It uses traditional Chinese techniques of fermentation, distillation, and aging, to produce a spirit with a nutty, grainy, and savory aroma and flavor.

Alcohol production in Zunyi, on the banks of the Chishui River, has a long history dating back to at least the 1st and 2nd centuries BCE where there is record of Han dynasty Emperor Wu tasting and praising a goqijiu produced in Yelang.

The earliest explicit record of Maotai is in 1704, when in Renhuai Caozhi, a local newspaper, it was written that "Moutai Village in the west of the city ranks first in the whole country for making liquor.

At the beginning of the 20th century, with the fall of the Qing dynasty and the birth of the Republic of China, Maotai continued to be in demand with "tribute liquor" being crafted at the request of the short lived Chinese leader Yuan Shikai for the occasion of his coronation as emperor.

[7] Shortly after the end of the Chinese Civil War and after the founding of the People's Republic, the three existing Maotai distilleries, Chengyi, Ronghe, and Hengxing were merged to create the modern, state-owned Kweichow Moutai in 1951.

[9] Since the foundation of the modern Kweichow Moutai, the spirit has served as part of the standard fare for Chinese diplomatic meetings and dinners.