Baijiu MartiniA delightful twist on the classic, this cocktail blends gin with Chinese grain liquor and a few drops of Sichuan chile oil.

Strong-aroma baijiu bolsters the gin in this martini recipe adapted from Beautiful South, a restaurant that pays tribute to the cuisine of southern China and Chinese American takeout in Charleston, South Carolina. Co-owner Tina Heath-Schuttenberg originally dubbed this drink the Guaiwei Martini as a nod to the addition of Sichuan chile oil and also served it at the Charleston Wine + Food Festival to great fanfare. (Guawei, which translates to “strange flavor,” refers to the uniquely Sichuan harmony of salty, sweet, spicy, sour, and umami notes.) Heath-Schuttenberg suggests using Fords gin, Ming River strong-aroma baijiu, Dolin Blanc vermouth, and the Bitter Truth peach bitters for this recipe and highly recommends trying a filthy version with olive brine and an olive garnish.

  • Makes

    1 cocktail

  • Time

    5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 oz. gin
  • ¼ oz. strong-aroma baijiu
  • ¼ oz. blanc vermouth
  • 2–3 dashes peach bitters
  • 3 drops Sichuan chile oil

Instructions

Step 1

To a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, add the gin, baijiu, vermouth, and bitters. Shake until chilled, about 15 seconds, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with the chile oil and serve.
  1. To a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, add the gin, baijiu, vermouth, and bitters. Shake until chilled, about 15 seconds, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with the chile oil and serve.
Recipes

Baijiu Martini

A delightful twist on the classic, this cocktail blends gin with Chinese grain liquor and a few drops of Sichuan chile oil.

  • Makes

    1 cocktail

  • Time

    5 minutes

Baijiu Martini
PHOTO: HEAMI LEE • FOOD STYLING: JESSIE YUCHEN

By Tina Heath-Schuttenberg


Published on October 14, 2024

Strong-aroma baijiu bolsters the gin in this martini recipe adapted from Beautiful South, a restaurant that pays tribute to the cuisine of southern China and Chinese American takeout in Charleston, South Carolina. Co-owner Tina Heath-Schuttenberg originally dubbed this drink the Guaiwei Martini as a nod to the addition of Sichuan chile oil and also served it at the Charleston Wine + Food Festival to great fanfare. (Guawei, which translates to “strange flavor,” refers to the uniquely Sichuan harmony of salty, sweet, spicy, sour, and umami notes.) Heath-Schuttenberg suggests using Fords gin, Ming River strong-aroma baijiu, Dolin Blanc vermouth, and the Bitter Truth peach bitters for this recipe and highly recommends trying a filthy version with olive brine and an olive garnish.

Ingredients

  • 1 oz. gin
  • ¼ oz. strong-aroma baijiu
  • ¼ oz. blanc vermouth
  • 2–3 dashes peach bitters
  • 3 drops Sichuan chile oil

Instructions

Step 1

To a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, add the gin, baijiu, vermouth, and bitters. Shake until chilled, about 15 seconds, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with the chile oil and serve.
  1. To a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, add the gin, baijiu, vermouth, and bitters. Shake until chilled, about 15 seconds, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with the chile oil and serve.

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