Taiwan Head Brewers
(啤酒頭)
On the net: www.facebook.com
Photo: Dana Ter, Taipei Times
/taiwanheadbrewers
Of all the microbreweries to open in Taiwan over the last two years, Taiwan Head Brewers retains a distinctly local flavor, infusing ingredients such as wheat from Taichung and cocoa from Pingtung into their brews. Their Taiwan Tea Ale 2 (立秋, li qiu), for instance, is a spin on the classic 19th century English Pale Ale blended with Oriental Beauty tea leaves.
Each type of beer is named after the “24 solar terms” (二十四節氣) that farmers in ancient China used to guide their agricultural activities while the English names simply state what style of beer it is, for example, a tea ale or wheat beer.
Photo: Dana Ter, Taipei Times
The rationale behind this, according to co-founders Ray Sung (宋培弘) and Leo Yeh (葉奕辰), is to challenge the perception of craft beer being a predominantly North American beverage. Their beers can be found in most bars, pubs and supermarkets in Taipei.
Jim & Dad’s Brewing Company
(吉姆老爹啤酒工場)
Photo: Dana Ter, Taipei Times
Address: 411 Yuanshan Rd Sec 2, Yuanshan Township, Yilan County (宜蘭縣員山鄉員山路二段411號)
Telephone: (03) 922-7199
Open: Mondays, Wednesdays to Fridays from 11am to 6pm, Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 6pm (closed Tuesdays)
Drinks: NT$50 for a small glass, NT$150 for a large glass
On the net: www.facebook.com/janddbrewing
Arguably Taiwan’s only “destination brewery,” Jim & Dad’s Brewing Company uses local ingredients from nearby farms to brew North American-style craft beer with Taiwanese inflections — for example, the seasonal kumquat ale or ginger porter. Located in the middle of Yilan’s sprawling rice fields and surrounded by mountains dotted with conifers, the brewery is a worthwhile day trip from Taipei and is also within walking distance of Kavalan Distillery.
It was a humble start for owner and brewer Jim Sung (宋慶文). The Taipei native missed the North American-style brews he drank in California and Colorado and picked up homebrewing as a hobby in 2013, upon moving back to Taiwan. His homebrew equipment is now on display at the brewery.
Jim & Dad’s also serves good old-fashioned American-style barbecue — ribs, to be exact, as well as a wide selection of pizzas and a killer plate of fries and cheese sticks. The ribs are pre-order only.
Hengchun 3000 Brewseum
(恆春3000啤酒博物館)
Address: 29-1 Chaopu Rd, Hengchun Township, Pingtung County (屏東縣恆春鎮草埔路29-1號)
Telephone: (08) 888-1002
Open: Daily from 11am to 10pm
Drinks: NT$150 to NT$180 for a pint
On the net: www.facebook.com/3000Brewseum
This brewery/museum, or “brewseum,” in sunny Hengchun Township is the brainchild of eccentric collector and brewer Chung Wen-ching (鍾文清). Though most visitors to Pingtung skip Hengchun and head straight to the beaches in Kenting, Hengchun 3000 is a must-visit for craft beer aficionados.
3,000 beer mugs and glasses line the wall of the first-floor tasting hall. Chung’s own brews are served here and each beer is named after a scenic spot in Pingtung. Try the Manjhou (滿州) cream ale which is light and frothy and the Chuhuo (出火), a hearty, chocolately American stout.
Ask Chung to give you a tour of his second-floor collection which houses antiques and replicas of beer-related items, including 18th-century shot glasses from Europe and replicas of Mesopotamian beer gourds. Most bizarre is his collection of ales from the UK’s Bass Brewery dating back from the 1860s — it’s advisable not to drink those.
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