
Zhou Enlai Solely Favored Moutai
When the first instruction battalion of the Red Army entered into Moutai, people all felt tired after long time of marching. They found that there were large quantities of liquor in the Town of Moutai, and they used it to wash their hands, faces and feet. Since Moutai can vivify blood and cure the inflammation, immediately the soldiers felt comfortable, and their tiredness of the long journey was relieved. When the soldiers were still excited, Zhou Enlai arrived at Moutai. When he saw the soldiers were using Moutai to wash faces and feet, he felt very angry, and said, "You are really ruining the saint!"
Then what's the reason that Zhou Enlai said "saint"? It was said that at the end of the East Han Dynasty Cao Cao controlled the court. One day, Minister Xu Miao was drunk, and it was at that time when Cao Cao sent for him. He could not hide and said, on the spur of the liquor, "Please go back and say to the Prime Minister that I was discussing things with the "saint", and thus I have no time." When the people assigned by Cao Cao heard "saint", he went back to reply to Cao Cao without knowing what that really was. Cao Cao was also bewildered, but he did not continue to ask something about it. Later when Xu Miao talked with his friends, he said, "I haven't thought that "saint" has saved my life." Since then, "saint" has become another name of liquor. It is obvious that Comrade Zhou Enlai used this name to criticize soldiers of the Red Army. He sincerely said, "Comrades, this is the Kweichow Moutai of our country that has won Gold Prize in Panama World's Fair!" Then he continued to tell stories about Moutai, and the Red Army men present there were all deeply moved.
At the National Day holiday of 1950, Premier Zhou decided to use Moutai as the liquor for the national banquet. However, at the eve of the National Day Holiday, there wasn't even a bottle of Moutai. Premier Zhou felt anxious. He asked his office to make calls to Kweichow, and he personally talked to Su Zhenhua, Secretary of CPC Kweichow Provincial Committee, asking him to urgently dispatch a batch of Moutai to Beijing.
Zhou Enlai could drink, but he seldom drank much. On diplomatic occasions, Zhou Enlai often used liquor as the topic to alleviate and activate the atmosphere. In all national banquets, from meeting in Geneva, or the visit to China by Nixon, Premier Zhou used Moutai to treat guests and visitors.
In 1971, at the order of Nixon, Kissinger secretly visited China. When he went to China, the mystery of China made him nervous. In order to activate the mood, when Zhou Enlai shook hands with them, the Premier tried his best to find topics to talk with them. During the banquet, Zhou Enlai joked with Rady and Mcclaud, special agents of the US, "You should take care. Our Moutai will make you drunk. Will you be criticized when you drunk?" Zhou Enlai chatted with them in a family way, and this made the anxiety of the Kissinger disappear quickly.
In Feb. 1972, President Nixon visited China. Premier Zhou used Moutai stored for over 30 years to treat him. This pure and densely fragrant Moutai immediately infatuated Nixon. When cheering with Nixon, Premier Zhou told the American President that during the Long March he had drunk 25 cups of spirited liquor, which would give unbearable heat in the stomach! When in the US, President Nixon had read Red Star over China by Snow, in which there were stories of generals and soldiers of the Red Army drinking Moutai when they conquered the Town of Moutai in the Long March. In another banquet, when Premier Zhou introduced Moutai to Nixon, he said, "It is better than vodka. When drinking Moutai, the throat was never sore, and the head never suffered." Nixon agreed and complimented that Moutai "can cure all diseases."
Staff members of the TV station shot pictures of Premier Zhou happily cheering with Nixon with Moutai, and broadcast it to the entire world, which further made Moutai famous in the world with this historical "cheer".
Before that, when Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka visited our country, Premier Zhou prepared a national banquet in Capital Yingbin Hotel. During the banquet, Prime Minister Tanaka complimented, "Moutai is a great liquor, the best, No.1 in the world!" Premier Zhou said, "Moutai can cure fatigue and calm the spirit......"
For numerous years, people of Kweichow disputed with people of Shanxi over the question as to which is the earlier, Moutai or Fen Chiew. The suit was even brought to Kuomintang government in Nanjing. Hearing this, Jiang Jieshi didn't dare to present his opinion. He made a compromise and said, "Famous liquors of the world are the same, it is no point arguing which one is earlier, and a liquor is better when it is drunk better.!
After the liberation, the dispute between these 2 liquors still continued. At a national meeting in 1963, Premier Zhou asked masters of Moutai and Fen Chiew to tell the fragrance types and traditional technical processes of both liquors. He patiently listened to their statement and said, "You 2 liquors are famous liquors in the south and north. Moutai won reputation for the country; when it comes to the earlier liquor, Moutai shall be earlier." For Moutai is produced at the upstream of Moutai River, and it is different from Fen Chiew in terms of fragrance types and method of brewing, and there is no master-apprentice relationship between these two ones. However, when it comes to the years, Moutai should be the first. At the words of Premier Zhou, all people agreed.
Moutai paid special attention to the geographical conditions, climate, soil and quality of water for the production of Moutai. He had made detailed inquiry on it for several times, and had given important instructions that "in order to ensure the quality of Moutai, maintain the honor of our country, no chemical factory is to be built at the upstream of Moutai River, no pollution of the water in Moutai River is permitted." Due to considerate care of Premier Zhou, the water in Moutai River is still clear, and the Moutai produced is still worthy of its famous, and Moutai still maintains its original quality and traditional feature, and is the apple of the eyes of domestic and overseas drinkers.
周恩来独宠茅台
话说红军一教导营进入茅台,长途行军,大家都很疲乏,他们发现茅台镇酒多,便纷纷用来擦脸、洗头、洗脚。由于茅台酒能舒筋活血,消炎祛肿,战士们顿时感到浑身痛快,解除了长途跋涉的疲乏。正当战士们兴高采烈的时候,周恩来到达茅台。他见大家用茅台酒擦脸、洗脚,十分生气,连声批评道:“真是糟蹋圣人!”
周恩来为何说“圣人”二字呢?传说东汉末年,曹操主持朝政,一天,尚书侍郎徐邈在家喝酒大醉,正好曹操派人唤他进朝议事,他躲闪不及,就依仗酒劲儿说:“回禀丞相,臣正与‘圣人'议事,不得功夫。”来人一听“圣人”,便糊里糊涂的复命去了。曹操也糊里糊涂,没有追问下去。事后,徐邈与友人谈起此事说:“不想‘圣人'二字竟然救了我的性命。”从此,“圣人”便成了酒的别名。显然,周恩来同志是借用酒的这个别名批评红军战士。他语重心长地说:“同志们,这是我们国家在巴拿马万国博览会上获得金奖的贵州茅台酒啊!”接着,又给大家讲了有关茅台酒的故事,在场的红军战士无不深受教育。
五零年国庆节,周总理决定用茅台酒作为国宴用酒。可是,在国庆节前夕,偌大的北京城竟连一瓶茅台酒也找不到,周总理十分着急。他要办公厅挂通贵州的电话,亲自电告省委书记苏振华,要他急调一批茅台酒进京。
周恩来会饮酒,酒量不小,但十分节制。在外交场合,周恩来常以酒作为调节、活跃气氛的话题。无论是日内瓦会议,还是尼克松访华 ...... 凡举行国宴,周总理都用茅台酒招待宾朋。
一九七一年,美国的基辛格奉尼克松之命秘密访华。他来到我国时,中国的一种神秘感使他有点紧张。为了活跃情绪,周恩来在和他们握手时,极力寻找话题和他们寒暄。其间,周恩来与美国特工人员雷迪和麦克劳德开玩笑说:“你们可要小心哟,我们的茅台酒会醉人的。你们喝醉了,是不是回去要受处分呢?” 周恩来与他们如同亲朋好友聊家常,这便使基辛格一行紧张拘束的心理很快消失了。
一九七二年二月,美国总统尼克松来华,周总理用贮藏了 30 多年的茅台酒招待。这纯净透明、醇香浓郁的茅台酒将尼克松迷住了。在和尼克松碰杯时,周总理告诉尼克松说,在长征途中,一次他曾喝过 25 杯烈性茅台酒,若是在肚子里发起热来可不得了!尼克松在美国曾经读过斯诺的《西行漫记》,其中讲到红军在长征途中,攻占茅台镇时,红军将领和战士们畅饮茅台酒的故事。在另一次宴会上,周总理向尼克松介绍茅台酒时说: “ 比伏特加好喝,饮之喉咙不痛也不上头 ......” 尼克松心悦诚服,也赞扬茅台酒 “ 能治百病 ” 。
电视台工作人员拍下了周总理与尼克松满脸喜悦用茅台酒干杯的镜头,并向全世界播送,更使茅台酒伴随着这个历史性的“干杯”而名震世界。
在此之前,日本首相田中访问我国,周总理在首都迎宾馆设国宴款待。席间田中首相赞道:“茅台酒是美酒,大大的好,世界第一!”周总理说:“茅台酒能消除疲劳,安定精神 ......”
不知多少年来,贵州人与山西人一直为茅台酒和汾酒孰先孰后的问题争论不休,官司一直打到国民党南京政府。蒋介石听了,不敢表态,只好采取折中的办法,说道:天下名酒是一家,何必分你师我徒,只要好喝就行!
解放后,这两家名酒的争执仍然余波未平。六三年,在一次全国性的会议上,周总理要茅台酒师和汾酒师讲出各自酒的香型和传统工艺流程。他耐心听完他们的陈述后说道,“琼浆玉液,南北一方;名甲天下,茅台争光;若论先后,数我长江。”原来茅台酒产在茅台河上游,要论香型和酿造方法,与汾酒并不相同,南北两方不存在师徒关系这一问题,要说先后,茅台酒理应在先。经周总理发话,大家都心服口服了。
周总理对生产茅台酒的地理条件、气候、土壤和水质极为关心,曾多次详细询问,并作出过“为确保茅台酒的质量,维护国家民族的荣誉,茅台河上游不准建化工厂,不准污染茅台酒河水”的重要指示。由于周总理的百般关心,茅台河水至今清澈透底,酿出的茅台酒至今名不虚传,保持着原有品质和传统特色,深受国内外饮者喜爱。