Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation Linkou Distillery Introduction
Linkou Distillery is a new distillery formed by the merger of Taipei Distillery (established in 1921), Banqiao Distillery (established in 1937), and Shulin Distillery (established in 1906), with a history of nearly a hundred years. It officially started mass production in the spring of 1987. Each of the original distilleries had different products and cultural characteristics, and after the merger, it became the largest and most modern rice liquor production facility in northern Taiwan. Since its establishment, Linkou Distillery has primarily produced Shaoxing wine. In 1996, using the original Shaoxing wine production equipment, it successfully launched "Yuquan Sake," making it the only distillery in the country to produce Japanese sake. In 2004, to address the issues of sake lees by-products, it developed the "Taiwan Sake Lees Mask" product, positioning it as a natural skincare material, which gained popularity and was referred to as the "Poor Man's SK-II." In 2005, it innovatively combined Eastern red yeast with Western wine to launch "Yuquan Red Yeast Wine," which has a health-preserving concept and caters to Taiwanese tastes, becoming the most popular wine brand in Taiwan. Linkou Distillery not only focuses on the development of various alcoholic beverages but also diversifies its production methods. In 2007, it collaborated with a cookie manufacturer to develop "Taiwan Red Yeast Health Crackers," which became highly sought after for its unique flavor, achieving over NT$1 billion in revenue within just a year and a half, becoming a miracle in the cookie industry. To diversify its operations, the distillery has set up an exhibition and sales center that includes the "Sake Hall," "Red Yeast Hall," and "Alcohol Bank," open to the public and tourists, allowing visitors to understand the process and history of brewing. This also promotes connections with other local attractions in the industrial area (such as the Formosa Plastics Cultural Center, Zhulin Temple, Formosa Plastics Medical Park, Huaya Technology Park, etc.) and neighboring Yingge Township industries, forming a thematic cultural tourism characteristic of local industrial culture, enhancing the richness of the Taoyuan County tourism system. To align with the company's asset activation policies, Linkou Distillery combines Taoyuan County's promotion of the Aerotropolis plan and the opening of the airport MRT line, integrating liquor production, industrial history, and market advantages, while combining industrial culture, creative arts, and humanities resources to transform the factory into a park-like area, creating a sake-themed cultural park. This initiative links nearby urban areas, famous attractions, and public facilities, establishing it as a landmark tourist distillery in northern Taiwan, aiming to attract the 8 million population of northern Taiwan to visit the factory for tourism and recreation, thereby increasing revenue.
