Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation Linkou 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), and officially began mass production in the spring of 1987. Each of the original distilleries has its own unique product 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 the original Shaoxing wine production equipment to brew Japanese sake, successfully launching "Yuchuan Sake," making it the only brewery in the country to produce Japanese sake. In 2004, to solve the problem of sake lees by-products, it developed the "Taiwan Sake Lees Face Mask," positioned as a natural skincare product, which became immensely popular and was dubbed the "poor man's SK-II." In 2005, it innovatively combined Eastern red yeast and Western wine, launching "Yuchuan Red Yeast Wine," which caters to Taiwanese tastes and has gained widespread popularity, becoming the leading wine brand in Taiwan by market share. Linkou Distillery is committed to various liquor research and development, and its production methods have become increasingly diverse. In 2007, it partnered with a cookie manufacturer to develop "Taiwan Red Yeast Healthy Biscuits," which gained unique flavors and created a purchasing frenzy, achieving over NT$1 billion in revenue in just a year and a half, becoming a miracle in the cookie industry. To diversify its operations, in addition to producing alcoholic beverages, it set up an exhibition and sales center featuring "Sake Hall," "Red Yeast Hall," "Wine Bank," and other process exhibition halls. This allows the public and tourists to visit, gaining insight into the brewing process and history while promoting connections with other attractions in the industrial area (such as the Formosa Plastics Cultural Center, Zhu Lin Temple, Formosa Plastics Medical Park, Huaya Technology Park, etc.) and the nearby Yingge Township industries, forming a local industrial culture tourism theme. This not only boosts industrial tourism but also enhances the richness of the tourism system in Taoyuan County. To align with the company's asset activation policy, Linkou Distillery integrates with Taoyuan County's aviation city project and the opening of the airport MRT line, gathering the fundamentals of liquor production, industrial history, and market advantages. It combines industrial culture, creative arts, and human resources to create a factory park, shaping a sake culture park that connects around urban areas, scenic spots, attractions, and public facilities, establishing itself as a landmark winery in the northern region, aiming to attract the 8 million residents of northern Taiwan for tourism and recreation, thereby increasing revenue.
