Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor, Taiwan's Only Distillery Established During War Time, Celebrates 70th Anniversary

TAIPEI, April 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Inc. is celebrating 70 years of brewing liquor made from fermented sorghum utilizing traditional brewing methods and underground wartime tunnels meant to avoid cannonballs.

Based on the island of Kinmen in Taiwan, Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Inc was established in 1952. Since then, the brand has turned the cultural relics and tunnels from the war into an excellent wine storage environment.

During the first establishments, the brand empowered the soldiers who came from Mainland China during that war time and trained them with wine-making skills, therefore they could be more productive with their potentials, expanded the opportunities here, while living a better life of them and their families.

"Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor's original aim was not profit-making but to feed the people of Kinmen during the war. After 70 years, our philosophy has not changed. Our main goal is still to provide welfare for Kinmen residents, while serving a good wine for consumers," said Hwang Yi-Kai, Chairman of Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor.

A brand which emphasizes on tradition

To address the financial hardship facing Kinmen, Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor was established, and local farmers were encouraged to grow sorghum for the production of kaoliang liquor.

Starting from utilizing locally grown sorghum, the brand uses a traditional steam and second cleaning process without any additives, along with the island's mineral rich waters to produce the liquor. It is then stored in underground cellars converted from military tunnels which provide the ideal temperature and humidity setting to produce a one-of-a-kind naturally aged kaoliang liquor.

The unparalleled products of this winery which was established during harsh war times has won international recognition due to its unique liquor producing environment and persistence in maintaining tradition. Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor recently won the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits with total of 8 awards in the Gold Medal and Double Gold Awards categories, and this is Kinman Kaoliang Liquor's 7^th year winning since joining the competition in 2016.

Giving back is a main philosophy

"Being the heart of Kinmen's economy, one of our brand's main objectives is to serve the island and its residents. We are a non-profit company that utilizes our sales to fund programmes for the Kinmen community," said Hwang.

Currently, the company runs social programmes supporting the island's medical care, education, elderly residents, children, and local sports development, while offering aid to the local community. The initiatives include sponsoring professional baseball in Taiwan, participating in lantern festivals, donating to disaster relief, and putting more efforts to maintain the environment through water recycling.

To learn more about Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor, please visit their official site, Facebook page and Instagram account.

Media Contact
Ryan Chen
(+886) 82 325628#88203
ryancjchen@mail.kkl.gov.tw