So it seems that Moutai, a popular producer of baiju, has just been accused of selling fake liquor. The company, which packages their baiju in what looks like a detergent bottle, has since been quick to refute the rumors, claiming that they have already teamed up with local government units to investigate the allegations. more ›

It looks like 酒肉和尚 (monks who consume wine and meat) do exist after all. Two men impersonating as "monks" caused widespread outrage amongst Buddhist and non-Buddhists alike when they were seeing horsing around with women and drinking alcohol. more ›

What does the Yao deal tell us about China? That everything the wine industry has come to believe about tackling the Chinese market is on target. Brands matter. Prestige matters. Celebrity matters. Why do Lafite and Mouton still reign supreme there? Because they have the reputation. Artisanship (with all due apologies to that press release) is irrelevant. Terroir is irrelevant — although the overall brand power of Napa Valley certainly holds sway. more ›

"A German, identified as Christian, the sales director of a transport company, had been driving along Qilianshan Road in Baoshan District on the night of August 7. His car was in a collision with a pedestrian. A blood test recorded 3.13 milligrams of alcohol per millimeter, while the limit is 0.8mg/ml. A Greek named Santos, manager of a local plastic company, was found drunk driving without a driving license on Yan'an Road early on July 27. His blood alcohol content was above the limit. And South Korean Lee Chi-Young, a company representative in Suzhou, was stopped on May 21 on Yan'an Road. His blood alcohol content was 0.96mg/ml. Under an amendment to China's Criminal Law effective on May 1, drivers with alcohol levels at or above the legal limit are considered guilty of dangerous driving." more ›

If ordering delivery and drinking specialty beers are your two special loves in life, then get ready to push that sweatpantsed significant other off the couch and replace them with a cold assorted case of Belgian Trappists, American ambers, British ales and Japanese microbrews! All delivered straight to your home by diligent wings of the gods delivery guys from Cheers In! Shanghai's only imported beer boutique is now officially delivering their stock to our fine city's thirsty-but-picky homebodies. more ›

A 2,000rmb (US $307) fine and 1 month in jail is the punishment for drunken driving one Shanghai expat discovered yesterday. Prosecutors handed down the verdict stemming from a minor accident on May 7th in which the expat rear ended another vehicle that was stopped at a red light. Though the foreigner's BAC measured 1.9mg/ml, far above the legal limit of 0.8mg/ml, he pleaded guilty and there were no injuries so the punishment was not severe. The case is the first of its type in Shanghai. more ›

According to the Global Times, authorities in Beijing’s Chaoyang District, tipped off by the International Federation of Spirits and Producers, found four locals refilling foreign beer and liquor bottles hoping to make an extra buck with help of a foreign label. more ›

Gao Xiaosong, the Chinese answer to Simon Cowell, was sentenced yesterday to 6 months in prison and a 4000 RMB fine for having caused an accident in Beijing while driving under the influence of alcohol. more ›

WSJ: "China's local liquor market is booming, with foreign investors pushing new liquors into the market. But despite increasingly diverse offerings, a fiery traditional spirit - baijiu - is still a mainstay of Chinese drinkers."
more ›

Maybe it's a sign that Xiao Zi (the yuppies of China) really are taking over: Tsingtao's new ads, designed by Ogilvy & Mather, are in English even though they plan to be shown just here in China. more ›

Oh god: we're not really sure how this is newsworthy, but apparently Nanfang Daily decided that a bunch of pictures of drunken foreign girls awkwardly passed out was good enough to at least make into a photo gallery. The pictures were taken from popular BBS site Huanqiu: we couldn't find the original post, though we did find pictures of another netizen getting a duck drunk, which are funny, and somehow more disturbing. more ›

Thinking about the Brooklyn Beer we had at Vargas' Bistro Burger last week has got us thinking about the alcohol market in China. With fancy bars and designer restaurants offering all sorts of international beers, it's getting easier and easier to find your favorite in the ever-increasing wine list. But who doesn't remember the days when Budweiser was considered exotic, and the Qingdao Beer Festival a real representation of international beer? So we took a look into the expansion of the alcohol market in china and found some interesting things. more ›

Who knew officials had so much in common with college kids in the West? While China's students may not suffer much from the effects of firewater (mostly because they don't partake in the stuff), Chinese officials are going into comas and dropping dead because of too much boozing. Most recently, a deputy directory of water resources in Hubei died after a banquet dinner. Hospital records indicated that the official's heavy drinking had triggered a heart attack. In the same week, another official - this one a district chief in Guangdong, fell into a coma thanks to excessive amounts of alcohol. But the weirdest little tidbit comes from an over-drinking story from last year, when a family planning official died in Hunan and was later recognized as an "Excellent Party Member" who had died with "honor." Last we checked, puking up a storm and drunkenly stumbling face first onto the floor wasn't all that honorable, but perhaps we're going about alcohol poisoning the wrong way. Source: China Daily more ›

Want to feel better about drinking in Shanghai? Sure, you can keep on insisting that consuming red wine is healthy for you (the magazines say it, so it must be true!), but here's another reason... more ›

Guess where you could be exactly a week from now? Drinking with us at Shanghaiist's first happy hour of the year! Assuming the weather gods decide to bless us with as sunny a Tuesday as today was, we'll all be hanging outdoors, chatting and listening to great (if we may say so ourselves) music at Cotton's Xinhua Lu location. more ›

Everyone in China probably knows about the phenomenon called the "Asian blush" - when a compatriot who's had barely half a beer turns as red as a beet. more ›

The pinnacle of Western Civilization met Shanxi Bei Lu last weekend as Fasia, the first French wine importer and cellar owner in China, threw the very first French wine festival in Shanghai. With on-site wine specialists including a Maitre Sommelier who happens to be one of only 58 recognized in the world, wine enthusiasts enjoyed a well prepared feast of the senses. Fancy! more ›

As credit crunches, and exchange rates plummet, it's time for fancy cocktails to step aside for our old favourite: cheap beer. more ›

You never forget your first, and for many people in Shanghai that first (bar) was probably Face on Ruijin Lu. Sadly though, Face's 10 years on the scene are numbered. You have until December 14th to say goodbye. (Thanks to SmartShanghai for the sad news). more ›

Since we mentioned the area back in September, the alleyway of bars around 528 Kangding Lu have found their feet, and the distinct Belgian / Spanish and Serbian flavour of each place in the neighbourhood is like a Whistle Stop tour of Europe. With booze. more ›

The Kee Club (796 HuaiHai Lu) is a beautiful private restaurant, bar and retail complex in a mansion just off the well-worn track of Huai Hai Lu. Now if you haven’t heard of it yet, it’s because you are poor and they don’t want your type in there. Now move along please. more ›

Fans of TV show "Mad Men" might like to picture a scene where the boys (and girl) at Sterling Cooper try and come up with a way of selling Baijiu to non-Chinese drinkers. more ›

Current TV's Zach Mexico is quickly becoming our favourite wino. After his trip to the Tsingtao beer factory in Qingdao, Zach makes his way to a baijiu factory, hung out with the locals and got himself piss drunk again. Don't miss that money shot towards the end! more ›

This Saturday is a big one for bar openings, perhaps it's the changing of the seasons (or the lifting of the Olympics curse). more ›

A couple updates about tomorrow night's gathering at Sasha's. First, we forgot to mention the wines that will be included in the half-price drink special. They are: Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc and Wolf Blass Eagle Hawk Shiraz/Cab/Merlot. Second, lots of people have asked¹ for more information about the music that will be played at the Happy Hour, so we have included a list of artists featured on the playlist under "Music" below. more ›

You are all invited to join us Thursday night at Sasha's for the first Shanghaiist Happy Hour in a long, long time (nine months, to be exact). We think we have come up with a plan to avoid a similarly long gap between alcohol-related gatherings — the first Thursday of every month, we'll have a Shanghaiist Happy Hour featuring half-price drinks (and perhaps other special and great things) at Sasha's. And, as usual, these "happy hours" will not be limited to one hour (8 pm to midnight is what we're starting with). more ›

Refreshing and boozy- sparkling wine in a can is like a cool wave of refreshment breaking on your sweaty summer brow. more ›

Alcohol companies (especially in Shanghai) are known for their lemming like approach to parties (maybe it is the incestuous nature of their cliques). The latest trend is in throwing expensive "invite only" parties like the Hennessy Artistry series and this weekend’s upcoming Smirnoff party featuring Hard-Fi and DJ Sasha (gag). Just like at the Hennessey party, we loser expats aren't overly welcome (at more than one of these parties we have been told that our extra invite shouldn't be given to a laowai). About the only way in is to be Chinese and register or be part of that trendster socialite clique who relies on being invited to these things to help keep their massive egos inflated. Don't think too much about it though, because this weekend there are plenty of other great shows where everyone is welcome ... and not a bottle of Smirnoff or Hennessy in sight. more ›

Most of the time when we need liquor we head to Carrefour, City Supermarket, or any of those types of places; but we are now happy to report that we found one more option: 9519, a Chinese somewhat upscale liquor store that's stocked with baijiu, huangjiu, vodka, gin, vermouth, red and white wines, beers, and even some fancy old-fashioned wine sets (ceramic, similar to a sake/wine set). The name is meant to sound like 酒,我要酒... more ›

We know we've been posting a lot of videos lately, but this one was too engrossing not to pass along. It's Christopher St. Cavish, former motorcycling philanthropist and current food writer at SH magazine, eating a live baby octopus at a Korean restaurant in Shanghai. According to the YouTube page: It was for a magazine article, stupid, tasted terrible, and fueled by alcohol. We saw Chris on the street recently, so we can confirm that... more ›