Highland Barley Wine (Qingke Jiu)

Barley wine (Tibetan: chang) is brewed from steamed highland barley fermented with a yeast starter, typically running 3–15% alcohol, pale yellow to milky-white in colour, with a faintly tart and sweet, refreshing character very different from Chinese baijiu.

Tibetan barley wine can be traced to the Tubo Kingdom period of the seventh century, with written records describing barley fermentation customs; for over a thousand years it has been indispensable at Tibetan weddings, funerals, festivals and all manner of hospitality.

In the traditional Tibetan greeting, the host presents a wooden bowl held in both hands; the guest first dips a ring finger into the wine and flicks three drops skyward as an offering, then drinks the bowl in one go—particularly common during Tibetan New Year and Shoton Festival in Lhasa.

Defined by the distinctive malt note of highland barley and a gentle sweet-tart quality, its low alcohol content makes it the joyful shared drink of whole families at festival gatherings.