Baijiu getting its moment as makers mix it up

Shanghai

THE fiery Chinese grain liquor called baijiu has been distilled and quaffed in the homeland pretty much the same way for a millennium. Yet as these brands expand overseas, spirits companies are wondering: How would it taste with 7-Up?

Makers of the 106-proof alcohol that's popular at wedding receptions and government banquets are coping with a steep revenue drop after President Xi Jinping ordered public servants to cut their expense tabs. Sales declined 13 per cent, and store prices plunged by half.