We ranked all the baijiu in 7-11 (and lived to tell the tale)

Baijiu, the world’s most widely consumed spirit, divides opinion. A staple of any business meal or celebration in China, where complex etiquette about who drinks when often means everyone drinks lots, the grain-based liquor has a lot to answer for.

In recent years, baijiu has had something of a hipster revival; it’s not uncommon these days to see it listed as a cocktail ingredient in Beijing, as well as being drunk neat by both the broke and the ballin’.

Starting as low as 3RMB for a bottle of 40 percent proof, you’re less playing with fire and more jumping naked into the roaring heat of the flames. But if jump you must, here’s our round-up of the best – or least bad – that crumpled pocket money can buy.

Niulanshan牛栏山 (38 percent)

6.5RMB for 125ml

This little bottle of moonshine is a pocket companion that guarantees fun for all the family, clocking in at a child-friendly 38 percent proof. One of our testers welcomed the fact that ‘at least it tastes of something that isn’t just suffering’.

Overall rating 5/10

Niulanshan牛栏山 (56 percent)

6.8RMB for 200ml

For an extra 0.3RMB, you can supercharge your Niulanshan by a further 18 percent, taking your baijiu well and truly into the paint stripper department. You also, mind-bogglingly, get a lethal 200ml of the stuff; less than a mouthful will leave you with severe alcohol sweats. ‘A bit like tequila,’ reckons one tester. 

Overall rating 1/10

Hongxing Lanping红星蓝瓶 (43 percent)

11.5RMB for 150ml

The blue-bottled baijiu is the prestige option in the 7-11 milieu. At 11.5RMB, this little fighter is 70 percent more expensive than its closest neighbour in price, and about 25 percent weaker in the alcohol department. It’s one for the discerning problem drinker.

Overall rating 5/10

Hongxing红星 二锅头 (56 percent)

5.80RMB for 100ml

If you’re a nervous flier, this travel-sized bottle of B is small enough to take on the airplane in your hand luggage and strong enough to knock you out for the whole journey and then some. We like the vintage-style green glass bottle and the retro label – truthfully, we like pretty much everything at this point.

Overall rating 3/10 

Want something decent to drink this weekend? If you're classier than we are, hit '阅读原文' to check out the best of Beijing's bar scene.

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