A Glass of Good Cheer—Taiwan's Flourishing Drinks Industry
2024 / January
Our Cover Story this month takes readers on a journey to various microbreweries, wineries and distilleries around Taiwan. We explore the places where a diversity of alcoholic beverages are made—from beers and tea-based drinks with local flavors to Taiwanese-style whisky, which has put Taiwan on the map of international whisky producers.
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Featured Story
Brewing Up Endless Possibilities:
Craft Beers from Taiwan
Taiwan’s microbreweries, filled with a passion for their craft, are continually trying out new ideas and concepts. From rearranging and recombining the four main raw materials they have extended their imaginations to add local Taiwanese ingredients. They have broken through barriers to enable ......
Sweet Potato, Rice, and Sugarcane:
Local Distillers Promote Taiwanese Flavors
Taiwan has long enjoyed an abundance of agricultural products. Moreover, rice, sweet potatoes, and sugarcane can do more than serve as foods: they can also be used to make alcoholic beverages. While ordinary people did not in the past have access to modern fermenting and distilling techniques,......
When Tea Meets Alcohol:
A Fascinating Combination
Alcoholic beverages and tea are both popular cross-cultural drinks. However, in contrast to the only recent rise of the private-sector beer, wine, and liquor industry in Taiwan following the abolition of the alcohol and tobacco monopoly system upon our accession to the World Trade Organization......
Whisky, Taiwan Style:
Kavalan
Taiwanese whiskies have become so well known that they are now appearing on US-made TV shows. During an episode of the American TV show Billions, a taste of Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique whisky elicits a “Wow!” from actress Maggie Siff, prompting co-star Paul Giamatti to respond: “Right? The T......
Omar
The Nantou Distillery of the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation (TTL) has enjoyed quite a resurgence since the Jiji earthquake reconstruction effort. You might well describe it as having arisen from the ashes, with its Omar Whisky label the emergent phoenix.......