Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation Linkou Distillery Introduction
Linkou Distillery is a new distillery formed by the merger of three historic distilleries: Taipei Distillery (1921), Banqiao Distillery (1937), and Shulin Distillery (1906). It was officially put into production in the spring of 1987. Each of the original distilleries had its own unique products and cultural characteristics, and after the merger, it developed into the largest and most modern rice wine production factory in northern Taiwan. Since its establishment, Linkou Distillery has primarily focused on producing Shaoxing wine. In 1996, utilizing the original production equipment from Shaoxing wine, it brewed Japanese sake and successfully launched "Yuqian Sake," becoming the only winery in the country to produce Japanese sake. In 2004, to address the issue of sake lees as a byproduct, it developed the "Taiwan Sake Lees Mask" product, positioning it as a natural skincare material, quickly gaining popularity and being dubbed the "poor man's SK-II." In 2005, it innovated again by combining red koji with Western wine, launching the health-oriented "Yuqian Red Koji Wine" that suits Taiwanese taste, which became the most popular wine brand in Taiwan. Linkou Distillery is not only dedicated to the development of various alcoholic beverages, but its production methods have also become more diverse. In 2007, it collaborated with a major cookie manufacturer to develop "Taiwan Red Koji Health Crackers," which had a unique flavor that caused a buying frenzy, achieving over NT$1 billion in revenue within just one and a half years, thus becoming a miracle in the cookie industry. To diversify its operations, in addition to producing alcoholic beverages, it established a sales center that includes exhibition halls like "Sake Pavilion," "Red Koji Pavilion," and "Wine Bank," which are open for public or tourism visits. This allows visitors to understand the brewing process and history while promoting connections with other attractions in the industrial zone (such as Formosa Plastics Cultural Foundation, Zhulin Temple, Formosa Plastics Healthcare Park, and Hwa Ya Technology Park) and the neighboring Yingge Township industries, forming thematic characteristics of local industry and cultural tourism. This not only boosts industrial tourism but also enhances the richness of the tourism system in Taoyuan City. In line with the company's asset activation policy, Linkou Distillery combines the Taoyuan County's aviation city project and the opening of the airport MRT line, integrating the foundation of wine production, industrial history, and market location with resources in industrial culture, creative arts, and humanities to shape a factory park. It is being developed into a sake cultural park, linking surrounding urban areas, scenic spots, attractions, and public facilities, aiming to become an iconic tourist winery in the northern region, hoping to attract the 8 million population of northern Taiwan for tourism and recreation, thereby increasing revenue.
