Baijiu (Chinese: 白酒; pinyin: báijiǔ; lit. 'white (clear) liquor'), or shaojiu (simplified Chinese: 烧酒; traditional Chinese: 燒酒; pinyin: shāojiǔ; lit. 'burning liquor'), is a colorless Chinese liquor typically coming in between 35% and 60% alcohol by volume (ABV). Each type of baijiu uses its own type of starter (qū) for fermentation to create a distinct and characteristic flavor profile. Baijiu is usually distilled from fermented sorghum, although other grains may be used; some southeastern Chinese varieties may employ rice and glutinous rice while others may use wheat, barley, millet, or Job's tears (Chinese: 薏苡; pinyin: yìyǐ) in their mash bills. The qū used in the production of baijiu is usually made from pulverized wheat grain or steamed rice. Because of its clarity, baijiu can appear similar to several other East Asian liquors, e.g. Japanese shōchū (25%) or Korean soju (20–45%), but it often has a significantly higher ethanol content (35–60%).

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