Du Kang 杜康老字号白坡浓香白酒 52% 480ml

The best place to read a legend on how a famous liquor came to be invented is while sitting and having a taste, with the liquor, of course, being served in pretty bottles rather than taken from the hole of a tree. In many restaurants, you can find a quotation on the wall taken from Cao Cao, a famous Chinese general, and poet: “What’s the remedy for my grief? Of course, it’s Du Kang!”

Today, people appreciate Du Kang for both its historic fame and reasonable price. In recent years, there has been a trend in China toward drinking more moderately priced liquors and even soft drinks on formal occasions. Still, Du Kang is always a welcome addition at private parties, during festivals, and for those who are fond of strong liquor with an alcohol level above 50 F. Du Kang is especially popular in northern China, where people enjoy getting additional warmth from the strong liquor.

• The Chinese do not drink wine cold or put ice in their drinks. They believe warm wines improve blood circulation and aid digestion.
• They prefer to drink wine straight, and not mixed in a drink.
• The custom of cocktails before dinner doesn’t exist in China. In general, they prefer to enjoy wine with a good meal.