The Fine Liquors of Matsu--Chengao, Daqujiu, and Laojiu

According to Liu Jun-nan, head of the Matsu Distillery, liquors from Matsu used to be sold to the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Board (TTWB), just like liquors from Kinmen, but the quantities were so small that the TTWB marketed it together with other liquors. More often than not it was used as the base for preparing various medicinal concoctions, such as deer-antler liquor. A few years ago, however, the Matsu Distillery started building up its own brand names and marketing its products directly, because the distillery felt it was a waste to have such fine products used merely as a mixer for medicine.

It is only natural that people should compare the gaoliang made in Matsu and Kinmen. Liu said that although gaoliang from Matsu and Kinmen are made using the same type of distilling process, the yeast is not the same. The Matsu Distillery is also quick to point out that its product is aged longer, and that it has a smoother taste, so that you can down a small cup in one shot.

Matsu gaoliang is twice distilled and twice fermented before being placed in the famous "Tunnel 88" to age. All chengao (aged gaoliang) is kept in the tunnel for at least five years before it goes on the market.

Says Liu, "They sell Kinmen gaoliang in big quantities, so they can't wait for it to age that long, but in Matsu we strongly believe that good liquor is worth waiting for." Liu adds that while age isn't as important with gaoliang as it is with grape wine, it remains a fact that the older it is, the better it tastes. Tunnel 88 was originally an air raid shelter. It was bored into the base of a granite hill, so it stays at a relatively even temperature, warm in winter and cool in summer. That makes the tunnel ideal for long-term aging. As time goes by, odd and impure tastes in the liquor are eliminated.

In the past, imbibers liked for their liquors to pack a punch, which is why the potent daqujiu was very popular. More recently, however, people have begun to put more emphasis on taste and body. Fewer people drink daqujiu these days, and the Matsu Distillery has deliberately reduced the alcohol content of chengao.

Liu explains: "Daqujiu has an alcohol content of at least 60%, and it's also 57% with Kinmen gaoliang, but we hold the alcohol in our chengao to 47%. And the most popular product on the market these days is dan li gaoliang, which is only 42%." He adds that the Matsu Distillery sells 2 million bottles a year. Because there is no distillery in Fuzhou, a lot of mainland Chinese go way out of their way to buy in Matsu in spite of the high prices. They often buy a lot more than they need, then turn around and resell the extra liquor back home.

Matsu laojiu is also very famous, but its production has been suspended in recent years because the distillery has been focusing primarily on gaoliang as its main product. Luckily, however, liquor dealers all have a lot of laojiu in stock.

Laojiu is one type of huangjiu. It is made by soaking glutinous rice in water, boiling, pouring it into a vat, and then adding red yeast to start fermentation. After 30 days the liquor is ready to be consumed. The dregs have a very rich fragrance and are an often-used condiment in Fuzhou cuisine.

Pretty much everyone used to brew their own laojiu in Matsu. Fishermen warm up with a swig before setting out to sea, and the local women also drink it while recuperating from childbirth, as it has medicinal properties that rice wine cannot match.

Tunnel 88 was dug as an air raid shelter, but these days it is more useful as a wine cellar.