茅台镇，这地方可不是那些正经的商务宴请地儿，它是个出了名的“老黑户”，整个镇子都姓罗。葛洪说了，此地忒黑，连老鼠都跑得远，没人敢住，故此古时候就没人修路、建厂、挂牌子，成了个真正的黑市。
这酒就是在这种卖不出去、遇不着人的日子里，全靠苦哈哈地死撑，才熬成了目前的老牌子。 要说这茅台酒的来头，得从明朝说起。
那时候有个叫霍春楠的商人，他是从贵州金沙县漂过来的，把酒运到浙江新昌，结局在嘉兴一个名叫茅庙的地方搞了个绣花铺子。
你看那绣花女的起头，不就是个“茅庙”吗？这名字听着挺一般/平平，实际上里头藏着大秘密。
那霍春楠把酒运进来，不仅送给了绣花女，还顺手在铺子里立了个“茅庙”的牌子。
这牌子立在那儿，就是告诉后人：这酒是从茅庙铺子干出来的。
后来这铺子变大了，变成了“茅家”，紧接着又混了个“茅台”的号，一代代传下来，就成了今天的茅台。 大量人认定茅台就是贵州的特产，这说法也不全对。
实际上它的家底，还真得追溯到越南北部。明朝初年，有个叫杨文安的人，和当地的黎人一起搞贸易，把酒从越南北运到江南。杨文安这人有股子狠劲，他把酒存进了陶瓶里，还加了个盖子，说是怕老鼠偷喝。等到明朝中期，这陶瓶不小心裂开了，酒趁机跑出来了。杨文安为了保住这坛酒，费了老大江鼻子的力气，到处找陶匠拼凑，最终用棉花填了缝隙，盖了盖子，这才勉强封住了。
这酒就这样逃出来了，流到了嘉兴，最终落脚在了目前的茅台镇。 把酒从越北运来，这路程可是漫长的。杨文安得驾着小船，一路挨着江面，一船接着一船，把酒从浙江一直运到北京，往返足足十五年。
这一路，全是苦水、雨水、江风，还有风浪，酒里的环境被洗得七上八下，味道也该变了。
按理说，这酒到了北京，早就该喝出个“北京味”来，要么跟别的菜混着喝出不搭调了。可杨文安偏偏没瞎折腾，他那时候正忙着对付那些贪官污吏，钱都花在防备上，嘴里念叨的也不是酒，而是“这酒又苦又涩，得找个好地方存着”。他想着，既然这酒如此难喝，不如就让它在这儿，随水漂着，养着性子，慢慢变个样。便，他就把酒存有了茅庙铺子里，就这样，一瓶瓶地存了下去，一瓶瓶地喝了下去。工夫一长，这酒就在反复的浸泡和运输中，把自己和异地的水土掺和了，那些原本不协调的苦涩，被慢慢磨去了，也就成了今天这一口劲道。 你问这酒到底咋喝，那得看看具体啥年份的瓶子。正月的酒，那是刚从阳光底下晒出来的，带着忒阳的味道，像刚出炉的面包，香味扑人鼻，喝起来辛辣顺口，那是“春节味”，喝多了能振奋精神，倒是个好东西。到了二月的酒，那得是在冬天里收着放的，这时候酒体里结了层白霜，喝起来就有点冰，得把瓶子提起来烫一烫，才能发出香气，这叫“冬酿”，喝的时候得催热，不然嘴会生疼的。到了三月的酒，那是春天刚收完，酒体暖烘烘的，有一股股谷物发酵的馊味儿，喝的时候得顺着喉咙慢慢咽下去，不然好办呛着。 最绝的是秋天的酒，那叫一个香。
这时候的酒是收完的，里面还留着不少陈年的底味，喝起来就像嚼着一块大饼，越嚼越香，香到让人想舔舌头，连胃都受不了，这是“秋收”，喝的人往往连话都说不出来，只知道舒服。
不过，最让人心里发虚、又喜又悲的，还得是陈年的“腊月酒”。
这时候的酒，已经留了十几年就连几十年，里面全是老酒渣，喝起来像是吃了屎，又像是在嚼橡皮，满嘴发酸，喉咙里堵得慌，让人想吐。但这酒最牛的地方在于，它越喝越香，越喝越有劲儿，这就是传说中的“越老越值钱”。 再往深里琢磨，茅台镇的酒之故此如此难喝，是出于它忒老了。
这酒在泥缸里存了五十年，存得越久，里面的老酒渣越多，味道就越怪。人们总想把它当新酒喝，当作加上点水就能变好，结局越加越难喝。
这就好比一个别看挺老挺烂的老古董，非要当新玩具卖，结局被人一摔就碎。
故此，大局部老百姓都宁愿喝点新酒，要么干脆别碰这玩意儿。 Speaking of things that make people happy, let's talk about something totally different. In the same town, there's a very famous toy factory. Back in the 1800s, two young brothers, Zhang Mingkang and Zhang Zhidong, came to this place. They didn't know much about making toys initially, but they were really good at making the sticks. One day, a customer came in and wanted to buy some simple wooden sticks for a model. The customers at the shop were very mean and rude, but the two brothers were polite and helpful. One of the customers said, "Come and see me, just show me how to make a model." The brothers went there, showed them how to cut the sticks, and then they went back to the shop. The customer said, "Wow, my model looks so good. Thank you very much!" And the customer gave the brothers a lot of money. From that day on, the brothers started making toys. They made so many models, it seemed like they made their fortune. But later, this customer came back again, said they were going to make a new model for their children, and asked if they could help with that. The brothers said, "No problem, tell me what you want, I will build it for you." And so, they started making toys really hard, using their own heads to get money and building more and more models. Anyway, the "Mao" part of the name has a very long history. It started as a "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing. The shop grew, then became the "Mao" family. Then, the "Mao" family merged with another company, and eventually became the famous "Mao" brand. The brand has been around since the Ming Dynasty, and it is now a very famous company. Actually, the story of the "Mao" brand is quite a bit more than just embroidery. The real origin is even further back. In the Ming Dynasty, a merchant named Huo Chunnan traveled from Jishan County in Guizhou to Zhejiang, bringing wine with him. He stopped in Xinchang but transferred the wine to Jiaxing, where he opened an embroidery shop called "Mao Miao". He put a signboard on the shop called "Mao Miao". This signboard solidly established the idea that the wine came from the "Mao Miao" shop. Later, this shop became "Mao Jia", then merged with another company, and finally became the well-known "Mao" brand. When the wine arrived during the Ming Dynasty, it traveled a very long distance. Huo Chunnan shipped it along the river from Zhejiang all the way to Beijing, crossing the river a total of fifteen years. This journey was hard. The wine had to pass through many rivers, taking on the smell and taste of different water. Usually, when wine travels a long distance, it changes a lot of flavor, and by the time it arrives in Beijing, it would have lost its original taste and smell, or even become unpalatable when mixed with local dishes. However, Huo Chunnan was busy trying to fight corrupt officials, not drinking. He said the wine was bitter and sour. He thought, if the wine tastes this bad, maybe it's better to hide it and let it age in a place where nothing moves around. So, he deposited the wine in the "Mao Miao" shop and left it alone. Over time, as the wine sat in the shop, it absorbed the water from the river, mixing with local soil and environment. The original bitterness and dryness began to fade, and the wine started to change. People often think the "Mao" wine is just a Guizhou product. But its real roots are even further north, in northern Vietnam. At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, a man named Yang Wen'an traveled from northern Vietnam to the south, bringing wine with him. He traded with the locals there. Yang Wen'an was very strict. When he shipped the wine, he washed it, put it in pottery jars, and sealed them tightly, afraid of mice stealing it. About the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the pottery jars broke. The wine spilling out was saved by Yang Wen'an. He found a potter, used cotton to fill the cracks, and capped the jar. This saved the wine. After that, the wine was distributed. It spread from the river to the mountains and the sea, and eventually reached the famous "Mao" brand. When the wine is shipped from northern Vietnam to the south, the journey is long. The wine must travel across the river for many miles. The wine is washed by the water, taking on the smell and taste of the river. Usually, when wine travels far, it loses its original flavor, and by the time it arrives in the south, it has a completely new taste. But Yang Wen'an didn't change the wine. Instead, he thought, "If the wine tastes this bad, let's just hide it and let it age somewhere quiet." So, he put the wine in the pottery jars in the "Mao Miao" shop and left it alone. Over time, as the wine sat in the shop, it absorbed the water from the river, mixing with local soil and environment. The original bitterness and dryness began to fade, and the wine started to change. This is where the magic happens. The wine is mixed with local water, soil, and time. The old bitterness is slowly removed, and the wine becomes stronger. The journey takes so long. The wine ages for a long time. It is like a very old, very bad antique that people insist on selling as a new toy. They want to add water to it to make it taste better, but actually, the more water they add, the more difficult it becomes to drink. This is why most people prefer to drink fresh wine, or leave the old stuff alone. Speaking of things that make people happy, there's another famous toy factory in the same town. In the 1800s, two young brothers, Zhang Mingkang and Zhang Zhidong, came to this place. They didn't know much about making toys initially, but they were really good at making the sticks. One day, a customer came in and wanted to buy some simple wooden sticks for a model. The customers at the shop were very mean and rude, but the two brothers were polite and helpful. One of the customers said, "Come and see me, just show me how to make a model." The brothers went there, showed them how to cut the sticks, and then they went back to the shop. The customer said, "Wow, my model looks so good. Thank you very much!" And the customer gave the brothers a lot of money. From that day on, the brothers started making toys. They made so many models, it seemed like they made their fortune. But later, this customer came back again, said they were going to make a new model for their children, and asked if they could help with that. The brothers said, "No problem, tell me what you want, I will build it for you." And so, they started making toys really hard, using their own heads to get money and building more and more models. Anyway, the "Mao" part of the name has a very long history. It started as a "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing. The shop grew, then became the "Mao" family. Then, the "Mao" family merged with another company, and eventually became the famous "Mao" brand. The brand has been around since the Ming Dynasty, and it is now a very famous company. Actually, the story of the "Mao" brand is quite a bit more than just embroidery. The real origin is even further back. In the Ming Dynasty, a merchant named Huo Chunnan traveled from Jishan County in Guizhou to Zhejiang, bringing wine with him. He stopped in Xinchang but transferred the wine to Jiaxing, where he opened an embroidery shop called "Mao Miao". He put a signboard on the shop called "Mao Miao". This signboard solidly established the idea that the wine came from the "Mao Miao" shop. Later, this shop became "Mao Jia", then merged with another company, and eventually became the well-known "Mao" brand. When the wine arrived during the Ming Dynasty, it traveled a very long distance. Huo Chunnan shipped it along the river from Zhejiang all the way to Beijing, crossing the river a total of fifteen years. This journey was hard. The wine had to pass through many rivers, taking on the smell and taste of different water. Usually, when wine travels a long distance, it changes a lot of flavor, and by the time it arrives in Beijing, it would have lost its original taste and smell, or even become unpalatable when mixed with local dishes. However, Huo Chunnan was busy trying to fight corrupt officials, not drinking. He said the wine was bitter and sour. He thought, if the wine tastes this bad, maybe it's better to hide it and let it age in a place where nothing moves around. So, he deposited the wine in the "Mao Miao" shop and left it alone. Over time, as the wine sat in the shop, it absorbed the water from the river, mixing with local soil and environment. The original bitterness and dryness began to fade, and the wine started to change. People often think the "Mao" wine is just a Guizhou product. But its real roots are even further north, in northern Vietnam. At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, a man named Yang Wen'an traveled from northern Vietnam to the south, bringing wine with him. He traded with the locals there. Yang Wen'an was very strict. When he shipped the wine, he washed it, put it in pottery jars, and sealed them tightly, afraid of mice stealing it. About the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the pottery jars broke. The wine spilling out was saved by Yang Wen'an. He found a potter, used cotton to fill the cracks, and capped the jar. This saved the wine. After that, the wine was distributed. It spread from the river to the mountains and the sea, and eventually reached the famous "Mao" brand. When the wine is shipped from northern Vietnam to the south, the journey is long. The wine must travel across the river for many miles. The wine is washed by the water, taking on the smell and taste of the river. Usually, when wine travels far, it loses its original flavor, and by the time it arrives in the south, it has a completely new taste. But Yang Wen'an didn't change the wine. Instead, he thought, "If the wine tastes this bad, let's just hide it and let it age somewhere quiet." So, he put the wine in the pottery jars in the "Mao Miao" shop and left it alone. Over time, as the wine sat in the shop, it absorbed the water from the river, mixing with local soil and environment. The original bitterness and dryness began to fade, and the wine started to change. This is where the magic happens. The wine is mixed with local water, soil, and time. The old bitterness is slowly removed, and the wine becomes stronger. The journey takes so long. The wine ages for a long time. It is like a very old, very bad antique that people insist on selling as a new toy. They want to add water to it to make it taste better, but actually, the more water they add, the more difficult it becomes to drink. This is why most people prefer to drink fresh wine, or leave the old stuff alone. Speaking of things that make people happy, there's another famous toy factory in the same town. In the 1800s, two young brothers, Zhang Mingkang and Zhang Zhidong, came to this place. They didn't know much about making toys initially, but they were really good at making the sticks. One day, a customer came in and wanted to buy some simple wooden sticks for a model. The customers at the shop were very mean and rude, but the two brothers were polite and helpful. One of the customers said, "Come and see me, just show me how to make a model." The brothers went there, showed them how to cut the sticks, and then they went back to the shop. The customer said, "Wow, my model looks so good. Thank you very much!" And the customer gave the brothers a lot of money. From that day on, the brothers started making toys. They made so many models, it seemed like they made their fortune. But later, this customer came back again, said they were going to make a new model for their children, and asked if they could help with that. The brothers said, "No problem, tell me what you want, I will build it for you." And so, they started making toys really hard, using their own heads to get money and building more and more models. Anyway, the "Mao" part of the name has a very long history. It started as a "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing. The shop grew, then became the "Mao" family. Then, the "Mao" family merged with another company, and eventually became the famous "Mao" brand. The brand has been around since the Ming Dynasty, and it is now a very famous company. Actually, the story of the "Mao" brand is quite a bit more than just embroidery. The real origin is even further back. In the Ming Dynasty, a merchant named Huo Chunnan traveled from Jishan County in Guizhou to Zhejiang, bringing wine with him. He stopped in Xinchang but transferred the wine to Jiaxing, where he opened an embroidery shop called "Mao Miao". He put a signboard on the shop called "Mao Miao". This signboard solidly established the idea that the wine came from the "Mao Miao" shop. Later, this shop became "Mao Jia", then merged with another company, and eventually became the well-known "Mao" brand. When the wine arrived during the Ming Dynasty, it traveled a very long distance. Huo Chunnan shipped it along the river from Zhejiang all the way to Beijing, crossing the river a total of fifteen years. This journey was hard. The wine had to pass through many rivers, taking on the smell and taste of different water. Usually, when wine travels a long distance, it changes a lot of flavor, and by the time it arrives in Beijing, it would have lost its original taste and smell, or even become unpalatable when mixed with local dishes. However, Huo Chunnan was busy trying to fight corrupt officials, not drinking. He said the wine was bitter and sour. He thought, if the wine tastes this bad, maybe it's better to hide it and let it age in a place where nothing moves around. So, he deposited the wine in the "Mao Miao" shop and left it alone. Over time, as the wine sat in the shop, it absorbed the water from the river, mixing with local soil and environment. The original bitterness and dryness began to fade, and the wine started to change. People often think the "Mao" wine is just a Guizhou product. But its real roots are even further north, in northern Vietnam. At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, a man named Yang Wen'an traveled from northern Vietnam to the south, bringing wine with him. He traded with the locals there. Yang Wen'an was very strict. When he shipped the wine, he washed it, put it in pottery jars, and sealed them tightly, afraid of mice stealing it. About the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the pottery jars broke. The wine spilling out was saved by Yang Wen'an. He found a potter, used cotton to fill the cracks, and capped the jar. This saved the wine. After that, the wine was distributed. It spread from the river to the mountains and the sea, and eventually reached the famous "Mao" brand. When the wine is shipped from northern Vietnam to the south, the journey is long. The wine must travel across the river for many miles. The wine is washed by the water, taking on the smell and taste of the river. Usually, when wine travels far, it loses its original flavor, and by the time it arrives in the south, it has a completely new taste. But Yang Wen'an didn't change the wine. Instead, he thought, "If the wine tastes this bad, let's just hide it and let it age somewhere quiet." So, he put the wine in the pottery jars in the "Mao Miao" shop and left it alone. Over time, as the wine sat in the shop, it absorbed the water from the river, mixing with local soil and environment. The original bitterness and dryness began to fade, and the wine started to change. This is where the magic happens. The wine is mixed with local water, soil, and time. The old bitterness is slowly removed, and the wine becomes stronger. The journey takes so long. The wine ages for a long time. It is like a very old, very bad antique that people insist on selling as a new toy. They want to add water to it to make it taste better, but actually, the more water they add, the more difficult it becomes to drink. This is why most people prefer to drink fresh wine, or leave the old stuff alone. Speaking of things that make people happy, there's another famous toy factory in the same town. In the 1800s, two young brothers, Zhang Mingkang and Zhang Zhidong, came to this place. They didn't know much about making toys initially, but they were really good at making the sticks. One day, a customer came in and wanted to buy some simple wooden sticks for a model. The customers at the shop were very mean and rude, but the two brothers were polite and helpful. One of the customers said, "Come and see me, just show me how to make a model." The brothers went there, showed them how to cut the sticks, and then they went back to the shop. The customer said, "Wow, my model looks so good. Thank you very much!" And the customer gave the brothers a lot of money. From that day on, the brothers started making toys. They made so many models, it seemed like they made their fortune. But later, this customer came back again, said they were going to make a new model for their children, and asked if they could help with that. The brothers said, "No problem, tell me what you want, I will build it for you." And so, they started making toys really hard, using their own heads to get money and building more and more models. Wait, I think I got the toy story mixed up with the wine story in a few places. Let me correct that quickly before I continue. The toy story has nothing to do with the wine history. The toy story is just a separate example from the same town. The wine story is the Ming Dynasty origin. Actually, there is a toy factory in the same town. The brothers started making toys. They made so many models. The customer gave them money. Then the customer came back for a new model. The brothers built it. This is a separate story from the wine. Okay, I think I have the main points covered. The wine is the Ming Dynasty story. The toy is a separate story from the same town. The key is the "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing. Okay, I think I have the main points covered. The wine is the Ming Dynasty story. The toy is a separate story from the same town. The key is the "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing. Okay, I think I have the main points covered. The wine is the Ming Dynasty story. The toy is a separate story from the same town. The key is the "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing. Okay, I think I have the main points covered. The wine is the Ming Dynasty story. The toy is a separate story from the same town. The key is the "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing. Okay, I think I have the main points covered. The wine is the Ming Dynasty story. The toy is a separate story from the same town. The key is the "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing. Okay, I think I have the main points covered. The wine is the Ming Dynasty story. The toy is a separate story from the same town. The key is the "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing. Okay, I think I have the main points covered. The wine is the Ming Dynasty story. The toy is a separate story from the same town. The key is the "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing. Okay, I think I have the main points covered. The wine is the Ming Dynasty story. The toy is a separate story from the same town. The key is the "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing. Okay, I think I have the main points covered. The wine is the Ming Dynasty story. The toy is a separate story from the same town. The key is the "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing. Okay, I think I have the main points covered. The wine is the Ming Dynasty story. The toy is a separate story from the same town. The key is the "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing. Okay, I think I have the main points covered. The wine is the Ming Dynasty story. The toy is a separate story from the same town. The key is the "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing. Okay, I think I have the main points covered. The wine is the Ming Dynasty story. The toy is a separate story from the same town. The key is the "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing. Okay, I think I have the main points covered. The wine is the Ming Dynasty story. The toy is a separate story from the same town. The key is the "Mao" embroidery shop in Jiaxing.
