Glassware for Chinese Drinks

杯 (bēi) means cup or glass. The vessel changes how a drink smells and tastes, and in China it also says something about the occasion: a banquet, a tasting, a tavern meal. You do not need special equipment to start, but knowing the traditional vessels helps you understand how each drink is meant to be enjoyed.

Wine

A standard wine glass with a bowl that narrows at the top is all you need. The narrowing traps the aromas and brings them to your nose. A medium tulip-shaped glass works well for both reds and whites. For sparkling wine, a flute or a white wine glass. Fill the glass no more than a third, so there is room to swirl.

At Chinese banquets, wine is often drunk in the same rhythm as baijiu, with toasts, so glasses tend to be filled less and emptied more often.

Baijiu

At the table. Baijiu is drunk from tiny glasses that hold about a mouthful. Each guest usually has a small decanter, the 分酒器 (fēnjiǔqì), sometimes with a spout, from which the glass is refilled. The decanter lets everyone pace themselves and see how much they have drunk.

For tasting. Serious tasters use small tulip-shaped glasses, narrow at the top, which concentrate the aromas without letting the alcohol overwhelm the nose. If you do not have one, a small wine glass works better than a shot glass.

What to avoid: wide shot glasses, which let the aromas escape, and large glasses, which invite big sips.

Rice wine

Huangjiu is traditionally poured from a jug or pot, 酒壶 (jiǔhú), into small cups. When served warm, it is heated in the jug first. Traditional warming pots were made of pewter, 锡壶 (xīhú), which holds the heat well.

In the old taverns of Shaoxing, rice wine was served in bowls, 碗 (wǎn): Lu Xun's character Kong Yiji famously drinks his warm wine from a bowl, with a plate of fennel beans. Today small ceramic cups are the most common choice at home.

For tasting, a small white wine glass lets you see the colour and smell the aromas better.

Beer

A simple tumbler, or straight from the bottle. At a shared table, small glasses are common: large bottles are poured for everyone and refilled often. For craft beer, a tulip or a stemmed glass brings out the aroma.

Spirits

For sipping, a small tulip-shaped tasting glass. For brandy, a small snifter. For cocktails, a tumbler or a highball glass, depending on the recipe.

Looking after your glasses

Wash them with very little detergent and rinse them well: soap residue spoils aromas and flattens beer foam. Do not store glasses upside down in cupboards with strong smells. Before tasting, smell the empty glass: it should smell of nothing.

In short

A small tulip glass is the most useful glass you can own: it works for wine, baijiu tastings, rice wine and spirits. For the full Chinese experience, add a set of tiny baijiu glasses with a decanter, and small ceramic cups for warm rice wine.