8 drinks to enjoy this Chinese New Year
Celebrating Chinese New Year this year? If you want to celebrate properly, it’s worth going on the hunt for these drink options at your local Chinatown to enjoy Chinese New Year in the best way with your family and friends.
Alcoholic Options
Xinjiang Black Beer
Pronounced like ‘Sinkiang’, this dark beer has an alcohol content of 4.3% and is rich in Loulan hops, is full-bodied and is most likely to be sold in Xinjiang restaurants.
Tsingtao Beer
Arguably the most well-known Chinese beer is Tsingtao. The beer, which you can pick up in supermarkets including Tesco, is produced in Qingdao in Shandong province at Tsingtao Brewery, China’s second largest brewery. Tsingtao is produced with spring water from Laoshan, a mountain area famous for the purity of its water and is well hopped with a high-malty flavour.
Baijiu
Baijiu, also known as shaojiu, is traditional Chinese drink made from grain and it has been made for over 5000 years. Báijiǔ means “white alcohol” or liquor, and is a strong distilled spirit with between 40% and 60% alcohol volume. For us, it is similar to vodka in strength and taste. The Chinese traditionally serve baijiu either warm or at room temperature in a small ceramic bottle before pouring it into small cups.
Cassia wine
Cassia wine is produced from weak Baijiu and is often sweetened and flavoured with sweet osmanthus flowers. Although it is distilled, it tends to have an alcohol content of less than 20%. Cassia wine is the traditional wine choice and is also classed as an medicinal wine. It is produced in Beijing and in Hong Kong.
Yanghe Daqu Liquor
Yanghe Daqu Liquor has a history of more than 400 years. The liquor is produced in Yanghe Town on the Jiangsu Province and is a transparent liquid which has a very strong scent and smooth taste with a refreshing flavour.
Non-Alcoholic
Bubble Tea
This may not be the first time you have heard of Bubble Tea as it has made its way across to the UK in recent years. Also known as pearl milk tea or boba juice, the Taiwanese tea-based drink invented in Taichung in the 1980s. Bubble Tea recipes tend to contain a tea base which is then mixed with fruit or milk, with tapioca balls and fruit jelly often added.
Suanmeitang
Suanmeitang is a traditional Chinese drink that is made from sour plums, rock sugar and sweet osmanthus. It can be quite a salty drink and is known for being sweet and quite sour. It is also believed to have health benefits and is considered a great option for drinking when needing to cool off in the heat.
Rock Salt Tea
Rock Salt Tea is an incredibly popular choice in shopping centres across China and can be found in the UK easily. Alternatively, you can make your own at home with cream cheese, Himalayan pink salt, milk, whipped cream, condensed milk and ice. It is also popular to add a sprinkle of cocoa powder and a pinch of salt to finish. See a full recipe here.
