Time to raise a glass to baijiu

World's top-selling alcoholic drink, by volume, enjoys growing international demand for its unique flavor, Yang Yang reports.

Amiddle-aged Chinese cardiologist friend told me two years ago that after tasting alcohol from different countries, he could finally appreciate baijiu, a name that encompasses the whole spectrum of different Chinese spirits.

My own epiphany with baijiu happened much earlier at a senior middle school reunion during university. Until then, I'd hated the smell of what my grandfather, father and uncles all called the "aroma" of baijiu, especially when mixed with the aromas of multiple dishes, and the loud drunken shouts, laughter, and sometimes quarrels, and the endless rounds of toasting that marked all my childhood festivals.

However, when Derek Sandhaus, who comes from the United States, started promoting baijiu overseas — even though it is the best-selling alcohol in the world by volume, it is little known outside of China — the rituals of drinking baijiu in a festive setting became a selling point.