The first sip surprises everyone. The second sip converts most people. Here's how to give baijiu the three-sip chance it deserves — temperature, glassware, pace and all.
Forget everything you know about 'shooting' spirits
Baijiu is a sipping spirit. In China it is served in tiny glasses — 25ml, the size of a thimble — and drunk slowly, over food, in rounds. The worst way to meet baijiu is to slam it: you get heat without aroma, and the aroma is the whole point.
Sip cool, not cold
Serve at room temperature, or slightly chilled in summer. Ice is fine for cocktails, but neat baijiu wants its aromas open. Pour a small glass, swirl it gently, and breathe: fruit, grain, spice, sometimes a savoury umami note that no other spirit offers.
The three-sip rule
Sip one: curiosity — your palate searches for familiar categories and finds none. Sip two: understanding — the shape of the flavour begins to appear. Sip three: this is the moment most people say 'oh, I get it'. Give it three sips before you judge.
Eat something
Baijiu is made for the table. A bite of something savoury — roasted peanuts, cured meat, braised pork — completely transforms the sip. The spirit cleanses; the food returns; the loop continues. This is how half the world drinks, and once you try it, you'll understand why.