Few bottles carry as much history as Kweichow Moutai Flying Fairy. It has toasted state banquets, crowned weddings and New Year dinners, and become one of the most recognized spirits in the world. Its global story even began here in the Bay Area. This guide covers where Moutai comes from, how distillers make it, what it tastes like, and how to enjoy the 1-liter Flying Fairy bottle we carry at T&Y Wine & Spirits in Millbrae.
What is Moutai?
Moutai is a baijiu, the traditional Chinese spirit distilled from grain. It comes from Maotai, a small town on the Chishui River in Guizhou province in southwest China. The name Kweichow is the older romanization of Guizhou, which is why the label reads Kweichow Moutai.
Moutai is the benchmark for the sauce-aroma (jiang xiang) style of baijiu: rich, savory and layered, with a long finish quite unlike whisky or Cognac. Many experts consider the local climate, the river water and the town’s centuries of distilling tradition essential to its character.
1915: a gold medal in San Francisco
Moutai’s international story begins just up the Peninsula. In 1915, China exhibited Maotai spirit at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, where it won a gold medal. A favorite legend says visitors ignored the plain earthenware jars at first, until someone dropped one and it broke, and the aroma drew the crowd and the judges.
The connection is still celebrated. In 2015 the City of San Francisco proclaimed a “San Francisco Moutai Day,” and Moutai marked the 110th anniversary of its Expo medal with events at the Palace of Fine Arts in December 2025.
Why it is called Flying Fairy
The Flying Fairy (Feitian) label shows a pair of celestial dancers inspired by the ancient Buddhist murals of the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang. It became the label for Moutai’s export bottles, while bottles for the domestic market long carried the Five Star label. For a period from 1969, during the Cultural Revolution, export bottles used a Sun Flower label instead, before the Flying Fairy returned. Today the Flying Fairy bottle is the most recognized face of Moutai around the world.
How Moutai is made
Moutai is famous for one of the slowest production processes of any spirit. Local red sorghum and a wheat-based fermentation starter (qu) go through a full year-long cycle that follows the seasons, often summarized by the numbers 1-2-9-8-7:
- 1 production cycle each year
- 2 additions of sorghum
- 9 rounds of steaming
- 8 rounds of fermentation
- 7 rounds of distillation
Distillers age the spirit from each round separately in clay jars for several years. Then master blenders combine them before bottling. That patience is a big part of why Moutai tastes the way it does, and why people prize it as a gift.
What does it taste like?
Expect a powerful, savory aroma often compared to soy sauce, roasted grain and dried fruit, with hints of earth and spice. On the palate it is full and rounded despite its strength (53% alcohol), and the aroma lingers in the glass long after it is empty. Many drinkers say the empty cup is the best part.
How to serve Moutai
- Small cups: serve in small baijiu glasses, about 10 to 15 ml per pour.
- Room temperature, neat: no ice and no mixer, so the aroma comes through.
- With food: it pairs naturally with a Chinese banquet, such as Peking duck, braised pork, spicy Sichuan dishes and cured meats.
- Toast the table: a “ganbei” with the host or guest of honor is part of the tradition, but sipping slowly is just as welcome.
Why choose the 1-liter bottle?
The classic Flying Fairy comes in a 500 ml bottle, so the 1-liter size stands out. It is a natural choice for wedding banquets, company dinners and family celebrations, and it makes an impressive gift for business partners and elders during Lunar New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival.
Buying genuine Moutai
Because Moutai is so valuable, counterfeits exist. Buy from a licensed retailer you can visit in person, check that the seal and packaging are intact, and be cautious of prices far below market. At T&Y Wine & Spirits, every bottle comes through licensed distribution channels.
Get Kweichow Moutai Flying Fairy 1L in Millbrae
Visit us at 260 Broadway, Millbrae, CA 94030, near the Millbrae BART and Caltrain station and minutes from SFO, or order online for in-store pickup or delivery anywhere in the Bay Area. You can find it with our other baijiu, including Wuliangye and Guojiao 1573.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Flying Fairy and Five Star Moutai?
They are the same Kweichow Moutai spirit with different labels. Historically, Flying Fairy (Feitian) was the export label, while Five Star served the domestic market.
How strong is Moutai?
Kweichow Moutai Flying Fairy is 53% alcohol by volume, so most people pour it into small cups and sip it slowly.
Does Moutai need to be refrigerated after opening?
No. Keep it upright, tightly closed, at room temperature and away from sunlight. Like other spirits, it does not spoil, though the aroma is best enjoyed within a reasonable time after opening.
Where can I buy Moutai near San Francisco?
T&Y Wine & Spirits at 260 Broadway in Millbrae carries Kweichow Moutai Flying Fairy 1L, with in-store pickup and delivery across the Bay Area.
Please enjoy responsibly. You must be 21 or older to purchase alcohol.