Beijing Hongxing
Beijing Hongxing is a Beijing baijiu distillery best known for its inexpensive, widely consumed Hongxing Erguotou.
Last updated October 12, 2026
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Overview
Beijing Hongxing Co., Ltd. is a baijiu distillery based in Beijing, China. It is primarily associated with Hongxing Erguotou, a clear, light-aroma spirit that occupies an especially prominent place in the drinking culture of the Chinese capital. Erguotou is generally understood as a style of qingxiang, or light-aroma, baijiu. Its defining production tradition is linked to a cooling and distillation method in which the liquor collected from the second of three cooling-water stages was considered the cleanest and most suitable for the finished spirit. The name Erguotou literally refers to the “second pot head” or “second-pot head” stage of that process. The historical roots of the style are traced to the Yuanshenghao distillery, where the three Zhou brothers are credited with developing the technique in 1680. Beijing Hongxing’s institutional history emerged much later, during the period when liquor production was brought under state control. In May 1949, the North China Liquor Company was established through the consolidation of 12 regional distilleries. It was later renamed Beijing Distillery and became the first state-owned distillery in the newly founded People’s Republic of China. The company became the sole legal producer of erguotou baijiu at that stage, giving it an unusually direct role in formalizing and expanding the style. The first batch produced under the Hongxing name appeared in September of the company’s founding year. The name Hong Xing, meaning “Red Star,” commemorated the founding of the republic. The visual identity associated with the label was designed by Sakurai, a Japanese Red Army enlistee. Hongxing was among the early trademarks registered in China, with registration recorded in 1951. The brand’s combination of a recognizable label, state-backed production, and low retail pricing helped it become closely identified with ordinary urban consumption rather than luxury baijiu culture. Demand increased substantially over the following decades. In 1965, the company took over management of 19 surrounding distilleries to expand production capacity while preserving an accessible price level. This expansion reflected government expectations that the spirit should remain affordable and widely available. In 1981, Beijing Hongxing relinquished the trademark for exclusive use of the word Erguotou, allowing the term to be used more broadly rather than retaining it as a proprietary designation. Beijing Hongxing remains associated with a straightforward, economical style of baijiu. Its flagship product is consumed in both everyday social settings and traditional drinking occasions, and its reputation is strongly tied to Beijing identity. Unlike premium baijiu houses whose positioning centers on scarcity, elaborate aging narratives, or prestige gifting, Hongxing’s historical proposition has been accessibility, recognizable local character, and continuity with the traditional erguotou method. The brand is therefore best understood as a mass-market Chinese spirits brand and as an important representative of Beijing’s liquor heritage.
History
The historical background of Beijing Hongxing combines the older development of the erguotou method with the creation of a modern state-owned distillery in Beijing. The style’s origins are traditionally dated to 1680, when the three Zhou brothers, associated with the Yuanshenghao distillery, refined a process involving the cooling water used during distillation. They observed that the liquor associated with the second of three cooling stages produced the most desirable result. This observation gave rise to the name Erguotou, commonly translated as “second-pot head.” The style later became one of the characteristic forms of clear, light-aroma baijiu associated with Beijing. Beijing Hongxing itself took shape during the transition to state-controlled liquor production. In May 1949, the North China Liquor Company was founded by merging 12 distilleries in the region. The enterprise was subsequently renamed Beijing Distillery. As the first state-owned distillery established in the newly founded People’s Republic of China, it assumed a central role in organizing legal erguotou production. Under the new production system, it became the sole legal producer of the style for a period, concentrating expertise and capacity that had previously been distributed among separate distilleries. The first erguotou produced under the Hongxing name was made in September of the founding year. The name Hong Xing, meaning “Red Star,” was selected in honor of the establishment of the republic. The label design was attributed to Sakurai, a Japanese Red Army enlistee. The early brand also gained legal recognition: Hongxing was among the first trademarks registered in China, with registration recorded in 1951. This combination of a strong political-era identity, an easily recognized label, and a low-cost product helped Hongxing develop a broad consumer base. The business expanded in response to rising demand. In 1965, Beijing Hongxing assumed management of 19 distilleries in surrounding areas. The move enabled larger-scale production of erguotou and supported the policy goal of keeping the spirit inexpensive and accessible. Rather than positioning the product as an elite or ceremonial liquor, the company’s historical role was to supply a dependable everyday spirit for a wide public. This helped establish Hongxing as a particularly recognizable part of Beijing’s working-class drinking culture. A further change came in 1981, when Beijing Hongxing relinquished the trademark for exclusive use of the term Erguotou. The term consequently became available for broader use in the market, even though Hongxing retained its own brand identity and historical association with the style. The company’s connection with the Zhou brothers’ tradition has continued through production personnel; the referenced history identifies Ai Jinzhong, described as the ninth-generation descendant of the Zhou brothers, as director of production. In the contemporary market, Beijing Hongxing remains known primarily through Hongxing Erguotou. Its significance is not based on luxury pricing or international prestige, but on its status as a familiar Beijing spirit with strong historical continuity and broad affordability. The brand represents the institutionalization and mass distribution of erguotou, while also preserving the style’s association with clear, light-aroma baijiu. Its enduring identity rests on local heritage, accessible pricing, recognizable packaging, and a place in ordinary Chinese social drinking rather than on a narrowly premium image.
- 1981
Exclusive trademark claim over “Erguotou” relinquished
[1]The company gave up exclusive trademark rights to the term Erguotou, allowing the designation to be used more broadly in the market.
- 1965
Production network expanded
[1]Beijing Hongxing took over management of 19 surrounding distilleries to increase erguotou production and support continued low pricing.
- 1951
Hongxing trademark registered
[1]Hongxing was recorded among the early trademarks registered in China.
- 1949
North China Liquor Company established
[1]Twelve regional distilleries were merged into the North China Liquor Company, later renamed Beijing Distillery, creating the institutional foundation of Beijing Hongxing.
- 1949
First Hongxing erguotou produced
[1]The first batch made under the Hongxing name was produced in September. The Red Star name commemorated the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
- 1680
Development of the erguotou method
[1]The three Zhou brothers of the Yuanshenghao distillery are credited with developing the distillation and cooling-water method that gave erguotou its name and distinctive production tradition.
Products and positioning
An accessible, mass-market Beijing baijiu brand associated with traditional erguotou production, light aroma, broad availability, and working-class drinking culture.
Baijiu · 1949
Hongxing Erguotou
Hongxing Erguotou is Beijing Hongxing’s signature spirit and the product most closely associated with the company. It belongs to the qingxiang, or light-aroma, category of baijiu and is known for a clear appearance and a direct, accessible drinking profile. Its identity is tied to the traditional erguotou method, whose name refers to the liquor associated with the second cooling-water stage in the historical distillation process. The product has traditionally been positioned as an inexpensive, widely available spirit for everyday consumption rather than as a luxury or collectible baijiu.
Controversies
Brand decisions
1981
Relinquish exclusive use of the Erguotou trademarkStrategyBackground
The term Erguotou had become closely associated with a broader baijiu style and production tradition.
Action taken
Beijing Hongxing relinquished its exclusive trademark claim over the term Erguotou.
Aftermath
Other producers could use Erguotou as a product designation, while Hongxing continued to rely on its own brand and historical identity.
1965
Expand production through surrounding distilleriesStrategyBackground
Demand for Hongxing Erguotou was increasing, while the product was expected to remain inexpensive and broadly accessible.
Action taken
Beijing Hongxing took over management of 19 distilleries in the surrounding region to expand production capacity.
Aftermath
The move strengthened the company’s regional production network and supported the continued mass-market availability of erguotou.
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