool weather will warm you up all over.

• Where to try: Huangjiu from Shaoxing, Zhejiang is the most famous. In local restaurants, you can always get the authentic warmed huangjiu, paired with local fennel beans, which is a very authentic local experience.

3. Sweet Rice Wine: A Sweet & Mild Choice for Beginners

If you don't drink much alcohol, this one is definitely for you! It is a sweet wine fermented from glutinous rice in a short time, with an alcohol content of only 2-5% ABV. It's almost like a sweet drink, with a sweet and soft taste, and the natural aroma of glutinous rice.

• How to drink it: You can eat it cold directly to feel its freshness; or heat it up with an egg to make sweet rice wine with egg, which is a favorite breakfast or dessert for many Chinese people.

• Experience: There's almost no irritation from alcohol, girls and non-drinkers can try it easily. Many people fall in love with its sweetness at the first sip.

4. Highland Barley Wine: The Pure Flavor of the Plateau

This is a specialty wine from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, brewed from highland barley unique to the plateau. It has an alcohol content between 10-20% ABV, with a sweet and clean taste, and the pure fragrance of plateau grains.

• How to drink it: The local traditional way is full of ritual: The host will serve the wine in a clean silver bowl. You need to dip your right ring finger into the wine, and flick it three times to the air, to pay respect to heaven and earth, ancestors, and relatives and friends, then drink it all in one go. This is the local way to show respect and blessings.

• Feature: In homestays or local restaurants in Tibet, you can experience this unique drinking culture, and feel the enthusiasm and sincerity of the plateau people.

5. Plum Wine: A Sweet & Sour Fruity Delight

This is a specialty fruit wine from southern China, made by soaking fresh green plums picked in early summer. It has an alcohol content between 12-15% ABV, with a sweet, sour and refreshing taste, and a strong fruity aroma of green plums, which is very good for cutting grease.

• How to drink it: Usually it's served with ice or after refrigeration. A cup of it in hot summer can drive away the heat instantly, and it's very suitable to pair with light seafood or salad.

• Popularity: This wine is very popular among young girls, because its fruity flavor is so strong that you can barely feel the irritation of alcohol, just like drinking sweet and sour juice.

6. Osmanthus Wine: A Sweet Choice Full of Floral Aroma

This is a sweet wine with the aroma of autumn, made by soaking fresh osmanthus flowers in rice wine. It has a low alcohol content, about 10% ABV, with a sweet taste, full of the elegant aroma of osmanthus.

• How to drink it: Autumn is the best season to drink osmanthus wine, because it's the blooming season of osmanthus. You can drink it warm to feel its warm fragrance, or cold to experience its freshness. No matter how you drink it, the strong osmanthus aroma will fill your mouth.

• Feature: Drinking it is like drinking the floral fragrance of the whole autumn into your mouth, romantic and healing. It's very suitable for taking photos to check in, leaving your own autumn memory.

 Tsingtao Beer — A Century-Old International Brand

Founded in 1903 as a German-British joint venture, Tsingtao is one of China's oldest beer brands. Leveraging German brewing techniques and spring water from Laoshan Mountain, Tsingtao won its first international gold medal at the 1906 Munich International Expo — making it one of the earliest Chinese brands to gain global recognition.

Tsingtao Classic 600ml — A staple in Chinese restaurants worldwide

International Achievements

· Exported to over 120 countries and regions — the most widely distributed Chinese beer

· Named World's Strongest Beer Brand by Brand Finance in 2025, BSI score 95.6, AAA+ rating

· Brand value of 280.35 billion RMB, ranking among the world's top 5 beer companies

· Official sponsor of the Beijing 2008 Olympics and 2022 Winter Olympics

· Key overseas markets: North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia

Brand Identity

· Iconic green bottle with red label — the most recognizable Chinese beer symbol

· Brewed with Laoshan mineral spring water for a clean, crisp taste

· Available in nearly every Chinese restaurant abroad — synonymous with "Chinese beer"

· Diverse product line: Classic, Draft, White Beer, Augerta, 1903 Vintage, and more

Next time you come to China, why not put aside the foreign wine you are familiar with, and try these local specialty drinks? Each of them hides the flavor and enthusiasm of different regions, and will definitely leave a unique and beautiful memory for your trip to China!