Why Is the Sorghum in the City of Wine So Red?

If one were to choose a representative color for Luzhou in August, it would undoubtedly be:

The sorghum of the "Liquor City" has ripened! In his book *Red Sorghum*, renowned writer Mo Yan depicted a grand rural scene of 1940s China using the imagery of a bountiful sorghum harvest. This humble crop yields mature seeds for human consumption, while specially bred sweet sorghum varieties can produce sugary juice from their stalks, used to make sweet sorghum candy.

The purplish-red glutinous red sorghum.

Today, sorghum's most important use is undoubtedly for brewing liquor. "The wind carries the aroma of liquor through Luzhou." As a key birthplace of China's strong-aroma baijiu, the "scent code" of this "Chinese Liquor City" lies hidden in its vast fields of crimson sorghum. With sorghum as the foundation, complemented by Luzhou's unique mountains and waters, the city has exuded an intoxicating, enduring fragrance for over a thousand years.

How did red sorghum become the "flesh of liquor"?

As the saying goes, "Grain is the flesh of liquor." The brewing of mellow, fine liquor is inseparable from its primary raw material: grain. For Luzhou's representative strong-aroma baijiu, only one type of grain plays a pivotal role:

Luzhou's local sorghum.

By the latest, during the Western Han Dynasty 2,000 years ago, sorghum was already widely cultivated in China. However, it was not grown specifically for brewing at the time but served as a staple food.

Few crops are as drought-resistant and flood-tolerant as sorghum, thriving even in saline-alkali lands. For this reason, during eras when people suffered from famine, this hardy crop was extensively planted across China, from Heilongjiang to Guangdong. In the 1920s, sorghum cultivation once occupied about 17% of China's total arable land—nearly one in every six fields was planted with sorghum, second only to rice and wheat.

A sorghum field being harvested.

Luzhou, however, has unique expertise in sorghum cultivation. In ancient times, sorghum was called "Shu Shu" (蜀黍), indicating its long-standing connection to Sichuan. Indeed, sorghum likely first entered China from India, taking root in the southwestern region where Luzhou is located.

This deep historical legacy has given Luzhou locals distinctive insights and experience in cultivating sorghum. First is the variety: northern sorghum is mostly white or yellow, belonging to the non-glutinous type, while Luzhou's brewing sorghum is glutinous and turns purplish-red when ripe. Thus, locals and master brewers habitually call it "glutinous red sorghum," a crop variety unique to southern Sichuan.

The purplish-red glutinous red sorghum.

Every year around the Awakening of Insects in March, glutinous red sorghum begins its annual sowing. After over 130 days of robust growth, it matures and is harvested in August, painting the land red. To ensure quality control, many of Luzhou's sorghum fields are strictly cultivated using organic methods, with no chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Due to stringent standards, organic food yields are very low, and currently, organic crop cultivation occupies only about 1% of China's total arable land.

It can be said that from seed selection to cultivation, Luzhou people have perfected human-controlled factors. Meanwhile, Luzhou's favorable natural conditions provide an unparalleled environment for sorghum growth.

The mountains and waters of the Liquor City outline China's brewing "dragon vein."

On China's map, it is hard to find another region as climatically ideal as the Sichuan Basin—a true "Land of Abundance." Surrounded by mountains—the Tibetan Plateau to the west, the Wu Mountains to the east, the Qinling Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau to the south—it forms what locals colloquially call a "mahjong table," tightly encircling Sichuan's major cities centered around Chengdu.

Photo credit: Visual China

Located on the southern edge of the Sichuan Basin, Luzhou sits at the intersection of Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, and Guizhou, endowing it with the climatic advantages of all four regions: high summer temperatures with ample heat, warm springs and autumns, and mild winters. Coupled with abundant rainfall and sunshine, these unique natural factors make Luzhou the northernmost limit where southern delicacies like lychees and longans can grow naturally—and, of course, a "paradise" for sorghum.

Crop growth hinges on "soil and water." The Sichuan Basin is China's most concentrated area of purple soil. This fertile, purple earth is rich in trace elements, forming the agricultural foundation of Sichuan's "Land of Abundance" and providing the ideal growing environment for sorghum.

Luzhou "Banjiusha" purple-red soil.

In terms of water resources, Luzhou's advantages are also undeniable. The Yangtze River and the Tuo River converge in Luzhou, earning it the ancient name "Jiangyang." Over 90 rivers, including the Chishui River and Gulin River, flow through Luzhou, weaving a dense water network. Beneath the surface, there are also灵动泉水 like Longquan Well, collectively forming a three-dimensional "Water Luzhou."

Abundant water resources benefit the growth of sorghum, while water also plays a crucial role in the liquor-making industry. Those familiar with baijiu will surely recognize these three places: Luzhou and Yibin in Sichuan, and Renhuai in Guizhou.

Xuyong County in Luzhou is located at the "Jiming Sanxing" Grand Canyon, where the borders of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan meet.

These three major "liquor-producing hubs" are connected by waterways, concentrated in the area from southern Sichuan to northwestern Guizhou, forming the "Golden Triangle" of Chinese baijiu. This small region accounts for over 40% of the nation's liquor production, supporting half of China's baijiu industry.

The "Golden Triangle" of Chinese Baijiu

The people of Luzhou not only excel at brewing liquor but also at drinking it. This is the officially recognized "City of Wine" in China. Marshal Zhu De wrote a poem during his stay in Luzhou in 1916: "Amidst the upheavals of the National Protection War, the clamor of battle fills the air; fortunate to remain unharmed in the City of Wine, I review my strategies for another year."

As early as the Han Dynasty, Luzhou residents had already devised creative ways to drink. Archaeological discoveries include a special ceramic horn-shaped cup used at the time. Resembling an ice cream cone, its pointed bottom made it impossible to set down without finishing the drink.

Ming Dynasty Qilin Wine Warmer, housed in the Luzhou Museum.

By the Ming Dynasty, Luzhou people used a unique qilin-shaped wine warmer. The qilin's belly served as a furnace; when lit, the water in the two round drums on either side would heat up, warming the liquor in the jug placed inside. As the water boiled, steam would elegantly rise from the qilin's "nostrils," a marvel of technology for its time. Today, this charmingly ugly qilin has become a symbol representing Luzhou as the "City of Wine."

Yang Shen, the only Zhuangyuan (top scholar) from Sichuan during the Ming Dynasty and a literary genius, wrote the timeless masterpiece "Linjiangxian" while passing through Luzhou on his way to exile in Yunnan:

The mighty Yangtze flows eastward, its waves washing away heroes.

Right and wrong, success and failure, all vanish in a blink. Green mountains remain, as the setting sun glows red time and again.

An old fisherman and woodcutter on the riverbank, accustomed to autumn moons and spring breezes.

Over a jug of unrefined wine, they joyfully meet. Countless tales of past and present, all dissolve into laughter and conversation.

Longnao Bridge, renowned as the "Third Finest Bridge Under Heaven."

Luzhou, a city famed for its liquor, has brought us endless surprises since ancient times. If one were to seek a representative aroma amidst the pervasive fragrance of wine in Luzhou, the answer would undoubtedly be: Luzhou Laojiao. The crimson sorghum harvested in August is an indispensable element in crafting Luzhou Laojiao's rich and mellow flavor.

The Taste of Baijiu Relies on Sorghum!

The greatest "respect" for sorghum lies in making it the star ingredient in fine liquor. In the brewing process of Luzhou Laojiao, aside from wheat used in fermentation, sorghum is the sole grain employed. Coincidentally, among the world's six major distilled spirits—such as whiskey, brandy, and tequila—most also rely on single-grain brewing techniques.

Luzhou Laojiao's fermentation pits, exuding fragrance for centuries.

For instance, in Scotland, the core region of whisky production, most whiskies are made from single malt as the primary ingredient. Sorghum is to Chinese baijiu what barley malt is to Scotch whisky. Yet, in an era of abundant grain varieties, why not use more common crops like corn, potatoes, or sweet potatoes for brewing, and instead rely solely on sorghum?

The principle behind this is not complicated. Simply put, it mainly involves three substances: starch, tannins, and "impurities" such as proteins and fats.

A thousand-year-old cellar, a ten-thousand-year-old fermentation pit.

The brewing process, in simple terms, relies on the "hard work" of various microorganisms. Molds like Mucor and Rhizopus break down the starch in grains into glucose, which yeast then converts into ethanol. To make them work, they need to be fed—and starch is their food. Sorghum has a high starch content, providing a solid material foundation for these "hardworking microbes." Moreover, sorghum contains fewer impurities like proteins and fats, minimizing the risk of off-flavors.

The uniqueness of Luzhou glutinous red sorghum lies in the fact that most of its starch is amylopectin. Under a microscope, these branched starch molecules form a network that tightly traps water molecules. With both "food" and "water," how could the brewing microbes not work with full vigor?

However, the fundamental difference between sorghum and other grains lies in a special chemical component found in sorghum husks: tannins.

Today, sorghum rarely appears on our dining tables. If you ask older generations what sorghum tastes like, they will likely frown and describe it as bitter and astringent. Indeed, astringency is the direct manifestation of tannins. Sorghum husks are rich in tannins, a natural defense mechanism against insects and herbivores, which explains why it tastes unpleasant when eaten directly. But when used for brewing, these unwelcome tannins can "turn decay into magic."

What flavors do different esters in baijiu correspond to?

Illustration / Fish One

In wine, tannins are hailed as the "soul and backbone," providing a structured bitterness that supports the flavor profile. In Luzhou Laojiao's strong-aroma baijiu, tannins play an even more critical role. The presence of moderate tannins enables sorghum to produce abundant esters during microbial fermentation. For example, ethyl hexanoate is often used in the food industry to mimic the flavor of pineapple. These esters give strong-aroma baijiu its fruity fragrance while adding a hint of sweet richness.

The traditional brewing techniques of Luzhou Laojiao have been passed down for 699 years. To this day, it retains a group of ancient fermentation pits dating back to the first year of the Wanli era in the Ming Dynasty (1573), which have been in continuous use for 450 years. These pits were designated as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 1996. They represent 450 years of unbroken historical heritage and profound terroir. Let us return to the very origin of Luzhou Laojiao: sorghum, grown in the uniquely blessed land of Luzhou. The baijiu brewed from sorghum is the most vivid embodiment of the fusion between liquor and the city of wine.

Glutinous red sorghum used for brewing Luzhou Laojiao is being spread out to dry.

Year after year, sorghum reddens the fields of Luzhou as promised, then ferments in centuries-old pits, transforming into a stream of mellow liquor that carries the fragrant aroma wafting through the city of wine.

Uncredited images provided by Luzhou Laojiao.