Drunken Delights: Delicious Dishes on the Sauce

Chinese cuisine has no shortage of cooking methods; one of the most intoxicating involves using spirits to season and cure a variety of meat, seafood, and even tofu. This list of drunken and alcohol-infused dishes will allow you to explore a variety of regional liquors and dishes without ever leaving Beijing. Even better, it will allow you to keep the exploration on the table, rather than under.

Drunken shrimp 醉虾
In this dish, small river shrimp are soaked in Shaoxing wine (a spirit known for its sweet, wheat-like flavor), until they become incredibly tender. Regional variations on the dish use sea shrimp and stronger liquors, but nothing compares to the subtly sweet Shaoxing original. RMB 46.
Fuchunjiang Restaurant. Daily 9.30am-9.30pm. Bldg 3, Anhuili Erqu, Yayuncun, Chaoyang District. (6498 9889) 富春江酒店, 朝阳区亚运村安慧里二区3号楼

Drunken crab 醉蟹
As with drunken shrimp, there are many regional variations in the alcohol, seasonings, and even the time used to prepare this dish. The cleaned crab is submerged in alcohol and seasonings such as ginger, salt, garlic, and sugar, and placed in a sealed contained for anywhere between a day and a week to produce this local, age-old take on ceviche. RMB 15/crab.
Kongyiji. Daily 11.30am-10pm. 2/F, Zhonghua Attachment Bldg, A2-1 Fuxingmen Dajie, Xicheng District. (6856 8796) 孔乙己酒楼, 西城区复兴门外大街A2-1号中化大厦附楼2楼

Drunken chicken 醉鸡
The legend behind drunken chicken is that two brothers, sick of chasing their dinner, would get chickens drunk so they would be easier to steal. Their plans to do so without arousing suspicion failed when the enticing aroma of their cooked chickens drew large crowds and eventually created this legendary dish. Nowadays, it is made by soaking boiled chicken in alcohol for 24 hours and serving the meat cold. In some areas, chefs add medicinal herbs, mushrooms or potatoes, while in others chefs add Sichuan peppers to wake up the eater’s drunken appetites. RMB 30.
Jade Garden. Daily 11am-11pm. North Section, Bldg C, Rongkezixun Zhongxin. 2 Kexueyuan Nanlu, Haidian District. (8286 2800) 苏浙汇, 海淀区科学院南路2号融科资讯中心C座北楼1-2楼

Alcohol-fragrant chicken wings 酒香烤翅
This dish is a new and delicious take on baiju, the notoriously strong sorghum spirit whose smell often heralds it from afar. A shot of baijiu is added to a sticky sauce of honey, coke, garlic and pepper, resulting in 风流翅, 朝阳区新源里中学旁sweet and tender wings with a kick. RMB 4.
Fengliuchi. Daily 11am-1am. Next to the middle school, Xinyuanli, Chaoyang District. (6461 7290)

Beer duck 啤酒鸭
The natives of Jiujiang city, the second biggest city in Jiangxi province, believe that northern ducks are too fatty for their local dish, but local renditions have proven them wrong and shown that this slowly simmered stew of duck meat and beer successfully survived its migration to the North. RMB 52.
Nanchang Restaurant. Daily 11.30am-1.30pm, 5.30-8.30pm. 35 Xi Huangchenggen Nanjie, Xicheng District. (6607 9991) 南昌饭店, 西城区西黄城根南街35号

Beer fish 啤酒鱼
In Guilin’s take on the alcohol infused dinner, pieces of fish are stewed in beer, spices and fermented soybeans until tender, creating a hearty yet delicate dish. Wujiang river fish, which has fewer bones, is cut into pieces and served in a small pot (RMB 78), while grass carp is served whole on a plate (RMB 46).
Longchengtang. Daily noon-10pm. 28 Huangchenggen Beijie, Dongcheng District. (6401 9498) 龙城堂, 东城区东黄城根北街28号

Beer beef/mutton 啤酒牛/羊
This new method of infusing flavors into hot pot is only available at the trendiest places in town. Thin slices of beef and mutton are soaked in beer to keep them tender before cooking, breaking the monotony of hot pot dinners by cutting through the strong flavors of the soup and dipping sauces with a bold bite of beer. RMB 38.
Regius Beef. Daily 10am-10pm. 2/F, Bldg 19, Wanda Plaza, 93 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District. (5960 4566) 一尊皇牛, 朝阳区建国路93号万达广场19号楼2楼

Drunken Chinese dates 醉枣
The alcohol used to prepare this popular household ingredient brightens the color of the dates, creating a refreshing snack with a smooth surface and a crispy crunch. This dish is often served as a snack in restaurants and is a common ingredient in many dishes and soups. Drunken dates are prepared by soaking fresh Chinese dates in 120-proof alcohol for half a month, and then airing the dates to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
Guangming Market. Near the Xueyuan Lu branch of Hualian Supermarket, Sidaokou, Xueyuan Lu, Haidian District. 明光寺市场, 海淀区学院南路四道口(近华联学院路店)