Buying liquor in China?
Feb 11, 2006, 11:43 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 632
Buying liquor in China?
Planning on being there for a few weeks, thought it would be nice to have some wine and/or bottle of scotch for in room consumption.
Are there liquor stores scattered about? State run stores? Can you get Western brands of scotch, western wine?
Is the situation different in Hong Kong?
How are prices?
Are there liquor stores scattered about? State run stores? Can you get Western brands of scotch, western wine?
Is the situation different in Hong Kong?
How are prices?
Feb 11, 2006, 1:20 pm
#4
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I was in central beijing (dong cheng district) late last year, in the supermarket in the mall at oriental plaza (same complex as the grand hyatt), they had a wide selection. Wine seemed a little pricey, can't really recall the price of other things.
Feb 11, 2006, 4:46 pm
#5
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It's freely available from what I recall. Certainly the supermarket near the silk market sold it, as did the one in the Holiday Inn Lido complex. However wine in both Hong Kong and China is pretty expensive... you may be a bit 
when you see the prices for even poor stuff. There is some local wine produced (Great Wall?) which is emmm interesting. But cheaper than the imports.
Similarly in Hong Kong - freely available in the supermarkets. I did used to find Marks and Spencer (the UK department store chain) had the best range of imported wine - there are stores on Hong Kong Island (I think Central, but could be wrong on the exact district) and Sha Tin (in the mall next to the KCR station) with food halls.
when you see the prices for even poor stuff. There is some local wine produced (Great Wall?) which is emmm interesting. But cheaper than the imports. Similarly in Hong Kong - freely available in the supermarkets. I did used to find Marks and Spencer (the UK department store chain) had the best range of imported wine - there are stores on Hong Kong Island (I think Central, but could be wrong on the exact district) and Sha Tin (in the mall next to the KCR station) with food halls.
Feb 11, 2006, 5:06 pm
#6
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Posts: 632
Thanks all - sounds like if I can carry anything, it should be a nice bottle of wine, and get anything else like scotch at the supermarket (seems odd, buying scotch at a supermarket!)
Is this just a US thing to have liquor stores???
Is this just a US thing to have liquor stores???
Feb 11, 2006, 6:38 pm
#8
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Reminds me of Thailand a few weeks ago. Food and drink were so cheap -- except for imported wine. (The local wine was, as someone above described Chinese wine, interesting).
Feb 12, 2006, 3:14 am
#9
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Originally Posted by af250xxl
Bring you own, or buy it in Hong Kong....
There are a lot of fake wines/liquors in China... even at some top Western hotel shops.
There are a lot of fake wines/liquors in China... even at some top Western hotel shops.
regarding prices, imported wines can be a little pricey (i.e. you'll pay a premium for really bad champagne), but spirits are (sometimes much) cheaper than in other parts of the world. you can buy a .75 of stoli almost anywhere in bj or sh for around $9; if it freezes too easily, cast it aside. also, if you have time, carrefour is a pretty good place to buy all types of western food products at good prices and reliable quality.
Feb 12, 2006, 10:33 am
#10
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Originally Posted by af250xxl
Bring you own, or buy it in Hong Kong....
There are a lot of fake wines/liquors in China... even at some top Western hotel shops.
There are a lot of fake wines/liquors in China... even at some top Western hotel shops.
The State Administration for Industry and Commerce warned consumers that
much of the alcohol sold in so-called gift re-sale shops - places where
people can sell or trade gifts received during the Spring Festival
holiday - could be fake.
In mid-2004, at least 11 people died and another
56 were poisoned from fake baijiu made from diluting and blending
industrial-use alcohol.
The counterfeit spirits have also turned up in bars in higher-end
hotels, where bartenders wait until the customer is intoxicated, then
switch to using the fake alcohol,
Feb 12, 2006, 4:35 pm
#11
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Observations from Shanghai:
There's plenty of liquor in the big grocery store near my in-law's house. Most if it is Chinese brands but there are also western ones.
Being a non-drinker married to an extremely light drinker I can't comment on the prices nor do I have any idea if it's authentic or not.
I do know we have once been asked to bring US liquor with us for someone in China. Whether it was a matter of price, availability or counterfeiting I have no idea.
There's plenty of liquor in the big grocery store near my in-law's house. Most if it is Chinese brands but there are also western ones.
Being a non-drinker married to an extremely light drinker I can't comment on the prices nor do I have any idea if it's authentic or not.
I do know we have once been asked to bring US liquor with us for someone in China. Whether it was a matter of price, availability or counterfeiting I have no idea.