Sam Anderson, the head bartender at Mission Chinese Food in New York, was sitting on a panel of mixologists last spring when the conversation turned to baijiu, the national drink of China.

By volume, baijiu (bye-ZHO), a clear liquor made primarily from sorghum and rice and aged in terra-cotta barrels, is the most widely consumed spirit in the world. But for many non-Chinese drinkers, it is also the most challenging, its aroma variously described as resembling stinky cheese, anise, pineapples, musk and gasoline.

With Mission Chinese about to reopen in a new spot, Mr. Anderson told his fellow panelists he was thinking about giving his menu a distinctive touch by concocting a baijiu cocktail. “Everyone sort of chortled,” he said. “They said, ‘Good luck with that.’”

Undeterred, Mr. Anderson raided a nearby liquor store and came back with 20 bottles, varying in intensity from near-vodka subtlety to Limburger pungency. He settled on a brand called Hong-Kong Baijiu, which is lower in proof and relatively tame in flavor. He paired it with white rum, pineapple juice, peach liqueur, lime juice and basil seeds to create Firewater Walk With Me, a spin on a Singapore Sling and a nod to the “Twin Peaks” theme that pervades the restaurant.