The Art of Business Drinking in China-How to avoid death by 1,000 cups!

Since negotiation stuff seems to be on my mind-this HAS to be be next.

When it comes to eating and drinking, particularly drinking, there are few who can hold a cup to that epicurean giant called China. For more than 4,000 years, congenial cups of wine have been the inspiration for many of its great poets and artists. The examples of the role of alcohol in ancient Chinese culture are sometimes even outrageous. Li Bai (李白), one of the most cherished and influential poets in ancient Chinese history is purported to have drown after falling into the murky waters of the Yangtze River while trying to embrace the reflection of the moon. In Li's classic, "Amidst the Flowers, A Jug of Wine" he ironically and eloquently foretold his untimely demise. Even the great literary work "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is infused with booze and its consequences in almost every chapter. Suffice it to say, every major event shaping the rich history of China's past and present was likely conceived under a backdrop of food and plenty of drink. A highly entertaining essay pompously titled "Grandiose Survey of Chinese Alcoholic Drinks and Beverages" can be found at www.jiangan.edu.cn/zhgjiu/umain.htm for those who wish to study this relationship in great intellectual detail. No matter the occasion, whether birth or death, success or failure, conquest or defeat, wedding or divorce, an ample supply of alcohol is always on hand to lend support to the emotions of the moment. Needless to say, China and drinking go together like traffic and weather, and no more so than in the world of business.

When it comes to business, getting blind, dumb drunk, or at least reasonably intoxicated, remains still an important factor in building friendships and trust among business partners in China. While the increasing popularity of golf as a bridge to build relations has made a healthy dent in the alcohol fueled courtships of the past, in the world of business, an evening of pounding down shot after shot of grain alcohol still remains the SOP to success. Why? My own view is that getting sloshed together quickly breaks down barriers; you laugh, you sing, and the tongue is soon freed of the shackles of convention, allowing both sides to openly discuss matters at hand, provided of course the translator remains sober. Whether the occasion is seeking an important approval from a governmental body, the beginning or end of a negotiation, the celebration of a milestone in your business, or to motivate and recognize your staff, the desired outcome is more quickly reached over good food accompanied by huge quantities of alcohol.

Unfortunately, this is not without sometimes-tragic circumstances, as this recent news article so explicitly illustrates.

BEIJING, Oct 24 2006 (Reuters Life!) – "Five Chinese power bureau officials have been dismissed or demoted after an auditor died from a series of banquet binges, the Shanghai Daily reported on Tuesday. The death of Zhang Hongtao, 25, who worked with the Yanshan County Audit Office in northern Hebei province, was blamed on alcohol after banquets provided in April for auditors by the Yanshan Power Supply Co., the newspaper said. Instead of working, Zhang did little else but eat, drink, play cards and enjoy massages".

What a helluva way to go; Eating, drinking and massaging (insert sexual fantasies of your liking) yourself to death! As tragic as this incident is, it serves to remind that even today excesses of food and drink, especially drink, remain embedded in the business culture of China.

So, for those planning travel to China for business, or even working in China someday, it will be impossible to avoid completely an occasional moment of drunken debauchery, short of declaring a medical condition, an effective practice, but one that causes a great deal of suspicion on the part of your Chinese host. In the course of your dining and drinking adventures in China, one word you will learn all too quickly is "gan bei", which literally translates to dry glass or bottoms up! At every opportunity you will be toasted; toasts to your health, the health of the economy, the health of your family, the longevity of your friendship, the health of your dog, the list is endless. At the end of each toast, your host will shout out those gut retching (No, it IS NOT a misspelling) words, "gan bei", and you are expected to drain the contents of your glass, no matter it be an ounce or two of pure ethanol or a liter of tepid beer. The implications of a not heeding your host's invitation are severe; usually requiring you to quaff another 2-3 glasses in succession due to your oversight. As a seasoned (or is it pickled?) veteran of more than enough bouts of "ganbei", I want to share my knowledge, and hopefully, a bit of savvy advice on the often-entertaining experience of business drinking, as well as my time tested "six strategies" for survival drinking.

First, what will you be up against as you survey the quartet of glasses flanking your plate at lunch or dinner? The "official beverages" at any major banquet are of those "Four Horseman of Alcohol"; the dark and potent huang jiu (黄酒), a sweetly seductive sherry like wine fermented from rice, the ominous bai jiu (白酒), a lively clear spirit distilled from a potpourri of grains that flows so freely at most events, pi jiu (啤酒) or beer as we like to call it, and in the increasing more sophisticated cities, pu tao jiu (葡萄酒), the more palatable, usually red, grape wine. Yes, depending on the level of "friendship" you are trying to reach, it is not uncommon to ingest equal doses of all four over the course of the night, creating compelling evidence the next morning supporting the cautionary advice not to mix alcohols.

Since the common (and most dangerous) beverage of choice is bai jiu, first the scoop on this nasty little beast. Bai jiu translates to "white wine" and it is distilled from a pungent combination of sorghum, wheat, millet, rice and barley, a far cry from what most westerners deem wine to be. The percentage of alcohol ranges from 32% to as high as 67% and the effect of too many glasses is mind numbing to say the least. Although each province of China boasts its own distinctive brand, the most famous is Mao Tai, which comes from Guizhou province in the southern part of China. Another notable source is Sichuan province, famous for its spicy food and equally spicy women, and home to literally hundreds of brands, including those perennial members of the "National Famous Alcohol Drinks List", Luzhou Lao Jiu and Wu Liang Yie.

Second on the list is huang jiu, with a taste akin to a well made Madeira or vermouth. This sly beverage is known for putting many unsuspecting neophytes face down in their plate mid way through dinner if consumed too quickly, a mildly amusing pastime of your Chinese hosts. Ranging in color from pale amber to dark chocolate, huang jiu's honey like sweetness belies its alcohol content of 14-21% and it is often served warm with a garnish of slivered ginger or salty dried plum, further increasing the impact. Huang jiu was originally produced by fermenting rice together with a hint of wheat in large earthen vessels, where aging enhanced its tantalizing earthy flavor. Sometimes the wine is mixed with various herbs and botanicals, supposedly fortifying its already highly touted medicinal and aphrodisiac properties, important qualities in the male dominated world of business. Again, there are literally thousands of brands, but the finest and most famous are the wines of Shao Xing in ZheJiang province. Huang jiu coupled with the rich cuisine of eastern China such as hairy crab, crab roe and bean curd with egg yolk sauce, and braised sweet pork fat is truly gastronomical experience of the highest order, but remember to bring the beta blockers!

The last two "Horsemen" are the more familiar beer and wine which we are all familiar with. However, the drinking of each does have a few peculiarities unique to China that you need to be aware of. First, it is fundamental to warn that beer is almost always served at room temperature! Requesting a cold beer will usually either bring a prompt "mei you" (don't have) from the serving staff or, even worse, you will soon find a chunk of frozen water floating in your suds. Another bit of useful knowledge is that literally every city, town and village has their own brewery and you will be subjected to a host of libations under the alias of "beer". Wine, or grape wine, is a relatively recent addition to the banquet table, but is increasingly become the beverage of choice due to its touted health benefits as well as the aura of "sophistication" associated with wine, particularly French wines. Har dee har har!! Most of the so-called French wines so aggressively marketed at most dining establishments are either bottled plunk or wines that have been thoroughly "cooked" in a steel shipping container, where temperatures can soar over 40_ C for days on end. But, it is French wine, and we ALL know that French wine is the "best", alas, the experience of tasting a truly fine Bordeaux remains elusive to most. Perhaps these quality deficiencies are partly to blame for the incongruous practice of mixing wine and carbonated lemon/lime sodas that is so popular. In fairness, many professional wine merchants have made great inroads in China and it is increasingly possible to find good wine on the table. China also produces some truly fantastic wines of its own, and the safe bet is to always go local if the choices are brands such as Zhang Yu, Dragon Seal, and XinJiang Luo Lan. All are are well craft dry red wines that are very drinkable, and if your host offers up any of these you are in for a pleasant treat. The only downside is you will again be confronted with that annoying ritual of "gan bei", where rather than savoring the subtle nuance of the grapes, you are required to hurl the contents down your throat in the least time possible. Now to those rascally little drinking rituals you will almost always encounter.

The most common ritual is what I call "Ever Expanding Circle of Friends" where each and every member of the host's party, up to and including the driver of the mini bus who brought you there, wants to share a toast with you personally in honor of your new found friendship. Considering that the number of "new friends" can easily fill that mini bus, needless to say, you go down quickly if drawn into this vicious game. Another practice to avoid is "Frat House Party", so popular when beer is the main drink. Typical, after the usual formal toasts, someone stands to makes a heartfelt toast to your health and good fortune and then all stand and in unison guzzle a full liter of warm beer. The first to finish is honored by a round of cheers from the rest of the table and is normally challenged to a new round by the most inebriated of the group. This goes on until most of the table is back in the washrooms hurling chunks, giving added significance to the toast for good health that started the whole affair.

Finally, if you are one of those Alpha males or females who must win at all costs, always be vigilant of the ubiquitous, unassuming and matronly looking lady with the outdated wardrobe and gigantic eyeglasses. In China, the talent to consume huge quantities of alcohol is equally distributed across gender lines. In fact, some of my most infamous trips under the table (metaphorically speaking of course) were at the hands of a woman. She will lull you into her evil game of tit for tat and your last memory before you drift off into unconsciousness will be the smug smile on her lips as she places her again empty glass on the table.

To help you successfully navigate this treacherous torrent of ethanol I want to share "Lao Ke's Six Strategies for Survival Drinking", in order of effectiveness. Rest assured, these have been rigorously tested over a number of years and fine-tuned to perfection in hundreds, maybe even thousands of field trails, and are sure to help the uninitiated emerge mostly unscathed.

1. ALWAYS make the second toast under any circumstances. First, find the
largest vessel available, preferably with a capacity of at least 8 ounces (.25 l) and fill it to the brim with bai jiu. Request that your hosts do the same and bellow out "gan bei" as you drain your glass, spilling as much as possible on the way. Immediately repeat this process. This action plays on the element of fear that you might just be some sort of "wine ghost" and will quickly temper most everyone's appetite for further reckless drinking.

2. If you are fortunate enough to be accompanied by junior staff, promptly designate the least needed as your proxy. His or her job is to intercept all incoming "Circle of Friendship" glasses with the speed and efficiency of a heat-seeking missile. Depending on the size of your party you may need to also nominate a back up, as it is likely your initial nominee will be lost sometime mid-way through dinner.

3. Make sure to carry a large handkerchief and make generous use of your napkin. After each successive "gan bei" carefully feign a swallow while maintaining the liquid in your mouth. Quickly take up your napkin or handkerchief as if to wipe your lips and deposit as much as possible into the cloth, carefully wringing out the content on the floor. This of course does carry a risky side consequence of a massive fire should one of the hundreds of cigarettes that accompany dinner accidentally ignites the vapor.

4. Bring several liters of high quality, aged tequila and prior to dinner present this as a gift to your host as a token of your appreciation for the exquisite hospitality you have been given. Enthusiastically suggest that the tequila unseat the ubiquitous bai jiu; in fact insist on this as a gesture of your friendship and good will. Your hosts will be lulled into believing that the smoothness of this foreign spirit must mean it has no punch and they will continue to copiously sip, unaware of the mayhem to follow. The awkward hugs and sloppy kisses of gratitude you will be showered with later that evening will remain one of your fondest memories.

5. After each fill of your glass immediately beginning fondling the glass, spilling as much of the content as possible onto the table while maintaining constant eye contact with the rest of party at your table. This requires a high degree of eye-hand coordination, as you do not want to be caught in the act, and sometimes requires large cash payouts to the serving staff to avoid constant refilling. Unfortunately, this tactic is limited to the less visible spirits as in the case of red wine the telltale stain emanating from under your plate will be a dead giveaway. Also please be aware of the fire hazard that was discussed in 3 above.

6. Lastly, but often fostering suspicion of your character, carry a properly labeled vial, with some vague warnings of the risk of drinking alcohol while taking the original contents still clearly visible, which is filled with a number of harmless placebos. Boisterously announce your affinity for drinking and your utter disappointment that your doctor has temporarily asked you to abstain until this potentially fatal condition has been cured. This is of course a significant impediment to building a deep and meaningful friendship and should be used sparingly.

Tongue in cheek aside, a banquet in this warmly hospitable and cultured nation can easily become one of your most cherished memories, particularly if you are
still able to remember it! More importantly, the frequent sharing of food and drink, especially drink, is a fundamental step to building strong working relationships in China. Hopefully this little bit of advice will make sure that all happens.

Gan Bei!