Blended and Infused Liquors · FFET10404
Zhuyeqing liqueur
A Fenjiu-based herbal liqueur with a golden color and a slight green tint.
Liquors made by steeping or blending plants, flowers or fruit into a base of baijiu, huangjiu or another alcoholic drink.
Zhuyeqing is a liqueur made with a Fenjiu base in Xinghuacun, Fenyang, Shanxi. Herbs are steeped in the base spirit before sweetening, clarification and aging; the liqueur is golden with a slight green tint. The bamboo-leaf wine mentioned in an old poem cannot be directly identified as today's Zhuyeqing.
What
Zhuyeqing is a liqueur made by steeping herbs in Fenjiu and adding sugar. It has a golden color with a slight green tint.2,3
When
The second of Yu Xin's 6th-century poems titled Chunri lihe er shou mentions bamboo-leaf wine, but this does not establish that it was the same drink as modern Zhuyeqing. The edition seen gives no publication year, so it cannot establish an origin date for the modern liqueur.1
Where
Zhuyeqing comes from Xinghuacun in Fenyang, within Lüliang, Shanxi, which is also home to its base spirit, Fenjiu.2,3
How
Production involves steeping herbs in Fenjiu, blending with sugars, clarifying with egg white and aging.2
Why
Its herbal flavor, golden color with a green tint, and sweetening distinguish Zhuyeqing as a liqueur.2
Impact and influence
The Xinghuacun Fenjiu-making craft entered the first national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006. Its description includes Zhuyeqing among products derived from Fenjiu. The recognition covers the Fenjiu-making craft.3