Beer and Highland Barley Brews · FFET10398
Qingke liquor (highland barley spirit of Huzhu, Qinghai)
A distilled spirit from Huzhu, Qinghai, using highland barley for both the grain and the fermentation starter.
Undistilled grain brews other than huangjiu and rice wine, chiefly beer and highland barley brew.
Here, qingke liquor means the distilled spirit made in Huzhu, Qinghai, with highland barley as both the grain and the fermentation starter, distinct from the lower-alcohol fermented Himalayan drink sharing its Chinese name. Its traditional production uses pits with granite walls and pine floors and repeated rounds of fermentation and distillation. The traditional Qinghai qingke liquor brewing craft was listed in 2021 as an extension item in the fifth batch of the national intangible cultural heritage list.
What
The qingke liquor described here is a distilled spirit from Huzhu, Qinghai, using highland barley for both the brewing grain and the fermentation starter. The Chinese name also refers to a lower-alcohol fermented drink in the Himalayan region; these are distinct drinks.1,4
When
Traditional production continues year-round. In 1952, eight distilleries merged to form the Huzhu Liquor Factory on the former Tianyoude distillery site. This dates the factory's establishment, not the origin of qingke liquor. The available material provides no dated primary text establishing its earliest history.1,2
Where
The production area covered here is Huzhu Tu Autonomous County, Haidong, Qinghai, also the declaring place for the traditional Qinghai qingke liquor brewing craft.1
How
The traditional craft steams the raw and auxiliary materials separately, makes the starter from highland barley, and uses fermentation pits with granite walls and pine floors. One charge of grain undergoes four fermentations and four distillations, with each fermentation cycle lasting about 80 days.1
Why
The craft is characterized by using highland barley for both grain and starter, fermentation cycles of about 80 days, and pits built with stone walls and wooden floors.1
Impact and influence
The traditional brewing craft became a national intangible cultural heritage extension item in 2021, and the Huzhu brand was recognized as a China Time-honored Brand in 2011. A CNIPA notice of October 2026 also states that the Huzhu qingke liquor national geographical indication protection demonstration zone passed national on-site acceptance.1,2,3