Baijiu has a long history in China. While distilling processes in the country dates back to the Neolithic Age, it’s estimated that the first baijiu was produced during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Its evolution since then has been slow and steady. Baijiu’s popularity grew during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), when commercialisation led to a rise in the number of urban pubs. With subsequent improvements in distillation technology from the Middle East, baijiu continued to be refined as a drink during the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) Dynasties.

Traditionally, baijiu was served as part of a ceremony, whereby a host would invite a guest to drink together. This would involve intentionally spilling some of the baijiu onto the ground, to show respect to nature. After which the host would sip the baijiu and share the guest their opinion of it. Nowadays, baijiu traditions are less commonly practised, but the drink’s distinctive taste remains.

Baijiu (literally translated as “white liquor”) is a clear, distilled alcohol fermented using a unique culture called a qū.

The first part of baijiu production involves the preparation of the qū which will be added to the grain. This consists of moistening, shaping, incubating, and maturing. The culture then kickstarts the saccharification and fermentation process, acting on grains such as sorghum, rice, barley and wheat. By far the most popular grain used in baijiu production is sorghum, although blends are not common. Next, the liquid is placed in a still, where the ingredients are boiled and steamed during distillation. Ageing constitutes the final step, and typically takes place in clay pots. Six months is generally considered a minimum length of time for baijiu to be aged; anything less than that is considered too harsh for consumption.

Baijiu varies significantly depending on the qū and grains used, as well as the flavour-profile of locally-sourced ingredients and infusions. These vary widely and lend baijiu its reputation for being an enormously diverse liquor you simply have to try.

There are four main categories of Chinese baijiu based on aroma: qingxiang (light aroma), mixiang (rice aroma), nongxiang (strong aroma) and jiangxiang (sauce aroma). Qingxiang is a light, dry and sweet-tasting baijiu, making it a go-to recommendation for beginners. Mixiang baijiu tastes a little more like sake, with its base of rice, giving it a clean overall profile on the palate. Nongxiang is sweet and mellow, and often contains fruity undertones. Jiangxiang contains notes of soy and umami, giving it a bold flavour we would recommend to experienced baijiu drinkers.

Like whisky, baijiu can also be classified by region. The primary baijiu-producing regions include Daqujiu (formerly Sichuan), Erguotou and San Hua Jiu, among many others. Each constitutes a unique flavour profile which indicates the geographic and climatic elements of the area. Erguotou, for instance, is heavily associated with the blue-collar workers of Beijing. Localities also indicate the fermenting techniques most likely used: Daqujiu baijiu is usually fermented in mud pits, while the baijiu of San Hua Jiu is known for its herbal additives and the use of spring water from Mount Xiang.

Baijiu is often infused with a variety of herbs, spices and flowers. Popular infusions include the floral tones of guihuajiu and chajiu. With a strong association with Chinese Medicine, baijiu also showcases a range of health-improving infusions, such as wu jia pi jiu.

To appreciate the best of baijiu, start off with affordable bottles, from brands such as Luzhou Laojiao, before moving onto higher-quality ones like Wuliangye and National Cellar.

Buy a bottle of Zisha Daqu from Luzhou Laojiao, and look out for the delicacy of floral notes in your first sip. Pepper, pear, ripe peach, and toasted rice combine to give a tour-de-force flavour which serves as an excellent introduction to the world of baijiu. Alternatively, snap up a bottle of Erqu baijiu, which showcases the signature sorghum taste appreciated by millions across China each year.

Those looking for a non-sorghum baijiu cannot look past the classic Wuliangye. A blend of broomcorn, rice, wheat and corn combine with soy beans, soy sauce and aniseed to create a sweet, dry flavour testament to the prowess of its creators. Wuliangye also offers sorghum-based baijiu: for those interested, take home a bottle of Wuliangye Panda, which elegantly mixes the grain with rice, wheat and corn.

For the essence of China, it’s hard to beat National Cellar. This brand is the go-to baijiu for Chinese state banquets and offers some of the only organic baijiu on the market. Right now, you can buy a bottle of the 1573 Spirit of China, which commemorates the brewery’s listing as both a National Treasure and part of China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. Take this bottle home as a testament to Chinese pride and the extraordinary quality of this 450 year old brewery.

Among the highest quality baijiu on the market, however, is Moutai. Their Fifteen, Thirty and Fifty Year Baijiu collection has been aged across generations, showcasing the extreme craftsmanship of intergenerational expertise. Not for the faint-hearted, these bottles are at once a divine tasting experience as well as a rare collector’s item you’ll be itching to get your hands on.

Cognac is a type of brandy, and brandy is essentially distilled wine. Its history takes us back to Renaissance Europe.

Brandy was initially distilled using fire, which is what earned it the Dutch name brandewijn (literally, “burned wine”). Merchants practised wine distillation for three reasons: preservation, ease of shipping, and taxes. Wine was taxed on the overall volume of the beverage, and so by distilling it, merchants could reduce the amount of tax they paid. They would add water back to the liquor post-distillation, reversing the effects of distillation and enjoying the wine with lower taxes and greater transportability.

However, brandy’s early consumers quickly realised that the distilled product they’d created tasted fantastic on its own – perhaps even better than the original wine. While pigments, sugars and salts remained behind in the still (the apparatus used for distilling), many other unique flavours and compounds had emerged while the wine was in the cask. Eventually, the world’s best wine-growing regions (at the time, Spain and France) were producing a unique beverage taking the world by storm. One of its famous brands came from a little southwestern French commune, called Cognac.

Cognac production is regulated by a central authority in France, the Institut National de l’origine et de la qualité. It stipulates that all cognac be distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged in oak barrels from the regions of Limousin or Tronçais.

The Italian Trebbiano grape, also known as ugni blanc, is the most commonly used grape in the production process. Typically, the white wine used in making cognac does not taste particularly good on its own, although it is considered superb for distillation purposes. After the grapes are pressed, the wine juice is fermented for two to three weeks. Over this time, the yeast in the mixture converts sugars into alcohol.

Cognac distillation makes use of alembic stills, which are essentially two copper vessels attached by a tube. Alembic stills are the ancestors of most of today’s modern pot stills. They work similarly to how they did in the 15th century: by heating one vessel, the liquid boils and the ensuing vapours filter into the second vessel.

Ageing generally takes anywhere between two and ten years. As the cognac interacts with the oak barrel and the air, it loses some of its ABV percentage, which starts at 70% and drops by approximately 3% per year. Over this time, the cognac is imbued with the woody flavours of the barrels, after which it is blended to produce unique flavour profiles.

Cognac is classified among connoisseurs by its age. Since cognac often contains a blend of several different brandies, its age is demarcated by the youngest brandy in the bottle. There are six categories, in order from youngest to oldest: V.S., V.S.O.P, Napoléon, XO, XXO and Hors d’âge.

The youngest cognac is called Very Special, V.S. or three stars — the youngest brandy in the blend has been aged for two years. Next comes the Very Superior Old Pale, also known as V.S.O.P or Reserve, at four years old. Napoléon constitutes a minimum of six years of brandy ageing, while XO, or Extra Old, has been aged a minimum of ten years. The oldest two are Extra Extra Old, at fourteen years, at Hors d’âge (literally, “beyond age”), which constitutes an unspecified age greater than ten years.

Cognac is also sometimes classified by being cru or not. The term cru signifies wines which have been grown in some of the most high-quality vineyards in France, among them Grandes Champagne, Borderies and Bois à terroirs.

While there are hundreds of cognac brands, the market is dominated by just a few, including Martell, Hennessy, Courvoisier and Remy Martin.

At iShopChangi, you can buy a range of Martell products, that too at duty-free prices. Shop for the silky, buttery, iconic Cordon Bleu, with its notes of walnut, dried flowers, dried pears and raisins. Alternatively, take a look at the Martell VS Single Distillery cognac, and see if you can detect notes of plum, apricot and candied lemon.

Martell also produces a series of limited edition products you can buy online. Cordon Blue is currently available in an Epic Voyage Edition by Pierre Marie, paying homage to the journey of the ingredients of this unique blend around the world. Taste the scrumptious flavours of orchard fruits, crystallised plums and apples interspersed with Mocha coffee, toasted almonds and vetiver. Alternatively, you can celebrate this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival in style with a Martell XO Mid-Autumn Festival Edition, complete with notes of coriander, fig, walnut, sandalwood and blackcurrant.

You can also snap up bottles of Hennessy from iShopChangi. Try Hennessy’s well-regarded Hennessy X.O. cognac, featuring salted caramel, honey, toasted bread, white pepper and fudge blending together to give a salty and sweet symphony of flavour. Alongside a juicy fillet steak or a dessert platter of chocolate and dried fruit, this classic cognac will go down a treat. To explore Hennessy’s limited edition collection, check out the Master Blender’s Selection No.4, with its orange peel, fresh apricot, candied spices and red oak undertones, lending it a warmth and fruitiness which is hard to beat. For seasoned cognac drinkers, the Hennessy X.X.O. is well worth your time.

You can buy all of your favourite Chinese baijiu and cognac brands at iShopChangi, making the most of exclusive duty-free prices. We’ll also deliver your bottles for free to any residential address in Singapore as long as you cart out with an order worth $59. While you’re at it, why not sign up to our Changi Rewards programme? Enjoy 10% off your first purchase when you sign up and even more discounts thereafter, uniquely designed for our most loyal customers.