Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is Taiwan's second city and southern powerhouse — a sprawling port metropolis of canals, harbour arts districts, and subtropical beaches that has been quietly building one of the country's most interesting craft beer scenes. While Taipei may have the sheer volume, Kaohsiung offers something different: a more relaxed pace, a strong sense of local identity, and a handful of destination venues that draw beer travellers from across the island. The city's craft beer geography is varied. The Pier 2 Arts Center, a converted warehouse district stretching along the Kaohsiung harbour, has become the most concentrated drinking and eating destination in the city, with craft beer taprooms and Belgian beer bars among its industrial-chic spaces. Gushan District, near the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, has a more residential feel and is home to the local branch of Zhang Men, Taiwan's most widely distributed craft brewery. Then there is Cijin Island — accessible by a short ferry ride from the city centre — where the only beach bar in Kaohsiung pours cold craft beers to a backdrop of palm trees and Pacific sunsets. Taiwan's craft beer history has roots here: the Takao Beer Company, predecessor to the modern Taiwan Beer, was established in Kaohsiung during the Japanese colonial era. Today that heritage is being rewritten by a new generation of independent bars and visiting brewery taprooms bringing bold Taiwanese craft beer to the city's sun-drenched streets.