Hi, some friends and I are looking at starting a small craft brewing company - maybe 3 beers + seasonal ones, produced in Taiwan.
From what I can see the law seems to state (from what I’ve read/can find) that you can’t do this unless you have a proper factory (in an industrial area) and inspections and lead times can take up to 2 years before any sort of official approval + you have to be producing huge quantities.
There must be a way around this as there are several small companies making and selling small batches of craft beer in Taiwan - they can’t all be illegal surely?
Any advice truly appreciated! Many thanks in advance
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Fyi
A related article in Mandarin
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i think technically brewing beer is different from distilling alcohol. you don’t need a still for beer. i knew a guy in KSA who made beer in a coffee maker. it might be the same laws in taiwan, though…
The way around it is to give your recipe and ingredients to a contract brewery and have them make the beer on your behalf. That’s why the brewery addresses on the labels of the smaller brands are all the same few places in Xinbei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu.
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Yes, they fall under the same alcohol production regulations.
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I think I know the guy who does these beers in Taoyuan… from when I considered this business 
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The small companies are contracting through the proper factories in industrial areas.
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RedPoint would be happy to brew for you. You can pick out your own hops and do testing with them to whatever flavor profile you want. They have a very large facility out in Taoyuan.
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Beat me to it.
What’s this all about? You can get around the laws if an aboriginal friend is involved in the company? Or at least have a different set of rules applied?
yes, aboriginals and farmers can brew under different laws.
Their factories can be on farm land.
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Affirmitive action , like aboriginals can hunt , get into better high schools with lower grades etc.
How on earth do you define who is and who is not a “farmer”? On which chromosome is the farmer gene carried?
Different laws for different (arbitrary) kinds of people is the sort of backward crap that Taiwan really needs to knock on the head.
本辦法所稱農民，指依農業發展條例第三條規定之農民
農業發展條例
Agricultural Development Act
Maybe related information
https://rmis.coa.gov.tw/Rlaw/Web/NewsDetail.aspx?id=4777
三、依農業發展條例第 3條第 1項第 3款規定，農民指直接從事農業生產之自然人，即應以直接從事農業生產為要件，又倘係興建農舍之申請人，除應符合上開直接從事農業生產外，其農民資格之審認，依農業用地興建農舍辦法(以下簡稱本辦法)第 3條之 1規定：「農民之認定，由農民於申請興建農舍時，檢附農業生產相關佐證資料，經直轄市、縣(市)主管機關會同專家、學者會勘後認定之。但屬農民健康保險被保險人或全民健康保險第三類被保險人者，不在此限。」，另須依本辦法第 2條規定提出經營計畫書及 2年內生產相關佐證資料，以供審查該筆農業用地確供農業使用與不影響農業生產環境及農村發展。
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This has some interesting points on it; it has definitely been considered. Maybe @flakman will find this useful
It’s easier for them to produce alcohol. I met a guy who used that workaround for producing his beverage.
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So … it seems to me that, as long as you grow some stuff and apply to be designated as a “farmer”, you’re free to brew your own beer?
I guess your land must be categorized as farm land.
Thank you for thinking of me. Problem is the religious group near us put up 20 tents. So far every government department my wife has contacted said that “temporary tents” are okay and such religious groups do not need to make any applications to hold such activities. So far no one is willing say that their non-farming activities on farm land are illegal. At this point seems the government is willing to fine people with farm houses but not willing to fine those simply paving over the land to hold non-farming activities.
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