The technology for producing bioethanol from sweet sorghum stalks by solid-state fermentation has developed rapidly in recent years, and has many similarities with traditional Chinese liquor production. However, the product from sweet sorghum stalks was lacking in volatile flavors, and the level of harmful contents were uncertain, therefore it could not be sold as liquor. In this study, the protein, fat, and tannin in the clusters and leaves of sweet sorghum were utilized to increase the content of flavor compounds in the ethanol product through the anaerobic fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Meanwhile, the silage fermentation method was used to extend the preservation time of the raw materials and to further enhance the flavors of Fen-flavor liquor, with ethyl acetate as the characteristic flavor. The effects of different feedstock groups on ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate, methanol, acetaldehyde, acetal, fusel oil, total acid, and total ester were evaluated by analyzing the chemical composition of different parts of sweet sorghum and determined by gas chromatograph. The effect of different fermentation periods on the volatile flavor of sweet sorghum Baijiu was evaluated. The yield of the characteristic volatile flavor was increased by the extension of the fermentation time. Sweet sorghum Baijiu with a high ester content can be used as a flavoring liquor, blended with liquor with a shorter fermentation period to prepare the finished Fen-flavor Baijiu, conforming to the Chinese national standard for sale.

To explore the effects of microbial community changes on the key flavor substances in base Baijiu, this study analyzed the microbiome of the pre-pit fermentation grains using high-throughput sequencing technology and determined the flavor substances of the base Baijiu by GC-FID. The results showed the microbial community changed dynamically between the different rounds, as well as bacteria and fungi displayed different succession patterns. Next, the variations of skeletal flavor substances in the base Baijiu were analyzed by multiomics, and it was found that alcohols, acids, and esters were the most abundant, accounting for 88.16–98.87% of the total flavor substances, and decreased with the increase of the rounds. By calculating the Spearman coefficient, it was found that microorganisms such as Acinetobacter, Oceanobacillus, Saccharomyces, and Byssochlamys were significantly correlated with the n-Propano and 2,3-Butanediol and other components in the base Baijiu. Finally, 15 flavor substances such as Acetaldehyde, Propionaldehyde, and Isobutyraldehyde were identified as key substances by OAV analysis. This study is the first to reveal the potential association between the microbial community of pre-pit fermentation grains and flavor of base Baijiu and has the benefit of improving the quality of base Baijiu.

N-propanol is a vital flavor compound of Chinese baijiu, and the proper n-propanol contents contribute to the rich flavor of Chinese baijiu. However, the excessive content of n-propanol in liquor will reduce the drinking comfort. Based on the Box–Behnken design principle, the response surface test was used to optimize the factors affecting the production of n-propanol in a simulated liquid state fermentation of Chinese baijiu, and the best combination of factors to reduce n-propanol content was determined. Results showed that the content ratio of additional glucose to threonine and temperature had a significant effect on the production of n-propanol (p = 0.0009 < 0.01 and p = 0.0389 < 0.05, respectively). The best combination of fermentation parameters obtained was: the ratio of additional glucose to threonine content was 6:4, the temperature was 32 °C, and the initial pH was 4.40. Under these conditions, the production of n-propanol was 53.84 ± 0.12 mg/L, which was close to the theoretical value. Thus, the fermentation parameter model obtained through response surface optimization is reliable and can provide technical guidance for regulating the production of n-propanol and realizing high-quality baijiu brewing.

Quan-xing Baijiu, a famous brand with different style characteristics from traditional strong-aroma Baijiu, is considered superior due to its “jiao-xiang” (caramel) flavor and the “he-run” (soft, moistening, and harmonious) style. In this study, gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) was used to analyze the special flavors of Quan-xing Baijiu. The flavor fingerprints of six traditional strong-aroma Baijiu were determined using fragrance, taste, and entirety style in order to establish the individual style of Quan-xing Baijiu. The results indicated that 3-methyl butanol, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl acetate, and ethyl caprylate were the main important aroma compound, which contributed to the he-run style in Quan-xing Baijiu. A standard of Quan-xing Baijiu’s typical style was established by flavor fingerprint. Together with the concordance rate evaluation method, this standard can help determine the characteristics of Baijiu samples for quality control. A rate above 81% represents a typical product staleness and good stability, while a rate below 73% represents a nontypical Quan-xing Baijiu product.

Over the past few decades, more alcohol‐problem concerns focused on reducing the risk of hangover caused by the alcoholic beverages over‐consumption. Chinese distilled spirits (Baijiu) is one of the most favorite alcoholic beverages. The intention of this study is to explore the associations of main flavor components in Baijiu and hangover symptoms using mice acute alcohol withdrawal model. The behaviors of each mouse were assessed by open‐field tests using separate groups of mice with the treatment of sauce‐aroma Baijiu, light‐aroma Baijiu, strong‐aroma Baijiu, pure alcohol, and distilled water, respectively. The behavioral data including total move distance and immobile time were used as indicators for the evaluation of the liquor intoxicating effects. Alcohol and acetaldehyde concentrations in mice plasma and the neurotransmitter contents of GABA and Glu in mice cerebellum were detected afterward. The results showed that the mice with the treatment of Baijiu samples displayed unusual exciting behaviors including increased alcohol metabolization with alleviating drunken and hangover symptoms, compared with that of pure alcohol control groups after 2–4 h. Moreover, the sauce‐aroma Baijiu treatment group showed lessening intoxicated symptoms than those of light‐aroma Baijiu and strong‐aroma Baijiu. In addition, there were significant differences between Baijiu and pure alcohol treatment groups at the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABAergic levels and its receptor GABA‐AR1 activating levels in the mice neuron cells. Furthermore, the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) analysis inferred that the flavor compounds acetic acid, ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate, and 1‐propanol in the sauce‐aroma Baijiu were played the major roles in the drunk behaviors that caused by the hangover. While, the acetic acid in the sauce‐aroma Baijiu was speculated as a major flavor component to accelerate the alcohol metabolism and retard hangover symptoms.