Baiju, baby

(Reuters) - Beijing's most popular brand of firewater beloved by taxi drivers and political leaders alike may soon be the liquor of choice at fashionable U.S. bars.


Beijing-based Red Star Co had signed a deal with an undisclosed U.S. alcohol sales company to distribute its high-end Diamond Erguotou brand of "baijiu," a high-proof spirit made from sorghum, the China Daily newspaper said Friday.

Company sources revealed the mix and packaging of Diamond Erguotou would be adjusted to accommodate American tastes.

"It may not be too long before Americans get the chance to sample a kind of erguotou that is considered the best of the best by Beijing's more discerning drinkers," the newspaper said.

Lower grades of baijiu are beloved in Beijing and across China for their spicy bite and sweet aftertaste, but there is less domestic demand for smoother, more expensive premium brews.

Red Star already exports its product to around 10 countries in Asia and Europe.

While standard-size bottles of base-grade erguotou cost less than a dollar in Beijing, the company plans to price its top-end white bottle Diamond product at $30 in the United States.

The company did not specify when shipments of Diamond Erguotou to the U.S. distributor would begin.

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