酒与歌
无酒不成宴。酒可助兴舒压，使长者重焕青春，年轻者愈发朝气。适度而饮，乃绝佳助兴之物。北方偏寒之地盛产高粱， 高粱酒之烈更甚于俄罗斯伏特加与英伦杜松子，饮者甚众。
华东之绍兴酒稍温和，十分流行，可谓国酒。因其产地乃浙江之酒乡绍兴，故得名绍兴酒；其又名“花雕”，即以花雕饰之意，皆因盛酒之坛壁上常饰有花形之故。民间有俗，家中得女，双亲即制绍兴酒数坛，长置于阴凉避光之所。而酒之数量，全仗富贫之况。待女儿结秦晋之好，便可在大喜之日奉上数坛陈年佳酿以乐宾客。
华南之地，气候更暖，惯饮之酒“料半”亦更温和。料半，即中度之意。然，“双蒸”“三蒸”更烈之，亦可得。又有“橙花”“青梅”等香酒，则为后添香料加工之酒。
孔子对入口之物素讲究食精脍细，不食之物甚多，唯对酒或酒类无框定。其酒量虽无文献可考，盖同多数古时文人一样擅饮。
吾之酒量，仅抵一杯绍兴酒，是以，难言深味酒之趣。此或非憾事，论起饮酒之道，吾怀疑西方友人比起东方民众亦不遑多让。
清朝时期，曾有以官员姓名为佳酿冠名之俗。无独有偶，吾从上海酒商黄宇浩(音译)处得来的上好绍兴酒即取名LL.D.酒，名从中国一位著名律师，而此人亦是黄的顾客。为得此佳酿，吾须携律师好友之便笺访问酒家，而对不懂如何品鉴此酒的顾客，店家一概谢绝出售。
该律师现已在日内瓦，但吾丝毫不怀疑店家会继续为其供应他爱之佳酿。
在中国人看来，饮茶当处清幽之境，饮酒则应以歌助兴。此大抵为餐馆总是人声鼎沸之根源。
名留青史之文人骚客，如李白、陶潜、白居易等，无不是擅饮之辈。杯中之物乃灵感之引，饮至酣处，诗兴奔涌，翰墨淋漓。时至今日，学生们依旧在朗朗背诵他们的众多佳作。
以下诗歌乃“竹林七贤”之一亦是著名酒鬼的刘伶，为哄骗妻子以获贪杯之乐而作。某日，他告知妻，言戒酒心已定，奈何酣嗜时日已久，当在戒酒之前痛饮后一回。妻子闻言，欢喜异常，为其遍访村镇寻酒。然，刘伶得酒后，便一口饮尽，遂吟出这首与中国酒量之法有关的诗歌：
天生刘伶，以酒为名。
一饮一斛，五斗解酲。
妇人之言，慎不可听。
WINE AND SONG
No dinner is complete without wine, which brings joy and drives away depression, and makes the old feel young and the young still more youthful. Taken in moderation, it is undoubtedly an excellent stimulant. In the far north where the climate is cold and kaoliang abundant, Kaoliang wine, which is somewhat stronger than Russian vodka or English gin, is commonly drunk.
In Central China a milder drink known as Shaohsing wine—named after its producing centre in Chekiang—is very popular. It is the wine of China. It has another name Hua Tiao (花雕) meaning flower decoration, because the jars in which the wine is kept usually bear a floral decoration. When a girl is born, it is the common practice for the parents to make several jars of Shaohsing wine, the quantity depending upon the size of their purse, and keep them in a cool and dark room, until their daughter is married, so that on her wedding day, they will have at least some good old wine with which to entertain their guests.
In the South, where the climate is much warmer, a still milder drink known as Liao Pan (料半) meaning half strength, is commonly used. Stronger varieties , the double distilled (双蒸) and triple distilled (三蒸) are, however, obtainable. The flavouring of the wine is usually added afterwards, such as orange blossom (橙花) and green plum (青梅).
Though Confucius was very particular in regard to food, his list of undesirable foodstuffs being a long one, he was not so with wine, as apparently all wines were acceptable to him. There are no records as to his capacity, but he is believed to have been a good drinker like the rest of those ancient scholars.
My own capacity does not exceed one wine cup of Sha- ohsing, so I am really not qualified to say much on the art of drinking. Perhaps it is well, for it is a subject in which I suspect our Western friends can give Eastern folk quite a few lessons.
In days gone by, good wine was named after an official in Chingchow. By a strange coincidence, the best Shaohsing wine obtainable at the wine merchant Yu Ho in Shanghai is called LL. D. wine, after a famous Chinese lawyer who was one of his best customers. To secure some of this brand for my own use I have to go to the shop armed with a note from my legal friend as I know full well that I would not get it otherwise; the shop will not supply it to anyone who they think will not appreciate it.
The lawyer is now in Geneva, but I do not doubt that this shop continues to supply him with his favourite wine.
According to our ideas tea should be drunk in quiet surroundings, while wine should be accompanied by song. This may be the reason why restaurants are always noisy.
The renowned poets of old were, as a rule, good drinkers. Among them I may mention Li Po ( 李白) , T’ao Tsin ( 陶潜), and Pa Chu I ( 白居易). Wine gave them inspiration, and, when they drank enough, they wrote beautiful verses, a great number of which are still recited by school boys and girls of today.
Below is a song composed by a well-known tippler of the past who used to cheat his wife to get liquor. One day he told his wife that he had made up his mind to give up drinking, but as he had had the habit for so long, it was only fair to allow him one final session before quitting. His wife was overjoyed to hear this, and proceeded to search the whole town for the necessary wine. When he got the wine, he immediately drank the entire lot in one gulp, and then sang the following verse referring to Chinese wine measures:
Liu Ling, Liu Ling, 天生刘伶
(that’s my name)
From drinking comes my fame. 以酒为名
A “hu” each bout I take, 一饮一斛
Five “tou” I need to wake. 五斗解酲
My wife she tries to plead, 妇人之言
Her words are naught to heed. 慎不可听