Liquor taster embodies spirit of her craft

As any physical abnormalities may influence evaluation results, she has to maintain a stable physical state. To do that, she refuses all spicy or excitant food, and forgoes perfume and cosmetics.

"I used to have long hair that I would dye from time to time, but for something I love more, I'm willing to change," says He, who also maintains a strict diet to sustain the elegant image of a liquor taster. "Liquor tasting is not excessive drinking. The job doesn't harm my body. Instead, it helps me develop a healthy lifestyle."

Over the past decade, she has received many awards because of her skill and hard work, including the May 1 Labor Medal in Guizhou. She has also been named a national baijiu assessor, a national technical expert in the baijiu industry and worked as a judge of baijiu blending in Guizhou.

In the eyes of her colleagues, He is the "most patient" person. In 2021, she participated in a general survey of 40,000 metric tons of base liquor, to evaluate its quality and separate it into different types, in order to offer information for product design.

"Tasting a glass of baijiu is like opening a blind box, which helps me remain curious about the unknown," says He. "Liquor tasters bridge the gap between consumers and the liquor producers. For the company, our work is to ensure product quality; and for consumers, we aim to provide a good drinking experience."

The tasting expert is also a delegate to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. She says she will take the voices of grassroots workers to the congress and bring back its ideas, do a better job, as well as pass down her skills and the artisan spirit.

Xi Dezhou, 30, one of her colleagues, says that He is professional and responsible for her post. "She works diligently and conscientiously, and is a role model for us," he says, adding that she is also very outgoing and always works with a smile.