Tasmanian Baijiu
Port Barrel Finished Tasmanian Baijiu
Sanyou’s Story
Sanyou - ‘three friends’
Sanyou, which translates to ‘three friends’, is truly a story of threes. Three ingredients; red sorghum, wheat and water. Three stages of manufacturing; solid-state fermentation, distillation and clay pot aging. Three founding friends; Ian Sypkes, Tim Ye and Chris De Bono. And finally the three of Australia, China, and the connecting element of Sanyou.
In January 2018, Sanyou started with a sip of a spirit that we had never heard of, let alone tasted - baijiu. Our first taste of baijiu became the seed of a dream that lead us to China, seen countless fermentations succeed and fail and created a connection between the three founding friends Ian, Tim and Chris. As the dream of a Tasmanian-made baijiu was pursued, it took on a life of its own and became a mission - to connect the people of Australia and China through a baijiu that honoured the two places we call home.
Our mission has become reality through our traditionally made and traditionally aged baijiu made using Australian ingredients and water; the first of its kind made outside of China. Our baijiu is savoury, sweet and distinctly Tasmanian with the familiar tones and flavours one expects when drinking baijiu.
We hope that you can share with us the raising of a baijiu glass as a symbol of the valued relationship between China and Australia. Ganbei!
The Essence of Chinese and Australian Culture
‘Honouring Chinese tradition in Tasmania’
Baijiu, which translates to ‘white spirit’ or ‘white wine’, is the national drink of China and the largest spirit category on the planet. 99% of baijiu produced never leaves China which for many centuries has made baijiu a relatively unknown spirit outside of the Asian continent. Baijiu is a diverse and fascinating spirit category and to say ‘baijiu’ in China is to describe a white spirit made in many different and novel ways, that can have divergent flavour profiles all of which are distinctly baijiu in nature.
Sanyou is Tasmanian made baijiu, the first of its kind 100% traditionally made and clay pot aged outside of China. We follow the traditional solid-state fermentation and distillation methods learned in the Guizhou and Sichuan Provinces of China and use local Australian grains and water. The combination of the traditional Chinese methods and local Australian grains and water results in a one-of-a-kind baijiu.
Sanyou baijiu combines humble parts of the two great cultures of China and Australia, our baijiu is ‘distinctly Tasmanian, yet familiarly Chinese’. In a time when many of us are reaching out to connect and reconnect across the waters between China and Australia, Sanyou is the perfect gift to show respect and honour for the two places we call home. Whether your relationship is in business, friendship or family, Sanyou is an ideal way to connect over a familiar drink that speaks of Australian place and Chinese tradition and culture.