Capital concept taps into spirit of baijiu
Every country is connected to a distinct alcoholic beverage: Mexico has tequila, in Russia it’s vodka, Japan is synonymous with sake, and for China, it’s baijiu (white spirit).
Baijiu is the best-selling liquor in the world, even though most people outside the country have never heard of it. There are many factors that account for this lack of acclaim, including its high alcohol content (50 percent or more), the tradition of drinking it in consecutive shots and the aging population of its loyal consumers.
However, one bar has big plans for the future of baijiu. Capital Spirits, which claims to be the world’s first baijiu bar, opened in Beijing in 2014 and has been bringing this liquor to the forefront of people’s palates ever since.
“When we first opened, we knew that a lot of foreigners were really interested in experiencing baijiu. It is still the most misunderstood spirit even though it is the world’s biggest-selling,” says US native, David Putney, co-owner and manager of the bar.
While many people are put off by their first experience with the drinking style at Chinese banquets — where you often drink until the bottle’s empty — Capital Spirits presents baijiu in a more subtle form: cocktails. More appealing to women and millennials, mixed drinks have the power to make brands such as Red Star and Niulanshan into global household names.
Putney believes that sampling baijiu by the glass and comparing the different aromas side-by-side is the best way for his customers to fully appreciate the spirit and decide which cocktail best suits them.
Just like fine wine, baijiu is an acquired taste and it can take time to understand its various flavors and styles. Luckily, this bar provides taster flights, although it would take quite a few to try all 40-plus varieties they have in stock.
“We offer taster flights and sit down with the customers to explain each of the four aromas. You should drink in this order: rice, light, strong and sauce. After you find your favorite, I can recommend a cocktail,” Putney explains.
Each type has its own unique flavor profile. The “rice” aroma from southern China has a sweeter, subtler taste, while the “light” aroma, commonly found in the Beijing area, is sorghum-based. The “strong” aroma is considered on the higher end because of the multiple grains used to create a more complex flavor. The “sauce” aroma is compared to soy sauce, but the high-end brand Moutai is the best you can get.
“Moutai is the hardest to work with (for mixed drinks) and takes the longest to develop. Even though the Moutai Coco Cream cocktail is mixed with sweet ingredients, I would say it is still a savory drink,” Putney says.
Mixed with chocolate and coconut cream, the Coco Cream is well worth the price, and highlights the best parts of the sauce aroma. Capital Spirits also offers a wide range of sour drinks, including the Bittersweet Boomerang. This recipe, devised by Paul Matthew, has a powerful aroma, using the “strong” aroma Baijiu.
“The best part of my job is the people I interact with. I get to talk to travelers on epic adventures — epic in the actual use of the word. I don’t make the drinks anymore for the most part, just wash dishes and deal with crowd control,” Putney says.
Capital Spirits is something of a well-kept secret. With a darkened doorway where you have to knock to enter, its speakeasy atmosphere attracts crowds of young drinkers. Hidden in a quiet Beijing hutong, the bar creates a warm and welcoming gathering space — once you find it, that is.
As a well-established name in service and quality, Capital Spirits also provides a consulting service to help spread the word about baijiu beyond the borders of the capital.