Du Kang - a semi-legendary inventor of liquor, the patron saint of brewery in China and Japan (Tōji). Since wine is widely known as an important part of the ancient Chinese rites and the court culture, its invention is not attributable to a single person. Du Kang is sometimes reported to be a minister of the Yellow Emperor, being more of a cultural symbol than a historical personality.

It is unknown where and when Dù Kāng lived; the dates in ancient sources range over thousands of years, Eastern Zhou dynasty to the Xia dynasty

Xia Dynasty

The Xia Dynasty is the first dynasty in China to be described in ancient historical chronicles such as Bamboo Annals, Classic of History and Records of the Grand Historian. The Xia Dynasty was established by the legendary Yu the Great after Shun, the last of the Five Emperors gave his throne to him...

. In the Shuowen (2 c. AD) the name is identified with Shaokang (少康), the 6th ruler of Xia

Xia Dynasty

The Xia Dynasty is the first dynasty in China to be described in ancient historical chronicles such as Bamboo Annals, Classic of History and Records of the Grand Historian. The Xia Dynasty was established by the legendary Yu the Great after Shun, the last of the Five Emperors gave his throne to him...

 China. The earliest full story of his life comes from Cao Cao

Cao Cao

Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...

's poems of the 3rd century. Since Cao Cao Du Kang is used as a metonymy

Metonymy

Metonymy is a figure of speech used in rhetoric in which a thing or concept is not called by its own name, but by the name of something intimately associated with that thing or concept...

for good wine. Presently it is a famous wine brand in PRC.