Tiger bone wine
Tiger Bone Wine is a traditional Chinese alcoholic drink that historically used real tiger bones. It is usually made by aging crushed tiger bones in a base of rice wine or white wine, with added ingredients like ginger and sage. The result is a strong liquor, about 58% alcohol, and roughly 15 liters of wine can come from about 1 kilogram of bones.
There are two kinds of tiger bone wine: a “true” version made with tiger bones and a “common” version that uses bones from other animals. Many recipes also substitute other herbs. The bones are left to macerate for years to create the final drink.
In traditional Chinese medicine, tiger bones were believed to help with diseases such as rheumatism and weakness, and to boost vitality. Beliefs about tiger parts date back many centuries, with tiger involvement linked to medical use around 500 AD. Demand rose sharply in the 1980s as incomes grew, and this contributed to a decline in tiger numbers.
To meet demand, tiger farms were established in China and nearby parts of Asia. By the 2000s and 2010s, thousands of tigers were kept on farms, and tiger-bone products were marketed in some parks and shops. Because of conservation concerns, international rules banned trade in tiger parts in 1987, and China banned it in 1993.
Despite the bans, tiger bone wine continued to be produced in some places, sometimes without clear labeling. In 2018, China announced that tiger parts could be used for medical research and certain clinical treatments under strict conditions, but only from farmed tigers that died of natural causes.
Today, many people prefer modern medicine, and interest in tiger bone wine remains controversial and tightly regulated. Some producers use substitutes or other animal bones, but the idea of tiger bone wine continues to spark debate among conservationists.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 00:59 (CET).