Li Baofang, president of China Kweichow Moutai Distillery Group, introduces the leading liquor brand on Nov. 12, the second annual Moutai Day, at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. (Photo by Jin Xiaofeng)

If wine is bottled poetry, then China’s national liquor is bottled Chinese culture.

The story of Moutai begins in 1915 at the Panama Pacific International Exposition. A Chinese representative at the expo intentionally let a clay jar of Moutai liquor fall to the ground, causing its mellow aroma to fill the air. That aroma captured the judges’ attention, and Moutai won a gold medal at the expo. The Palace of Fine Arts hosted that momentous expo 100 years ago.

In 2015, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee named Nov. 12 the city’s Moutai Day. On Nov. 12, 2015, Moutai's overseas centennial celebration was held at San Francisco City Hall.

“Many years ago, most [Moutai employees] rarely traveled outside China, but they knew the liquor they made was exhibited at the Panama Pacific International Exposition. The collective memory made them long for and crave the outside world,” said Li Baofang, president of China Kweichow Moutai Distillery Group, on Nov. 12, Li made his remarks on the first anniversary of Moutai Day at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.

However, the story doesn’t end there. While Moutai’s legacy dates back to as early as 135 BC, when Emperor Wu hailed the liquor from Guizhou, its complicated production process has also helped the brand to prevail over competitors until today. According to Li, the production of Moutai is an incredibly complex process; from preparation of materials to shipment, the liquor goes through 165 processes in five years.

From southwestern China’s Guizhou province to San Francisco on the western coast of the U.S., Moutai brings its distinctive aroma and ties to Chinese culture wherever it goes. Indeed, Moutai is known as the “liquor of diplomacy and friendship.”

In his comments at the Moutai event, Mayor Lee said, “I've always felt that Kweichow Moutai is more than just a liquor. It is and has become a symbol for many, many good things, and I know that it has been the drink for President Nixon, who visited China to normalize our relations, which was one of the most important things that happened in our lifetimes.” In June 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping drank Moutai with U.S. President Barack Obama during Xi’s state visit.

Ren Faqiang, Chinese deputy consul general in San Francisco, said that Moutai plays a special role in China-U.S. cultural exchanges. It demonstrates confidence and strength with its rigorous artisanal process and long history.

One hundred years ago, Moutai factory workers likely couldn’t have imagined that their product would be welcomed outside of Guizhou, let alone in the international arena. Today, Moutai products are sold in more than 60 countries and regions across Asia, Europe, the Americas, Oceania and Africa. The company’s profits account for 47 percent of the entire Chinese liquor industry.