Taipei Brewery Introduction
Historical Development The predecessor of Taipei Brewery was the "Nihon Takasago Beer Company," founded in 1919, which was the only brewery in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period. After being taken over by the government in 1945, it became part of the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation's "Second Distillery." In 1975, it was renamed "Jianguo Brewery." During this period, it underwent improvements in brewing technology and equipment, with the addition of new buildings, leading to a steady increase in production, which peaked at a remarkable record of 12 million pints per year. On July 1, 1997, Jianguo Brewery and Fuxing Brewery merged into one, with Jianguo Brewery becoming the Jianguo section of Fuxing Brewery, managed by Fuxing Brewery. In June 2000, the Taipei City Government designated "Jianguo Brewery" as Municipal Heritage Site No. 95, preserving one of the most important cultural assets of the beer industry in the country and moving towards the goal of creating a "Beer Cultural Park and Industrial Revitalization Preservation." In April 2001, the operations of the Jianguo section were transferred to the "Bottle Cap Factory." In 2002, the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation was restructured into Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation, and the Jianguo section was renamed "Taipei Brewery." In November 2003, "Taipei Brewery" came under the management of "Zhunan Brewery." On April 30, 2007, Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation, aiming for cultural preservation and fulfilling social responsibility, established a task force to separate the operations of Taipei Brewery from the Beer Department, temporarily forming the "Taipei Beer Cultural Park Administration" to focus on the preservation of Taiwan's beer culture. On July 1, 2008, it was independently established as Taipei Brewery. Location and Area The old address of Taipei Brewery was No. 1407, Zhongzheng Road, Taipei City. After the city reorganization, it changed to the current address of No. 85, Section 2, Bade Road, Taipei City. The land area is 52,630 square meters, classified as a Type III Industrial Zone. Taipei Brewery's facilities include the saccharification building, fermentation building, storage building, packaging factory, finished product warehouse, administrative building, maintenance workshop, and welfare building. The building area is 25,627.71 square meters, with a total floor area of 34,638.91 square meters. Cultural Preservation Taipei Brewery is the only brewery in Taiwan with historical significance. Beer, as a foreign import among various alcoholic beverages in Taiwan, has only over a hundred years of history. During the imperialist period, foreign beers were imported for the consumption of colonial residents and sold in the market. Taiwan had breweries only after beer was introduced. Foreign capitalists began establishing breweries in Taiwan using local cheap raw materials and labor. Future Prospects for Industrial Preservation and the Reuse of Historical Buildings Countries that have progressed well globally have excellent examples. For instance, the "Sapporo Beer Museum" in Hokkaido, Japan, was originally a national brewery built in 1890 and was renovated in 1966 into a beer house known as "Sapporo Beer Garden," now a landmark in the city. Taipei Brewery occupies a vast area, aiming to preserve the important cultural industry—the birthplace of Taiwanese beer, and to maintain existing production lines while systematically planning other sections. The architectural style and original functions will be redefined to integrate production, tourism, commerce, culture, and leisure, in line with the trends of modern urban development, making Taipei a distinctive city. (Reference: Taipei Brewery Official Website)
