China Discovers 2,000-Year-Old Liquor

BEIJING (AP) - Aged wines don't get much older than this. Archaeologists in western China discovered five earthenware jars of 2,000-year-old rice wine in an ancient tomb, and its bouquet was still strong enough to perk up the nose, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Saturday.

Xinhua said 1.3 gallons of the almost clear, blue-tinged liquor was found, enough to allow researchers their best opportunity yet to study ancient distilling techniques.

Archaeologist Sun Fuzhi was quoted saying the tomb dated from the early Western Han dynasty, which held sway over much of mainland China between 206 B.C. and 25 A.D. Liquor from the period has been found in other tombs but never as well preserved, he said.

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What do you think a goblet of this would go for?

Its a nice find but it'll reside in some museum for an age.

I say we get tanked on it

Dude i dont know if you have ever had it but rice wine is nassstyyyy.

True! U can smell it from 3-5 feet away and it burns yr throat!

Pass the tankard!

Doesnt bother me ,you no i'll drinmk any alcoholic bevvie!

Excellent: and how unusual since most of the contemporary Chinese vodka/paint-stripper/universal solvent is less than 2,000 seconds old! There's something about rice-based drinks: the Thais produce some guaranteed brain solvents and rice is a frequent ingredient of beer in the east and I've always reckoned that's why the hangovers are so bad.
I am of course still waiting for them to discover a 2,000 year old drunk: that will be worth investigating.
Also, a pleasing reminder of man's inherent drive to get smashed/stoned/pickled/limbless at all stages of cultural development.
I speaking from memory here, but I'm sure that among the oldest writing ever discovered are complaints about the quality of the beer.

You know, it is alcohol that caused the agricultural revolution. There have been hunter gatherer tribes found who raise only one crop, and only for the purpose of getting totally wasted off it. Man discovered the properties of fermented grain, and couldnt get enough of it so they resorted to growing it. This lead to growing other plants and from there the blossoming of civilization. So next time you have a beer, remember that it is because of beer that you have all of your fancy things.

XAOS

P.S. I suppose that chinese booze has to be especially potent, as you would need to be particularly drunk to consume a chinese bar snack.