Roundtable Etiquette 2: Drinking for Queen and Country

Back in Beijing and another dinner, after a crunch meeting. I touched upon the drinking etiquette a few posts ago but that was just red wine. This evening it was the strong stuff, Maotai, a 50% alcohol-by-volume liquor. My two female colleagues and I had done a deal beforehand that I would do the drinking on their behalf. What a man. Not that I can pack it away. In fact, I didn't like beer or wine until I was 20, and I still don't like spirits. The glasses may have been tiddly but they were constantly refilled, and towards the end my colleagues had been coerced too. So, new friends made, deals done and allegiances sworn, we staggered out into the street, duty done.