I said the previous craft beer article I would cover other parts of Taipei, so here we are on the opposite side of the city. Xinyi is not where I'd normally go looking for a beer. It's malls, luxury brands, and expensive cocktails. Plus, getting there from Tamsui is a solid hour on the MRT. But there are three places within about a ten-minute walk of Taipei 101 pouring good local beer, and one of them has the best view of the tower you'll get for the price of a pint.

Taihu Landmark

If you've read the West Taipei article, you already know Taihu Driftwood. Taihu Landmark is the Xinyi branch, and it's very different from Driftwood. It's a little counter sitting under the Cathay Landmark tower, right outside Breeze Xinyi, with a cluster of tables along the plaza. You order at the window, grab a spot, and drink standing up alongside some people in office clothes who look like they had a long day.

I ordered a cold IPA, which is a Taihu and Uchu collaboration. It's a regularly strong IPA at 6.5%, it has the very crisp hop bitterness, and it had a nice citrus hop character. When I went it was still over 30C, but there was a breeze and I think the humidity is dying down a bit, so it didn't feel too hot. The taps are mostly Taihu's own lineup, along with some guest taps.

Beers come in 300ml or 600ml glasses, which is the same size at Driftwood. Prices vary between beers. I did see people with flights of beer, but it's not listed on the menu, and I forgot to ask how much they are. Since I'm weary after the NT$680 flights, I tend to avoid them unless the price is listed. They did just post on September 6th on Instagram that beer flights are back, so apparently they're back after having not done flights for many years.

The location is the easy part. You walk up from Taipei City Hall MRT, Exit 3, walk through the Breeze mall, towards the 101, and when you get outside turn right, and there is Taihu Landmark.

Amber Land

This is the one to go to for the view. The spot itself has been a rooftop craft beer bar for years. It used to be the Zhangmen brewery's Breeze Songgao location, but now it's called Amber Land. Same rooftop, same reason to go. They also switched to serving Taiwan Head Brewer beer.

Finding it can be quite tricky. Breeze Songgao is the smaller Breeze building and the bar sits on the 4th floor sky garden, which the mall escalators don't reach. The first time I went, I walked through the mall and tried getting up there via escalator, but you get stopped on the 3rd floor surrounded by restaurants but no beer taps. You want the dedicated elevator on the first floor of the plaza, between the buildings. Here's a picture to hopefully give you an idea if you're looking for it.

Photo by Kalen Johnson

Then you walk outside and there it is. Taipei 101 is right in front of you, sitting behind but high above the other malls and buildings. The terrace is huge, more outdoor seating than most bars in Taipei have total. I can't imagine what they must pay for rent.

Now that they serve Taiwan Head Brewers beer, the menu is changed, I would call the beers they serve now mostly safe. They have the standards: lager, pale ale, IPA, with potential seasonal beers. They serve food, mostly deep fried bar food: fries, onion rings, wings, pizza, that kind of thing.

The practical stuff: it opens at 4pm every day, and is open until midnight. It's still open after the mall closes, which makes knowing where the entrance is even more important. If it's raining, the inside seating area is rather limited, maybe 10 seats and standing room at the bar. Taipei City Hall MRT is the closest station, about five minutes on foot.

Flow Brewing

Flow Brewing (心流釀造Xīn liú niàng zào) is the newest of the three, and the only one that's a proper brewery taproom. It was started in 2023 by two American brewers, Joe Merrell and Tyler Rubin, one of whom brewed at Taihu before going out on his own. These are American-style beers with American-style alcohol. They specialize in hoppy beer, so you will usually find at least one if not a few pale and IPA beers, and often double or triple IPA's. Check their Instagram or Facebook pages to see what's been released recently. They also serve some guest taps.

The taproom is on Jiaxing Street, on the quieter residential side of Xinyi Road, about a ten-minute walk from Taipei 101/World Trade Center station, exit 2 is the closest. It's relatively small, but plenty of taps, plus a fridge of cans stocked with their own beers, along with imported and local cans and bottles. When I went recently around 5pm on a Friday, I was the first one in, but people steadily stream in, and it can get quite lively later on in the evening. I've been multiple times over the last couple years, but I'm not a regular like some that live closer by.

Large beers are generally over NT$300-320, and is about a pint. They do have a happy hour, although I don't think I've seen it written anywhere. I'm going off memory, but I believe it's 4-6pm, and drops the large beer under NT$300. The cans are about the same price, if you get a 4-pack they are NT$1000-1100. Definitely more than a craft beer 4-pack in the US or Canada, but beer like this is also not stocked at PXMart. They have always sold some simple bar food, but recently set up a pizza oven and now sell Pizza Bear pizza.

Hours are the usual Taipei craft beer hours, meaning don't show up in the afternoon. They open at 5 pm Tuesday to Sunday, until midnight most nights and 12:30 am on Friday and Saturday, and they're closed Monday.

Which one?

It depends on who I'm with. Flow is my go to spot near the 101, and definitely the place to take craft beer lovers. Taihu Landmark is the quick one, a beer on the way to somewhere else. Amber Land is the one to take a group to when it's not raining, and for the great view.

One tip for all three: they're all walking distance between Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101 stations, so you can visit any or all of them in an evening.