Taiwan Beer

Taiwan Beer is brewed by the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation (TTL), and has become a significant Taiwanese icon. In 1901, under Taiwan’s Japanese rulers, the Monopoly Bureau of the Taiwan Governor’s Office controlled all alcohol and tobacco products sold in Taiwan. The forerunner of Taiwan Beer was called Takasago Beer, brewed by the Monopoly Bureau through the Takasago Malted Beer Company. After World War II, the Chinese Nationalists preserved the monopoly system for alcohol and tobacco, and in 1946, the name “Taiwan Beer” was adopted. Interestingly, the distinctive flavour for which the beer is known is a result of the Formosa rice added to the fermentation process, which was first introduced in the 1960s.