Zhenjiu Liquor – Cherished Deep Fragrance Produced through Craftsmanship

The bright pearl in northern Guizhou Province and the revolutionary base Zunyi City are famous for their historical accumulation and remembered for liquor fragrance. Located in Shizipu of northern suburb of Zunyi City, the liquor producers who love deep fragrance have the good faith to make more people enjoy the high-quality deeply fragrant liquor, persist on the craftsmanship, inherit and innovate from generation to generation, and produce the cherished deeply fragrant Zhenjiu liquor with heart and soul.

Let’s open the long-sealed archives, trace the marks of history and witness a little-known legend of Zhenjiu liquor.

[Part 1 Trace to the Source of Craftsmanship]

Zhenjiu liquor was a livelihood project of white liquor led by Chinese leaders.

In 1958, Chairman Mao Zedong put forward the assumption of producing ten thousand tons of Moutai white liquor and the wish of enabling ordinary people to enjoy the high-quality deeply fragrant liquor like Moutai. In 1975, Premier Zhou Enlai proposed again at the First Session of the Fourth National People’s Congress. In the same year, the project of “Relocated Production Test (Pilot) of Guizhou Moutai Liquor” was formally established and listed as the nationally key science and technology project, which was carried out by Comrade Fang Yi, the Head of the State Science and Technology Commission at that time.

After thorough tests in 1975, scientists finally selected Shizipu of northern suburb of Zunyi City, only 130 kilometers to Moutai Town, as the scientific test plant which was the ideal place to produce white liquor due to the picturesque scenery, elegant environment, clear water quality, neither severe cold in winter nor severe heat in summer, moderate rainfall, and many good natural conditions. The 28 technical elite, led by Zheng Guangxian, the Factory Director of the former Moutai Liquor Production Plant, moved the cellar stones, cellar mud, raw materials and equipment from Moutai Town in an intact manner to the pilot plant which was later officially put into production to uncover the beginning of the legendary Zhenjiu liquor.

The scientific test was listed as one of the 15 key science and technology projects in Guizhou Province during the “the 6th Five-year Plan”. As one of the important scientific research projects highly emphasized by Chinese leaders, they attached great importance to the project although far away from Zunyi City. The project was also named as “NO.1 Project” in China’s white liquor industry. That was because the project was not only to produce the white liquor but also to realize the good wish of enabling more ordinary people to enjoy the high-quality deeply fragrant liquor like Moutai.

Why the test was “Relocated” not “Different Place”? That was because Moutai Town had inconvenient transportation, insufficient food, difficult transportation of packaging materials, raw materials and liquor, and could not complete the production of 10,000t of liquor. Therefore, it was planned to relocate the Moutai Town to another place with convenient transportation and would guarantee the quality of Moutai liquor, and thus the project was “Relocated” to another place.

Zhenjiu liquor was the only liquor brand named by the Party and Chinese leaders.

The scientists finally achieved great success after 10 years of hard work, 9 periods, 63 rounds and more than 3000 analysis tests. In November 1985, on the nationally highest level of industrial appraisal meeting led by white liquor experts within China such as Zhou Henggang and Ji Keliang, all experts agreed that the trial liquor had reached the contract requirements in respect of physical and chemical indicators, health indicators and the acceptability rate of new liquor entering warehouses. In respect of sensory indicators, the liquor appraisal team members of the Appraisal Committee considered the trial liquor was featured by: “clear and slight yellow transparent color, outstanding deep fragrance, elegant, mellow liquor body …… almost has the flavor of Moutai liquor.” “Although there is still a certain gap with the currently marketing Moutai liquor, the quality of the trial liquor is close to the level of Moutai liquor, and there are a lot of reliable test data and materials to prove.” Therefore, the Appraisal Committee concluded that the Relocated Production Test (Pilot) of Guizhou Moutai Liquor had completed the contract requirements.

According to the Appraisal Committee’s conclusion, the Scientific and Technical Committee of Guizhou Province “agreed to the Appraisal opinions”. As a result, the scientific test had finally succeeded.

Since the test was successful, why was it not named as Moutai?

From1960s to 1980s, Fenjiu liquor and Wuliangye liquor were the market leaders in respect of light fragrance and thick fragrance. The output of Moutai liquor was only 200t due to transportation and other factors. The consumption volume and market of deeply fragrant liquor were relatively small. At that time, there were six golden liquor brands in Sichuan Province, and the Guizhou Provincial Party Committee decided to learn from Sichuan liquor to build another premium liquor brand after Moutai and Dongjiu liquor.

In 1986, Vice Premier of State Council Fang Yi tasted the trial liquor and praised it as “Treasure in Liquor”. The “Relocated Production Test Factory of Guizhou Moutai Liquor” was officially changed to “Guizhou Zhenjiu Liquor Factory”, and thus “Zhenjiu Liquor” (meaning Treasure in Liquor) was named and came to the world! Fortunately, Zhenjiu liquor was the only liquor brand named by the Party and Chinese leaders.

Later Zhenjiu liquor gradually became popular in the market, won numerous awards and became a well-known liquor brand in Guizhou Province and even across China.

[Part 2 Craftsmanship Heritage]

Zhenjiu Liquor is one of the few white liquor enterprises that can produce high-quality deep fragrance.

Time passes and changes. Through more than 40 years of continuous production, accumulation and precipitation, today’s Zhenjiu liquor has formed a very suitable microbial environment and site for producing the high-quality deep fragrance. Zhenjiu Liquor is one of the few white liquor enterprises that can produce the high-quality deep fragrance. The aged liquor is sufficiently stocked. The refined traditional deep fragrance and craftsmanship have been passed down from generation to generation, making Zhenjiu liquor open a new chapter of rebirth.

In 2009, Jindong Group made a wholly-owned acquisition of Guizhou Zhenjiu Liquor Factory and changed its name to Guizhou Zhenjiu Liquor Co., Ltd. Billions of investments have been put to increase production capacity and further improve product quality. Inheriting the spirit of craftsmanship, the Zhenjiu Liquor makers always adhere to the production philosophy of focusing on quality, refine liquor-making through “Two Persistence and One Innovation”, and are dedicated to the production of high-quality deeply fragrant liquor.

Firstly, Zhenjiu Liquor always adheres to the traditional liquor-making processes through the deep fragrance of yeast for making hard liquor.

In respect of liquor-making raw materials, Zhenjiu Liquor insists on carefully selecting local red tassels glutinous sorghum for liquor-making. The red tassels glutinous sorghum is solid and plump, has small grain and thick skin, can withstand turning over and stewing for many times, and it is so glutinous that it can bring high-quality liquor.

In respect of liquor-making processes, Zhenjiu Liquor always adheres to the traditional liquor-making processes through the deep fragrance of yeast for making hard liquor. 1 year is a circle including 2 times of raw materials feeding, starter-making in lunar calendar May, putting sand in lunar calendar September, 9 times of stewing, 8 times of fermentation, 7 times of liquor taking, and treasuring for a long time. The birth of a bottle of Zhenjiu Liquor needs at least 5 years of preparation from making to factory sales, meanwhile the new generation of liquor makers has been devoted to the inheritance and innovation day and night, making Zhenjiu Liquor more mellow and unique.

At the same time, Zhenjiu Liquor adopts the suitably refined liquor-making based on the unique “Small Climate in Zunyi City”.

It is concluded and emphasized in the Technical Report on Relocated Production Test of Guizhou Moutai Liquor: “Nine cycles of relocated production test of Moutai liquor prove that, it can be realized that the production quality of the relocated trial liquor in Zunyi City can achieve or close to the quality of the currently marketing Moutai liquor. The essence of traditional craftsmanship must be grasped in specific technology. The liquor makers cannot blindly copy the process conditions; instead, they must combine the specifically environmental climate characteristics and grasp the application flexibly.”

The production area of Zhenjiu Liquor is located in the humid monsoon zone of subtropical plateau. The annual average temperature is 15℃ and it is warm and humid all year round, and there is no severe cold in winter and no severe heat in summer. The weather is hot from June to August every year, and it usually rains in the evening and the temperature drops. This small climate attracts more than 150,000 tourists from Chongqing to Zunyi every year to avoid summer heat, moreover, the appropriate temperature and humidity are particularly suitable for generation, fermentation and reproduction of microorganisms during liquor-making. The natural conditions form a unique ecological climate environment for liquor-making. And this time period is the production period for Zhenjiu Liquor in four or five times, which is the best round for producing the deeply fragrant liquor. The Zhenjiu Liquor makers inherit the spirit of craftsmanship, adhere to the traditional liquor-making process, suitably adjust and refine the process details, and gradually produce the high-quality deeply fragrant liquor with its own characteristics.

Secondly, Zhenjiu Liquor adheres to the long-term storage of basic liquor in pottery jars.

Zhenjiu Liquor gives up the temptation to use steel tanks to store liquor for scale production; instead, adheres to the long-term storage of basic liquor in pottery jars. This is because the pottery jars can breathe and have good air permeability without leakage, which can make the liquor body contain more rich microelements and good for human health; meanwhile the pottery jars enable the liquor body to closely connect with the external micropopulation with natural exhalation, exchange and fusion, which can bring the aged liquor-making effects in cellars, make the liquor more aged and more fragrant, and create the elegant, comfortable and wonderful “taste of aged liquor”.

Thirdly, Zhenjiu Liquor innovates in bottle storage technology and the craftsmanship liquor-making forms a unique taste.

To further improve the quality and taste of the product, Zhenjiu Liquor innovates in bottle storage technology and strictly requires that the product should not leave factory for sales until it is bottled and stored for six months to a year so as to make the liquor become more aged and mellow!

Zhenjiu Liquor persists in the storage process of pottery jar storage + bottle storage and thus forms the unique taste and ultimate experience. The representative product is “Zhenjiu Liquor-Zhen XV” which carefully selects the high-quality aged liquor stored for 15 years, carefully blends according to the standards of “Zhen XV”, and the product is bottled and stored for at least 1 year and above. The liquor body is yellowish and transparent, deeply fragrant and elegant, aged and comfortable, delicate and smooth, harmonious and clean, taste lingering, and enduring fragrant in empty cup. It tastes sweet, cool and passionate during drinking and tastes refreshed after drinking. In 2016, “Zhen XV” won the Top Ten Golden Liquor Prize in Guizhou Province of China.

[Part 3 Craftsmanship Building Dream]

Zhenjiu Liquor is treasured for its deep fragrance and has become a precious, scarce and highly cost-effective brand of deeply fragrant liquor.

In the future, the Zhenjiu Liquor makers will shoulder consumers’ hope of delicious liquor, insist on using the spirit of craftsmanship to make high-quality deeply fragrant liquor, and create Zhenjiu Liquor into a well-known brand of mid-to-high end deeply fragrant liquor in China. The Zhenjiu Liquor after rebirth is now opening a new chapter and writing a new legend of deeply fragrant liquor.

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