TOAST TO TAIPEI

Hold the Taiwan Beer, give me Zhang Men Brewing’s Taiwan Pepper Ale instead. My command of Mandarin might be abysmal, but I’ve managed to impress the bartender at RON Xinyi with my enthusiasm for a kaoliang (sorghum liquor) tonic. When not slurping up basil-flecked beef noodles, I was sipping on a gao tzan ta (Taiwanese basil)-infused Tyrant’s Blessing at Bar Mood. Turns out, when you walk into any bar – be it a speakeasy or a taproom – in Taipei, you’re not getting a classic Manhattan or lager; you’re getting a heavy dose of local flavour.

Getting crafty

While indulging in SUNMAI’s Honey Lager (NT$220/SG$10) within the sleek interiors of (), I learned that Taiwan’s craft beer scene only began ().