5 Chinese drinking habits explained
How do you get out of a raucous round of ganbei at a formal dinner? What are the sneaky secrets that’ll keep you in the game? A toast to the finer points of banquet drinking
If you thought shotgunning a beer in under five seconds back in uni was the pinnacle of drinking prowess, you’ve probably never been properly ganbei’d. China’s version of “down the hatch” is a bit like the power hour, involving repeated and prolonged shooting of small amounts of alcohol -- red wine if you’re lucky, baijiu if you’re not.
- More on CNNGo: Shanghai's Japanese baijiu club
Though observed in all social circles, ganbei is particularly prominent in China’s formal banquet culture, where business suits and government officials rub elbows, talk business and, well, get completely sloshed.
We spoke to Lawrence Lo, founder of LHY Etiquette Consultancy Limited and a few seasoned ganbei-ers to learn the ins and outs of this thoroughly intoxicating custom.
Is the image tilted or have the rounds of ganbei gotten to you?
1. You’re in, or you’re out
While you’re not obligated to chug the night away, it is tacitly expected at a business banquet.
“There’s probably more pressure to drink than there is on your 21st birthday,” says Will Xu, a senior accountant who attends regular company banquets with suppliers and other accountants up north and in Shanghai.
If you are going to pass, “set your rule at the beginning,” advises Lo. “Because once you’re in, you’re in. There's no room for flip flopping.”
The question is -- how to get out?
Make an excuse
All is fair in love and ganbei, and a white lie might save everyone face. The best excuses are religious or health reasons, though be prepared for jovial ridicule.
What’s the best get-out-of-jail-free card? Pregnancy.
Either being on medication to get your wife pregnant, or, for women, being or trying to get pregnant (though be prepared for questions six months down the line), will do the trick.
The women at this Shanghai baijiu club can hold their own when ganbei'ing.
2. Women get a free pass
“One of the reasons I like China is that if you have the title and the position, you’re treated as an equal and get the same title respect,” says Lucy Morgan, a Briton who’s lived and worked in China in both the government and private sectors for more than 30 years.
Ironically, while you’ll be invited to the banquets, you won’t be expected to drink. However, if you choose to partake, rule number one applies.
Props for the female ganbei
“Women get double points for ganbei’ing,” says Xu.
Some men may offer to do a full ganbei while you do a quarter or half ganbei, but quite often you’ll be expected to keep pace with the crowd. For Morgan, it’s about proving that if you’re an equal, you’re an equal.
“I wasn’t going to be seen as the ‘little girlie’ back then or the ‘older woman’ now,” she says, referring to her experience 15 years ago when she out-ganbei’d the vice-mayor of Chengdu with 12 shots of baijiu.
Whoever draws the short straw gets to be the next ganbei rep.
3. Elect a representative
Believe it or not, “if you need to represent your company at a banquet, you can bring someone along and delegate them to drink for you,” says Lo.
Talk about authority.
In her experience, Morgan has rarely seen a woman elect a drinking buddy (as women aren’t expected to drink anyway) -- it’s usually older or weak-livered businessmen.
If you go this route your fellow diners may jeer, but it does serve a purpose.
Saving company face
Joining in the inebriated merriment is in many ways viewed as a sign of goodwill and hospitality on the part of the company or organization you represent. In fact, this is often a sneaky way to get your best hitter up to the plate.
“The elected drinker is usually someone you do not want to drink with, because they can drink a lot," says Xu. "They will probably deny that they can drink -- it's a lie.”
We're betting Bill opted for red wine over baijiu when going head to head with former Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
4. Pace yourself
It’s a long ride once you’re on the ganbei train.
“At a banquet, there are usually eight to 10 courses, and there will be a ganbei with each,” says Lo.
In addition, the host will usually toast the group and the guest of honor.
The second most senior host will toast the second most senior guest, and so on and so forth. It’s also not uncommon for challenges to strike up between tables.
So, how can you last the night without bringing the banquet back up?
Be sneaky
Over the course of 30 years, Morgan has picked up a trick or two. One way to lower the intensity is to downgrade your poison -- switch from baijiu to wine, or ganbei beer instead. Although the idea of shooting wine is less than palatable for many, it's the lesser of two evils.
While at informal occasions you can ganbei non-alcoholic beverages, Morgan says, it’s highly unusual at formal occasions. Beer is as non-alcoholic as it gets.
Another trick? “Pour a bit of water in your wine,” she suggests, “or switch to a half-ganbei -- banbei ganbei.”
And lastly, humor. “If you get people laughing, they won’t care how much you drink.”
For karaoke sessions like this, leave your partner at home.
5. Don’t bring the spouse
Chinese banquets are primarily business affairs -- spouses are seldom invited to join.
“You should always check first [before bringing a spouse along],” advises Lo.
There are several reasons for this, the most compelling being that deals may not get closed over the course of the banquet.
The KTV close
“It’s still a very macho culture,” explains Lo. “Sometimes business is done [or concluded] away from the dinner table at KTVs or massage parlors."
The retreat to more “nefarious” locales, as Morgan jokes, or playing liar dice with pretty young girls selected for the occasion, is not a scene that spouses can readily partake in (and may disapprove of).
But, as Xu points out: “It depends on who you’re with. Often you just go to a genuine karaoke -- and more drinking.”
Read more: 5 Chinese drinking habits explained | CNNGo.com http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/drink/5-chinese-drinking-habits-explains-621771#ixzz1HNEkKdmD
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