Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor
Encyclopedia
Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation (TTL; 台灣菸酒公司) is a state-owned manufacturer and distributor of cigarettes and alcohol
in Taiwan
. Its most famous product is Taiwan Beer
. Other products include wine
, Japanese-style liqueur
s, Chinese herb liqueurs, and various distilled spirits.
TTL was established as a government agency during Japanese
colonial rule and was renamed the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau (菸酒公賣局) in 1947. Between 1947 and 1968 the Bureau exercised a monopoly over all alcohol, tobacco
, and camphor
products sold in Taiwan. It retained tobacco and alcohol monopolies until Taiwan's entry into the WTO in 2002.
TTL sponsors a semi-professional basketball team, the Taiwan Beer
of Super Basketball League
.
in 1901. The Monopoly Bureau of the Taiwan Governor's Office was responsible for all liquor and tobacco
products in Taiwan as well as opium
, salt
, and camphor
. The Bureau began brewing Takasago Beer
in 1922 through the Takasago Malted Beer Company
. Light and dark varieties were offered, though the price of Takasago Beer varied widely over the course of its manufacture depending on the availability of imported Japanese beers and the contingencies of the economy. As World War II
reached its conclusion in the 1940s matches, petroleum
, and standard weights and measures
also came under the Monopoly Bureau's authority.
After the end of World War II
the incoming Chinese Nationalists
preserved the monopoly system for alcohol and tobacco. Production of beer was assigned in 1945 to the Taiwan Provincial Monopoly Bureau. Takasago Beer was renamed Taiwan Beer
in 1946. The following year, production of Taiwan Beer was assigned to the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau. In the 1960s locally produced ponlai
rice
("Formosa rice" 蓬萊米) was added to the fermentation
process, resulting in the distinctive local flavour for which the beer is known today.
Taiwan entered its modern period of pluralistic democracy
in the 1990s. Laws went into force in 2002 as Taiwan prepared for admission to the World Trade Organization
(WTO) that opened the Taiwan market to competing products. In 2002 the Monopoly Bureau gave way to its successor, the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation (TTL, 台灣菸酒公司).
Since coming into existence TTL has introduced four new Taiwan Beer brews: Gold Medal, Draft, Mine Amber and Mine Dark. Taiwan Beer remains the island's best-selling brew and is one of the most recognized brands in Taiwan's business world.
Taiwan Beer
(台灣啤酒, Táiwān Píjǐu, or 台啤, TáiPí) is the main brand of the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation. The brand, an icon of Taiwanese culture, began as a monopoly product but has remained the best-selling beer
on the island
in the era of free trade
.
Taiwan Beer has incorporated locally produced ponlai
rice
in its recipe since the 1960s, giving the beer a distinctive flavour. Taiwan Beer brews have won international awards, including the International Monde Selection
in 1977 and the Brewing Industry International Awards in 2002.
Three lager
brews, all amber, are sold under the Taiwan Beer brand name. Original and Gold Medal, introduced in April 2003, are 4.5% abv
and have a wide domestic distribution. The newest lager, Draft, appears most often in bars and restaurants, where it is available on tap or in its signature solid green bottle. Designed to be sold fresh, it is rarely seen in stores due to its early expiration date.
In 2008 Taiwan Beer began selling malt brews under the Mine label: Mine Amber and Mine Dark.
Two special variants of Taiwan Beer, Taiwan Black and Taiwan Red, appeared in 2009.
. A basketball team
named Taiwan Beer, popularly nicknamed 'The Brew Crew,' is sponsored by the company. The Taiwan Beer Bar and Beer Garden is a brewpub in Taipei. The Factory, near the Wujih station of the Taiwan High Speed Rail
, is the site of an annual Taiwan Beer Festival (台灣啤酒節) held every summer.
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. Its most famous product is Taiwan Beer
Taiwan Beer
Taiwan Beer is brewed by the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation . The brand, an icon of Taiwanese culture, began as a monopoly product but has remained the best-selling beer on the island in the era of free trade.-History:The company today known as TTL had its origins in a government agency...
. Other products include wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, Japanese-style liqueur
Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
s, Chinese herb liqueurs, and various distilled spirits.
TTL was established as a government agency during Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
colonial rule and was renamed the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau (菸酒公賣局) in 1947. Between 1947 and 1968 the Bureau exercised a monopoly over all alcohol, tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, and camphor
Camphor
Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...
products sold in Taiwan. It retained tobacco and alcohol monopolies until Taiwan's entry into the WTO in 2002.
TTL sponsors a semi-professional basketball team, the Taiwan Beer
Taiwan Beer (basketball)
For the beer, see Taiwan BeerThe Taiwan Beer Basketball Team is a semi-professional basketball team in the Super Basketball League in Taiwan sponsored by the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation...
of Super Basketball League
Super Basketball League
The Super Basketball League , often abbreviated to the SBL, is the pre-eminent men's semi-professional basketball league in Taiwan. It was founded in 2003 and considered by many as the successor organization to the short-lived Chinese Basketball Alliance , a men's professional basketball league...
.
History
The company today known as TTL had its origins in a government agency established by Taiwan's Japanese rulersTaiwan under Japanese rule
Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was a dependency of the Empire of Japan. The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan's general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century....
in 1901. The Monopoly Bureau of the Taiwan Governor's Office was responsible for all liquor and tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
products in Taiwan as well as opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
, salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
, and camphor
Camphor
Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...
. The Bureau began brewing Takasago Beer
Takasago
Takasago may refer to:*Takasago, Hyōgo, a city located in the Hyōgo Prefecture of Japan*Takasago International Corporation, a company producing chemical flavorants and fragrances*Takasago , a Noh play by Zeami, or one of the lead characters in it...
in 1922 through the Takasago Malted Beer Company
Takasago
Takasago may refer to:*Takasago, Hyōgo, a city located in the Hyōgo Prefecture of Japan*Takasago International Corporation, a company producing chemical flavorants and fragrances*Takasago , a Noh play by Zeami, or one of the lead characters in it...
. Light and dark varieties were offered, though the price of Takasago Beer varied widely over the course of its manufacture depending on the availability of imported Japanese beers and the contingencies of the economy. As World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
reached its conclusion in the 1940s matches, petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
, and standard weights and measures
Units of measurement
A unit of measurement is a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention and/or by law, that is used as a standard for measurement of the same physical quantity. Any other value of the physical quantity can be expressed as a simple multiple of the unit of...
also came under the Monopoly Bureau's authority.
After the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the incoming Chinese Nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
preserved the monopoly system for alcohol and tobacco. Production of beer was assigned in 1945 to the Taiwan Provincial Monopoly Bureau. Takasago Beer was renamed Taiwan Beer
Taiwan Beer
Taiwan Beer is brewed by the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation . The brand, an icon of Taiwanese culture, began as a monopoly product but has remained the best-selling beer on the island in the era of free trade.-History:The company today known as TTL had its origins in a government agency...
in 1946. The following year, production of Taiwan Beer was assigned to the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau. In the 1960s locally produced ponlai
Penglai
Penglai, Peng Lai, or Peng-lai may refer to:*Penglai City, Shandong, China*Mount Penglai, a place in Chinese mythology*Penglai Pagoda in Penglai City...
rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
("Formosa rice" 蓬萊米) was added to the fermentation
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
process, resulting in the distinctive local flavour for which the beer is known today.
Taiwan entered its modern period of pluralistic democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
in the 1990s. Laws went into force in 2002 as Taiwan prepared for admission to the World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
(WTO) that opened the Taiwan market to competing products. In 2002 the Monopoly Bureau gave way to its successor, the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation (TTL, 台灣菸酒公司).
Since coming into existence TTL has introduced four new Taiwan Beer brews: Gold Medal, Draft, Mine Amber and Mine Dark. Taiwan Beer remains the island's best-selling brew and is one of the most recognized brands in Taiwan's business world.
Brewing plant
Taiwan Beer is mass produced at the Taiwan Beer Factory (烏日啤酒廠行政大樓前廣場) in Wuri District, Taichung City. It is also brewed on site at the Taiwan Beer Bar in Taipei.Taiwan Beer
Taiwan Beer
Taiwan Beer is brewed by the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation . The brand, an icon of Taiwanese culture, began as a monopoly product but has remained the best-selling beer on the island in the era of free trade.-History:The company today known as TTL had its origins in a government agency...
(台灣啤酒, Táiwān Píjǐu, or 台啤, TáiPí) is the main brand of the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation. The brand, an icon of Taiwanese culture, began as a monopoly product but has remained the best-selling beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
on the island
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
in the era of free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
.
Taiwan Beer has incorporated locally produced ponlai
Penglai
Penglai, Peng Lai, or Peng-lai may refer to:*Penglai City, Shandong, China*Mount Penglai, a place in Chinese mythology*Penglai Pagoda in Penglai City...
rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
in its recipe since the 1960s, giving the beer a distinctive flavour. Taiwan Beer brews have won international awards, including the International Monde Selection
Monde Selection
Monde Selection, created in 1961, is an international and independent quality institute located in Brussels, that tastes and tests consumer products in order to grant them a renowned Quality Label...
in 1977 and the Brewing Industry International Awards in 2002.
Three lager
Lager
Lager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...
brews, all amber, are sold under the Taiwan Beer brand name. Original and Gold Medal, introduced in April 2003, are 4.5% abv
ABV
ABV is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* Alcohol by volume, a measure of the alcohol content of alcoholic drinks* Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Nigeria, from its IATA airport code...
and have a wide domestic distribution. The newest lager, Draft, appears most often in bars and restaurants, where it is available on tap or in its signature solid green bottle. Designed to be sold fresh, it is rarely seen in stores due to its early expiration date.
In 2008 Taiwan Beer began selling malt brews under the Mine label: Mine Amber and Mine Dark.
Two special variants of Taiwan Beer, Taiwan Black and Taiwan Red, appeared in 2009.
Marketing
TTL marketing strategies include advertisements featuring celebrity endorsements by popular Taiwanese figures such as A-MeiA-Mei
A-Mei , also known by her birth name Chang Hui-mei , is an aboriginal Taiwanese pop singer and occasional songwriter. She is also known by her aboriginal name Gulilai Amit . She was born in the rugged mountains of eastern Taiwan and is the third youngest of nine siblings. A-mei made her debut in...
. A basketball team
Super Basketball League
The Super Basketball League , often abbreviated to the SBL, is the pre-eminent men's semi-professional basketball league in Taiwan. It was founded in 2003 and considered by many as the successor organization to the short-lived Chinese Basketball Alliance , a men's professional basketball league...
named Taiwan Beer, popularly nicknamed 'The Brew Crew,' is sponsored by the company. The Taiwan Beer Bar and Beer Garden is a brewpub in Taipei. The Factory, near the Wujih station of the Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail line that runs approximately along the west coast of the Republic of China from the national capital of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung...
, is the site of an annual Taiwan Beer Festival (台灣啤酒節) held every summer.
Further reading
- Case Study: TsingTao and Taiwan Beer: Trademark Dispute Between Beijing and Taipei
- Lin, Jackie. "Beer fight is about politics: TTL." Taipei Times, 2004-07-02.
- "2008 Taiwan Beer Festival." Taipei Times, 2008-08-01.