Summer of 2015: American hops & a local craft beer explosion

By Yi-Chun Weng
Translated by Niccole Yang

How popular is American craft beer? Over the past three years (2012~2014), a new brewery or brew pub opened at an average rate of 1.07 per day in America.

Taiwan has also been experiencing this "American beer wave". Brands that gained recognition early include San Francisco's Anchor Steam Beer and Newport, Oregon based Rogue Ales. Thanks to the efforts of Taiwan's agent for Seattle-based Elysian Brewing Co., locals also began enjoying "hoppy" American beer styles, which Taiwanese once considered too bitter. Over the last year, plenty of other breweries have also entered the Taiwan market, including Anderson Valley Brewing Company from California, Oregon's Caldera Brewing Company, and the Boston Beer Company's Samuel Adams.

Small craft brewers in Taiwan have also caught this wave. Unlike private local brewers who targeted cheap lager in the past, these new breweries focus on creative new styles and flavors. Although North Taiwan Brewing has been around for some time, it is now using Taiwanese wheat to produce new products such as Taiwan wheat beer "Ebb", promoted by Taiwanese singer Deserts Xuan, and death metal band Chthonic's [Taiwan] Independence Beer. Interestingly, a growing number of foreigners are also brewing locally by contracting out to local breweries. These include 23 Brewing Co., 886 Brewing Co. and Redpoint Brewing Co., all making American-style hand-crafted beers in Taiwan.

More interestingly, many people who once made beer as a hobby have now gone commercial. Last year, following the fame of joint venture Hardcore--founded by amateurs who enjoyed home brewing--another start-up named 55th Street Brewery not only released an American-style IPA but also a specially-flavored Amber Ale brewed with dried longan. Named after Chinese solar terms, "Start of Summer (Lixia)" and "Grain Rain (Guyu)"--released by the former home brewers of Taiwan Head Brewers--also swept across Taiwan and almost completely sold out in only two weeks.

Expect even more Taiwanese craft beers in the next couple years. The Beer Museum in Hengchun and Jim & Dad's Brewing Co., located on the way to Yilan county's Taiping Mt., will open this summer, and breweries in the works include Tsai's Actual Brewing and Taihu Brewing in Nantou county's Caotun. There's plenty to look forward to!