The name
二锅头 (lit. 'second-pot head') comes from a Qing-era distilling technique: distillers discarded the first and third batches from the condensing pot and kept only the cleanest middle portion — 'the head of the second pot'. Red Star (
红星) and Niulanshan (
牛栏山) are the iconic Beijing brands, cheap and strong at 56% ABV.
