The Chinese strong spirit baijiu is known for its fiery taste, but some makers have added an extra kick in the form of powdered Viagra, according to the government’s food safety bureau.
At least 51 distillers have added doses of sildenafil — the generic name for Viagra — to their spirits, according to the State Food and Drug Administration. Sildenafil is the hypertension drug that became a worldwide bestseller under the brand name Viagra when it turned out to be effective against erectile dysfunction.
Strong alcohols and health tonics in China are known to feature whole preserved snakes and frogs, or are advertised as including powdered tiger bones, rhinoceros horn, deer penis and other ground-up parts of endangered animals.