Alcoholic drinks in China the White Snake as the substance which forces the snake to reveal her true form. The drink was thought to prevent disease and misfortune (particularly snake bites and digestive worms) and to promote health; although modern Chinese authorities discourage the practice, it is still legally available for consumption. Alcoholic drinks in China Alcoholic drinks in China seem to precede the earliest stages of Chinese civilization. They include rice and grape wine, beer, and various liquors including "baijiu", the most-consumed distilled spirit in the world. ("jiǔ") is the Chinese character referring to any drink containing appreciable quantities of ethanol. Its Old
Sura (alcoholic drink) Sura (alcoholic drink) Surāh (Sanskrit and Pāli; Devanāgarī: सुरा) is a strong distilled alcoholic drink. It is referred to as an anaesthetic by Suśruta (a surgeon in India circa 400 BCE). Other ancient medical authorities also mention it; Charaka referred to making a woman with a miscarriage senseless to pain by administering alcoholic drinks like "surā", "sīdhu", "ariṣṭa", "madhu", "madirā" or "āsava". The method for preparation appears in the Atharvaveda in the Kandas 5 and 8. In Buddhist texts "surāh" is mentioned as one of intoxicating drinks, along with (Pali) "meraya" (Sanskrit "maireya", a drink made with sugar cane and