Taiwan Today
Date: July 5, 2016
The inaugural Summer Beer Festival wrapped up July 3 at Taipei Expo Park, giving locals the
A pair of craft beer lovers samples a local brew at the local government-staged first Summer Beer Festival July 3 at Taipei Expo Park. (Courtesy of Taipei City Government)
opportunity to learn more about the burgeoning craft beer market while sampling some of the best homegrown labels on the market.
Organized by Taipei City Government’s Department of Economic Development, the two-day event was notable for the popularity of two local offerings: Alechemist and Ma La Sun. The former is brewed in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City and hit the shelves in 2015, while the latter hails from Nantou County’s Sinyi Township in central Taiwan and has been available since 2014.
Robert Chen, co-founder of Alechemist Co., said Taiwan’s wide variety of high-quality agricultural produce like rice, wheat, white corn and tangerines makes it perfect for developing world-class small-batch craft beer. “Factor in the passion of Taiwanese with overseas experience in this niche market, and you have the right ingredients for the success of the product.”
According to Chen, events such as the Summer Beer Festival are helping his company achieve sales of 5,000 bottles per month. “They familiarize locals with craft beer and create greater demand,” he said. [FULL STORY]
