Kweichow Moutai’s 106-Proof Liquor Shields Investors

Guo Haoda says he doesn’t care that the price of Moutai liquor keeps rising. For the building contractor in Beijing, sharing the 106-proof sorghum-based spirit is the best way to forge ties and clinch contracts.

“In China, deals are done at the dinner table, not the boardroom,” said Guo, 37, who paid 2,200 yuan ($330) for two bottles of the grain liquor at a supermarket, enough to cover the rent of a studio apartment. “Breaking out the Moutai is still the easiest way to build trust with prospective customers and officials.”