Bronze distiller - earliest liquor distiller

A bronze distiller unearthed from the tomb of "Haihunhou" in Jiangxi province. [Photo/jxnews.com]

According to jxnews.com, a bronze distiller unearthed from the "Haihunhou" tomb has pushed back the history of distilled liquor in China 1,000 years. Archeological expert Zhang Zhongli said that prior to this discovery, the earliest distiller for wine making was found in a Yuan Dynasty tomb.

The bronze ware, round as a barrel with a diamond-shaped hollowed-out bottom, and two feet, was identified as a bronze distiller by experts.

The earliest historical record on distilled wine and distillers also dates from the Yuan Dynasty. This discovery has shifted our understanding of the earliest known instance of distilled wine in China.

Zhang said that wine was a luxury in the Western Han Dynasty. Common people rarely had the chance to taste it and it was only popular among aristocrats.