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Kaoliang liquor,Gaolang liquor orsorghum liquor is a strong distilledliquor of Chinese origin made from fermentedsorghum. It is a type oflight-aromabaijiu. The liquor originates from Dazhigu (大直沽, located east ofTianjin), first appearing in theMing Dynasty and is widely consumed acrossnorthern China in provinces such asHebei,Shaanxi, andShandong. It is primarily made and sold inChina andTaiwan, but is also popular inKorea, where it is calledgoryangju (hangul:고량주;hanja:高粱酒) orbbaegal (which originates from the Chinese character白乾).^[1] Kaoliang ranges usually between 38 and 63 percent alcohol by volume.

Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor is one of the most popular brands of kaoliang inTaiwan. As its name indicates, it is produced on the island ofKinmen. The mainstays of the range are the standard 58 percent and 38 percent alcohol bottlings. Kinmen's kaoliang production traces its roots back to the Chinese Civil War when Chinese nationalist generalHu Lien encouraged Kinmenese farmers to grow sorghum to produce hard liquor as importing alcohol from Taiwan caused financial strain. Kaoliang liquor has become an integral part of Kinmen's economy and plays a significant role in the culture of Kinmen.^[2]

Yusan Kaoliang Chiew (Chinese:玉山高粱酒;pinyin:Yùshān Gāoliáng Jiǔ) is produced by theTaiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation. It is named after the highest mountain in Taiwan,Yushan. One of the most notable products in the range is an "X.O." kaoliang aged for five years in tanks before bottling.^[3]

Matsu Tunnel 88 Kaoliang Liquor (Chinese:馬祖八八坑道高粱酒;pinyin:Mǎzǔ Bā Bā Kēngdào Gāoliáng Jiǔ) is produced by theMatsu Distillery inNangan Township,Lienchiang County. The name is derived from the name of an abandoned military tunnel calledTunnel 88 which the distillery took over as storage space for their kaoliang and aged rice wine. All of the distillery's aged kaoliangs are stored in the tunnel for at least five years.^[4]

• In the 1959Masaki Kobayashi filmThe Human Condition I: No Greater Love, Chinese prisoners are said to be served a diet consisting of sorghum wine andsoy pulp.
• The 1987Zhang Yimou filmRed Sorghum is set in a ruralkaoliang distillery in theShandong province of China.
• The fictional characterLi Kao, fromBarry Hughart's award-winning novelsBridge of Birds,The Story of the Stone, andEight Skilled Gentlemen, is named afterkaoliang; his mother died inchildbirth while requesting a last drink, and the abbot attending the birth mistook the syllables "Kao...li...kao..." as her intended name for the child. InBridge of Birds, while telling the story of his birth, Li Kao describes kaoliang as "the finestpaint thinner and worstwine ever invented".

• Baijiu
• Chinese alcoholic beverages
• Maotai

• Baijiu
• Chinese alcoholic beverages
• Sorghum

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