Fancy a ‘beercation’? Taiwan’s craft breweries attract travellers seeking beer-infused holidays
Taiwanese breweries, like Jim & Dad’s in Yilan, are attracting international beer geeks looking for one-of-a-kind holidays promising new tastes and experiences
Taiwan is catching up with the “beercation” trend spreading in the United States.
Jim & Dad’s, founded by father-son duo in Yilan, Taiwan’s east coast city is located beside a well-traversed highway and shares fresh water from Snow Mountain as its neighbouring Kavalan Whiskey Distillery. The brewers host tours of their 5,000-square-foot facility and offer cosy resting areas for weary visitors to chill out and snack on local cuisine.
“We are the first destination craft brewery in Taiwan, meaning we can work with a much broader audience than a typical taproom in Taipei, while also converting people to craft beer easier,” says founder Jim Sung.
“Our customers range from fanatic beer geeks to family holidaymakers and mountain resort visitors looking for a rest stop. We find people on holidays are much more open to new ideas and tastes, and we take that opportunity to educate them on the wonders of craft beer.”
Sung says their iconic product is the kumquat beer coming in both IPA and wheat versions. These beers use kumquats freshly picked mere minutes away at farms and featuring rich citrus fragrance and sweetness. The company has partnered with the Satellite Brewery Company in Seoul to brew a beer using Jeju kumquats.
Jim & Dad’s is known for its extensive barrel-ageing programme with a repertoire that includes bourbon, brandy, rum and cognac barrel-aged beers.
