Beer
Taiwan Beer is an amber lager beer with a distinct taste produced by the addition of locally produced ponlai rice ("Formosa rice" 蓬萊米 Pénglái mǐ) during the fermentation process. The beer is served cold and recognized as an especially suitable complement to Taiwanese and Japanese cuisine, especially seafood dishes such as sushi and sashimi. Taiwan Beer has won international awards, including the International Monde Selection in 1977 and the Brewing Industry International Awards in 2002.
Three lager-style brews bear the label Taiwan Beer. The Original brew is sold in brown bottles with a cream-coloured label and in white cans bearing a blue and green design. The Gold Medal brew, introduced in April 2003, is sold in green bottles and cans that reproduce the white, red and green label seen on the bottle. Original Taiwan beer is 4.5% and Gold is 5% by volume and are regularly seen in Taiwan's convenience and grocery stores. The newest lager, Taiwan Beer Draft, bears a signature solid green bottle with no paper label; it is not sold in cans. Draft appears most often in bars and restaurants, where it is available on tap or from refrigerators. The brew, designed to be sold fresh, is rarely seen in stores due to it expiring after just 18 days.
Taiwan Beer began selling a malt brew in 2008 bearing the Mine label. Brisk sales of Mine, an amber, led to the introduction of Mine Dark two years later. Mine malts are 5% alcohol by volume. Both malts are regularly stocked in Taiwan convenience stores. Bottles wear paper labels whose designs are repeated on cans. Mine sales have dwindled in recent years, especially since the launch of the new fruit beer range.
In 2012 Taiwan Beer introduced two new drafts enhanced with tropical fruit flavours: mango and pineapple. The new brews, made available in bottles and cans, proved to be popular summer sellers. Also at 2.8% they offer a milder option for summer drinkers.
Taiwan Beer is mass produced at the Taiwan Beer Factory (烏日啤酒廠行政大樓前廣場 Wūrì Píjiǔ Chǎng Xíngzhèng Dàlóu qián guǎngchǎng) in Wuri District, Taichung City. It is also brewed on site at the Taiwan Beer Bar in Taipei.
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Famous quotes containing the word beer:
“They who drink beer will think beer.”
—Washington Irving (1783–1859)
“Gin for executions, beer for birthdays, wine for weddings.”
—P. J. Wolfson, John L. Balderston (1899–1954)
“You can’t be a Real Country unless you have A BEER and an airline—it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a BEER.”
—Frank Zappa (1940–1993)