Those who own the rice wine brand Shiwudao (Poetry 15), have chosen to sell their product direct to restaurants rather than online.

Lyu Zongkun, founder of Shiwudao, grew up with homemade rice wine, his mother and grandmother being well-known for making rice wine in his hometown of Chenzhou, Hunan province.

Wine culture in China has changed from the days when how much you drank was more important than the quality of what you were drinking, he says. Rice wine now has the chance to become known for premium products, as has been the case in the past few years with craft beers.

"Wine is like a lube for connecting people, and because of rice wine's low alcohol content and sweet flavor, it's the best tool on hand," Lyu says.

"We're keen to make it natural for anyone eating hotpot or Hunan and Sichuan cuisine to pair it with rice wine."

Shiwudao has been sold in more than 200 restaurants in Beijing, most of them specializing in spicy food, and most of the drink's rivals in restaurants are not other wines, but Coca-Cola and plum syrup, he says.

"We want our rice wine to go abroad with Sichuan cuisine, and to present Chinese culture."