Beer in Taiwan

Taiwan Beer is brewed by the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation . The brand, an icon of Taiwan culture, began as a monopoly product but has remained the best-selling beer on the island in the era of free trade.

History

Taiwan Beer has its origins in the beer first brewed in 1922 when Taiwan was a colony of Imperial Japan. The government agency which produced it, the Monopoly Bureau of the Taiwan' Governor's Office, was established in 1901. The Bureau was responsible for all liquor and tobacco products in Taiwan as well as opium, salt, and camphor. In the 1940s matches, petroleum, and standard weights and measures were also monopolized.

After the end of World War II the incoming preserved the monopoly system for alcohol and tobacco. Production of beer was assigned in 1945 to the Taiwan Provincial Monopoly Bureau. The name Taiwan Beer was adopted in 1946. The following year, production of the beer was assigned to the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau.

Taiwan entered its modern period of pluralistic democracy in the 1990s. Free trade and open markets became priorities as Taiwan prepared for admission to the World Trade Organization in 2002. Laws went into force that year that opened Taiwan's market to competing products. On 2002-07-01 the Monopoly Bureau passed into history. Its successor, the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation , is a private company that operates independently of government support. TTL introduced a new brew, Taiwan Beer Gold Medal, by the end of its first year.

Taiwan Beer remains the island's best-selling brew and is one of the most recognized brands in Taiwan's business world.

Economy

Domestic beer production is more than 400 million litres annually, with significant volume being used for local consumption. Local beer production accounts for over 80% of total beer consumption in Taiwan. A small proportion of the domestically produced beer is exported, of which a major part is consumed by Taiwanese living abroad.

Beer

Taiwan Beer is a light amber beer with a distinct taste produced by the addition of locally produced ponlai rice during the fermentation process. The beer is served cold and recognized as an especially suitable complement to and Japanese cuisine, especially seafood dishes such as sushi and sashimi. Taiwan Beer has won international awards, including the International Monde Selection in 1977 and the Brewing Industry International Awards in 2002.

Three brews, all amber, are sold under the name Taiwan Beer. The Original brew is sold in brown bottles and blue and green cans. The Gold Medal brew, introduced in April 2003, is sold in green bottles and cans. Both brews are 4.5% alcohol by volume and are regularly seen in Taiwan's convenience and grocery stores. The newest brew, Taiwan Beer Draft, is designed to be sold fresh. It is most often served in restaurants and bars, where it is available on tap or in its signature solid green bottle. Because of its early expiration date, it is rarely seen in stores.

Taiwan Beer is mass produced at the Taiwan Beer Factory in Wujih , Taichung County . It is also brewed on site at the Taiwan Beer Bar in .

Culture

The iconic status of the Taiwan Beer brand in Taiwanese society is reinforced by TTL marketing strategies. Ads feature celebrity endorsements by popular Taiwanese figures such as A-Mei. A named Taiwan Beer, popularly nicknamed 'The Brew Crew,' is sponsored by the company. The Taiwan Beer Bar and Beer Garden is a popular restaurant/brewery in . Restaurants and nightspots are also proliferating at the Taiwan Beer Factory in Wujih, Taichung County. The Factory, near the Wujih station of the Taiwan High Speed Rail, is the site of an annual Taiwan Beer Festival held every summer.

The 'Beer Wars'

Taiwan and China were admitted into the World Trade Organization simultaneously in 2002. Beer could now be imported and exported across the Taiwan Strait for the first time.

Foreign labels accounted for just 18 percent of the NT$45 billion beer market in Taiwan in 2004; Taiwan Beer accounted for all of the remaining 82 percent. Two years later the People's Republic of China refused to allow Taiwan Beer to be imported. Officials cited a law banning the use of county or regional names in commercial products. In Taiwan this argument was hardly persuasive, given the number of products in China already sporting such names, including China's , named for a city in Shandong province. The move was interpreted by many Taiwanese as an attempt to thwart the free trade China had pledged by denying Taiwan proper recognition of its trademarks. A boycott of beers from China was soon under way on the island. The controversy, widely reported in the international press, led to increased recognition of the Taiwan Beer brand.

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