6 Spots in Taiwan to Enjoy Japanese Spirits
Check out these six great bars, izakaya restaurants, sake shops and other venues that specialize in sake, shochu, whiskey and more from all over Japan, bringing the deep culture of Japanese spirits to Taiwan. *In this article, we'll introduce shops covered by the Taste of Japan Management Office.
Goemon — Enjoy the Impressive History & Selection
When the people of Taipei think shochu, they immediately think of Shochu Bar Goemon. Just as the bar’s name implies, it is a bar with a long history and has an extensive selection of Japanese shochu to choose from, including almost 100 different varieties.
Xiao Qi Umeshuya — Featuring 100 Varieties of Plum Wines
The origin of Xiao Qi Umeshuya lies in the owner’s desire to spread the love of Japanese plum wine to Taiwan. Located on Chifeng Street, a street lined with unique cafés, boutiques and hair salons, visitors will immediately recognize it as a Japanese liquor shop by the sign at the entrance.
WA-SHU — Largest Selection of Japanese Whiskey in Taipei
Owner Tomoaki Inaba, a qualified Japanese sake sommelier, opened the Wa-Shu bar in 2012 with the intention of conveying his fascination with sake to the people of Taiwan. 99% of the liquor at Wa-Shu is produced in Japan, and customers can enjoy original cocktails made with Taiwanese fruits such as mango, watermelon, starfruit and banana.
HanaBi — Sake & Japanese Tapas
The chef-owner, Michael Ou, is a qualified kikizake-shi (sake sommelier) and sake lecturer, and the first ethnic Chinese person to be certified as a sake-sho (tasting specialist). HanaBi, which opened in Taiwan, offers Japanese sake and dishes that go well with sake in a relaxed atmosphere filled with music for mature audiences such as jazz.
SAKA.YA — Home to Over 100 Different Kinds of Japanese Liquor
SAKA.YA is an unusual Japanese liquor shop in Taiwan, with more than 100 different kinds of sake, shochu, plum wine, etc. for sale, purchased from all over Japan. The product lineup is replaced every two to three months, according to the season and the arrival of new items.
Senn — Modern & Relaxing Sake
Facing the tree-lined Dunhua South Road, Senn Sake Dining is a modern and relaxed setting for sake dining. It is famous for handling only varieties made in Japan, and all of its sake comes from Iwate Prefecture.