The economist.
Think of Chinese drinking culture and steaming cups of oolong might come to mind.
But the country's appetite for booze is prodigious.
From Baijiu filled banquets to giant pyramids of beer in karaoke bars, drinking filters through all social occasions.
That's helped make China the largest liquor market on the planet,
accounting for roughly 1/5th of the world's alcohol consumption.
But a cocktail of economic, political and social factors is pushing alcohol consumption down.
I'm Jiehao Cheng, The Economist's China researcher and Drum Tower producer.
This week, I'm joined by Gabriel Crossley, our China correspondent, and we're asking why is China sobering up?
This is Drum Tower from The Economist.
Hey, Gabriel, welcome back to Drum Tower.
Hey, Jiehao, how's it going?
I sense hesitation in your tone, coming back to do an episode on alcohol with me.
Yeah, I thought I was I was warned there might be a surprise, and that was something sitting on my desk.
Well, very recently I was given a bottle of Maotai by a friend of a friend
who wanted her daughter to figure out the sort of job and living situation in the UK.
It really felt like I'd arrived as an adult.
I've I've never been given a bottle of Maotai, I don't think.
I'm not there yet.
I we should explain what Maotai is, though, for listeners sadly unfamiliar with the drink.