Generally speaking, the development of brewing technology in China falls into two stages. The first stage that is of natural fermentation lasted thousands of years. The second stage began only with the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911) when the traditional fermentation underwent great changes due to the use of the Western technology, including microbiology and biochemistry.

The earliest ancient technology includes “The Six Methods.” This requires that those in charge of a brewery supervise the preparations of grains, nurture distiller’s yeast, clean utensils, provide sweet water from a well of a mountain spring, set up needed earthen wares and carefully control the fire temperature during brewage process.

3,200 years ago, the Chinese invented distiller’s yeast, which they regarded as essential for liquor brewing. Famous Chinese alcoholic beverages always use water of high-quality for water is the blood of a liquor. Alcoholic beverages are usually stored in a cellar for a period of time. Some cellars are very old. The oldest, in Lzhou, Sichuan, is still in existence to day and is more than 300 years old.

This article by Yang Tianqing and Daniel Kister.