With public picnics scheduled for the spring and autumn and a Christmas market for the winter, Taipei Picnic Club (台北野餐俱樂部) needed something for the summertime for a year-round presence in the city.
Taiwan summers are too hot for picnics, and it doesn’t make sense to host an indoor event. And as we all know, there’s nothing better than a cold beer on a hot day.
Not only beer, but all kinds of local and imported craft beers. Throw in live music, food and beer games, and you have the club’s inaugural Mid-summer Beer Garden (仲夏啤酒狂歡節), set for tomorrow at the outdoor pavilion of the fourth floor of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi (新光三越) building A11.
Photo courtesy of Taipei Picnic Club
The event is inspired by the summer beer gardens held in various parks in London, where the founders of the club met as students, organizer David Chen (陳昱興) says.
Chen says the founders decided to host a picnic in 2009 just for fun, but after posting the event online, more than 3,000 people showed up – and it got serious after that.
More than 100 types of beers will be available tomorrow, along with non-alcoholic offerings like Club Mate (a carbonated version of the South American beverage).
Photo courtesy of Taipei Picnic Club
In addition to the organizers’ favorite brews, Chen says they also want to introduce to attendees craft beer brands that are popular overseas but less so in Taiwan, such as Scotland’s Brewdog and Pizza Port from southern California.
Local brews include Alechemist (禾餘麥酒), Sambar Brewing (水鹿精釀) and Redpoint Brewing (紅點手工精釀).
Chen says people can vote for their favorite beer for a chance to win prizes.
Snacks are provided by L’Idiot Restaurant (驢子餐廳). For entertainment, the club has invited three live bands and four DJs.
Spoon de Chop, a Taiwan band that plays Okinawan music, was invited because of their association with beer, Chen says, as they are known for performing in Yongkang Park (永康公園) in exchange for brews.
The Muddy Basin Ramblers (泥灘地浪人) will bring their groovy swing/blues/bluegrass sound, and as it grows late people can dance to the electro beats of Unfamiliar Friends Party (不熟的朋友派對).
The DJ lineup is comprised of J&Q, YEN, Cotton Disco and Sonia Calico.
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