Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation Linkou Tourism Distillery Introduction
Linkou Distillery is a new distillery formed by the merger of the Taipei Distillery (established in 1921), the Banqiao Distillery (established in 1937), and the Shulin Distillery (established in 1906), with full-scale production officially launched in the spring of 1987. Each of the original three distilleries had distinct products and cultural characteristics. After the merger, it developed into the largest and most modern rice liquor production facility in Northern Taiwan. Since its establishment, Linkou Distillery has mainly focused on producing Shaoxing wine. In 1996, it utilized its original Shaoxing wine production equipment to brew Japanese sake, successfully launching "Yuqian Sake," making it the only distillery in the country to produce Japanese sake. In 2004, to address the problem of by-products from sake lees, it developed the "Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Sake Lees Facial Mask," positioning it as a natural skincare material. It gained immense popularity and was dubbed the "poor man's SK-II." In 2005, it innovated again by combining Eastern red yeast rice with Western wine, launching the health-conscious "Yuqian Red Yeast Rice Wine," which became highly favored by the public and achieved the highest market share among wine brands in Taiwan. Linkou Distillery is not only committed to the development of various alcoholic beverages but has also diversified its production methods. In 2007, it collaborated with a cookie manufacturer to develop "Taiwan Red Yeast Rice Health Crackers," which had a unique flavor that sparked a buying frenzy, resulting in over NT$1 billion in sales within just a year and a half, becoming a miracle in the cookie industry. To diversify its operations, in addition to producing alcoholic beverages, it established a sales center that includes "Sake Hall," "Red Yeast Rice Hall," and a "Liquor Bank" to exhibit the production processes, open to the public and tourists. This allows visitors to understand the brewing process and history while also promoting Linkou Distillery's connection with other attractions in the industrial area (such as the Formosa Plastics Museum, Zhulin Temple, Formosa Plastics Medical Park, Huaya Technology Park, etc.) and the local industries in Yingge Township, forming a unique theme of regional industrial and cultural tourism. To align with the company's asset revitalization policy, Linkou Distillery combines with Taoyuan County's promotion of the Aerotropolis project and the opening of the airport metro line, leveraging its foundation in liquor production, industry history, and market location, combined with cultural, creative, and human resources to transform the factory into a park-like setting. This aims to create a cultural park centered on sake imagery, linking surrounding neighborhoods, scenic spots, attractions, and public facilities to construct a landmark tourist distillery in Northern Taiwan, with the goal of attracting 8 million people from Northern Taiwan to visit, enjoy, and ultimately increase revenue.
