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Creativity increases Shaoxing wine's appeal to young generation

chinadaily.com.cn| Updated: December 18, 2020 L M S

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Social media influencers taste yellow rice wine ice sticks in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang province on Dec 16. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Two social media influencers became fans of Shaoxing huangjiu (yellow rice wine) at the China Huangjiu Museum in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang province on Dec 16.

In the 30,000-square-meter museum, the two guests, Feng Jiaying and Chen Shiqi, sampled over 100 creative products that were made using yellow rice wine or featured Shaoxing's wine culture.

Shaoxing yellow rice wine is fermented from glutinous rice and wheat and has an amber hue. It does not have as sharp a hit as white spirits, but it does possess a deceptive subtlety that may leave the uninitiated surprised.

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Performers pay tribute to Shaoxing's wine culture. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

The wine has a history of more than 2,500 years and is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks in China. The earliest text records of the spirit date back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC).

Feng and Chen picked ice sticks made with yellow rice wine as one of their favorites, saying the unique snack is mellow, buttery smooth, and is unlikely to induce a hangover.

Zhao Xudong, the manager of the museum's sales department, said the popularity of yellow rice wine ice sticks has inspired the creation of chocolate, ice cream and even facial masks that use the wine.

The China Huangjiu Museum is operated by the China Shaoxing Yellow Rice Wine Group Co, a leader in China's wine industry with a total asset of $1.07 billion and more than 3,500 employees.