Liquor distiller

Since the ancients invented wine, people have begun to continuously improve the production of liquor. In pursuit of a better taste, people have continuously innovated the production process of liquor. Among them, shaojiu was invented in order to make liquor have a better taste. Among them, people also invented distilled liquor, and the tool used to make distilled liquor is the liquor distiller. Today let us learn about the origin and development of the liquor distiller.

The origin of distilled liquor has been of interest to people since ancient times. There have always been different opinions. Modern scholars at home and abroad are still collecting information and conducting research on this issue. With the enrichment of archaeological data and the inquiry into ancient literature, people's understanding of the origin of distilled spirits has gradually deepened. Because this involves not only the distillation of wine, but also the distillation of epoch-making significance.

1. Founded in the Yuan Dynasty

The first person to put forward this view was Li Shizhen, a medical scientist in the Ming Dynasty. He wrote in Compendium of Materia Medica: "Boiled liquor is not an ancient method. It was created in the Yuan Dynasty. The method uses strong liquor and dregs, steaming them to make steam rise, and using a container to collect the dripping dew. Any sour and spoiled liquor can be steamed and boiled."

There are records of distilled liquor and distiller in Yuan Dynasty documents. For example, "Yinshi Zhengyao" was written in 1331. Therefore, by the beginning of the fourteenth century, distilled liquor was already available in my country. However, there is no clear statement in historical records as to whether it was created in the Yuan Dynasty.

2. Introduced from foreign countries during the Yuan Dynasty

In the "Yunnan Hai Yu Heng Zhi" written by Tan Cui of the Qing Dynasty, it is said: "Shaojiu is also known as Jiulu. It was introduced to China in the early Yuan Dynasty. Chinese people drink Shaojiu everywhere." Zhang Mu said in "Food and Beverage": "Shaojiu is also known as fire wine. "Yinshi Zhengyao" calls it 'Alaji'. It is a foreign language (foreign word - author's note). This kind of wine is not an ancient method. It was not until the end of the Yuan Dynasty that people from Siam and the Netherlands introduced its method to China."

Mr. Wu Deduo, a modern scholar, believes that Hu Sihui (a Mongolian) who wrote "Yinshi Zhengyao" used the Mongolian transliteration as "Alaji" instead of the old Chinese name (Shaojiu). Therefore, it should not be regarded as a foreign word. Hu Sihui did not regard "Araji" as something introduced from foreign countries.

As for the credibility of the claim that Shaojiu was introduced into China during the Yuan Dynasty, Mr. Zeng Zongye believes that "it may be true that Shaojiu was introduced into China during the Yuan Dynasty.

3. Already existed in the Song Dynasty

This view was put forward after extensive research by modern scholars. The main bases are listed below.

Distilled spirits

(1) There are records of distiller in the historical records of the Song Dynasty

The existence of distiller in the Song Dynasty is one of the most important evidences supporting this view. In Volume 5 of Travel Notes, Zhang Shinan of the Southern Song Dynasty recorded an example of a distiller used to distill floral dew. The book "Alchemy Room Notes" from the Song Dynasty also contains pictures of the distiller of that time. Mr. Wu Deduo believes: "We can fully believe that at least before the Song Dynasty, the Chinese people had mastered the distiller necessary for distilling liquor." Of course, Mr. Wu did not say that this distiller must be used to distill liquor.

(2) Archaeological discoveries of distiller from the Jin Dynasty

In the 1970s, archaeologists discovered a copper distillation pot in Qinglong County, Hebei Province, which was believed to be from the period of Emperor Shizong of Jin (Cultural Relics, Issue 9, 1976; some people also believe that it is difficult to confirm that it is a Jin Dynasty product). Xing Runchuan believes: "There is no doubt that distilled liquor was already available in the Song Dynasty" (Xing Runchuan: "When did distilled liquor originate in my country?" "Journal of Microbiology", Vol. 8, No. 1, 1981). Judging from the structure of the distiller discovered, it is the same as the one described by Zhu Derun in "Zhalaiji Jiufu" during the Yuan Dynasty. After the liquid in the vessel is heated, the steam rises vertically and is cooled by the inner wall of the container filled with cold water above. It condenses from the inner wall and flows down along the wall to be collected. However, the distiller used for Nanfan liquor recorded in the Complete Collection of Essential Things for Home Use in the Yuan Dynasty did not yet adopt this method. The distiller of Nanfan was the same as the Arabic distiller. The steam of the liquor in the distiller moved diagonally to the left and right, and the liquor flow tube was relatively long. Judging from the shape and structure of the vessel, my country's distiller has distinct national traditional characteristics. Therefore, it is also possible that my country invented its own distillation technology in the Song Dynasty.

(3) The records of "Shaojiu" in Song Dynasty literature are more consistent with the characteristics of distilled liquor

In the literature of the Song Dynasty, the word Shaojiu appeared more frequently, and it is speculated that the Shaojiu mentioned here is distilled Shaojiu. For example, Song Ci of the Song Dynasty recorded in Volume 4 of Xiyuanlu: "When a viper bites a person, ... have the person put rice vinegar or liquor in his mouth and suck on the wound to draw out the poison." Some people think that the soju referred to here should be distilled soju. Some people also believe that the term "steamed wine" refers to the distillation process of wine. For example, in the "Zhenjiang Winery" in Volume 4 of "Yijian Dingzhi" by Hong Mai of the Song Dynasty, it is recorded that "a winemaker fell into the fire while steaming wine." The steamed wine here does not specify whether it is steamed rice or distilled wine. However, the term "zhengjiu" in the Qing Dynasty referred to distilled liquor. There are many records about "steamed wine" in "Song History Food and Goods Records". A kind of "big wine" obtained by the "steaming wine" operation is also considered by some to be shochu. However, several important wine-making monographs in the Song Dynasty (such as Zhu Gong's "Beishan Jiu Jing" and Su Shi's "Jiu Jing") and the wine encyclopedia "Jiu Pu" did not mention distilled liquor. Both the Northern and Southern Song dynasties implemented liquor monopoly, and most wine warehouses were controlled by relevant government agencies. If distilled spirits did emerge, their spread would have been rapid.