TAIPEI (Global Views Monthly/TVBS News) — Kinou Lo (羅己能), who previously did not drink alcohol, was astonished by the sweet and smooth taste of sweet potato liquor from Kagoshima, Kyushu (九州鹿兒島), during a visit to Komatsu, Japan (日本小松). "It's sweet, smells nice, is not too spicy, and tastes delicious!" This experience sparked the thought, "Why isn't there sweet potato liquor in Taiwan?" Eight years later, he founded Hcwine (Hengchi, 恆器製酒) and earned 33 medals in international spirits contests.
For Lo, taking over his family's metal processing business provided a stable and fulfilling life. Yet, he always felt a desire to "do something." After a family car accident, he realized his calling was to produce a Taiwanese sweet potato liquor. Lacking any distilling experience, he turned to online research, purchased 500 Taiwanese catty (around 300 kg) of sweet potatoes, and acquired a small distiller for home experiments. He sought feedback from friends who enjoyed kaoliang liquor (sorghum liquor), and their positive reactions and interest in buying bolstered his resolve to proceed.
Lo initially invested NT$6 million, followed by another NT$6 million a year later. Despite his dedication, his family, particularly his wife, opposed the venture, as his dual commitments to the family business and distilling left him little time for family. "At that time, no one in the family wanted to talk to me," Lo recalled with a smile.
Buying Sweet Potatoes for Beverage Production, Also Supporting Farmers
In 2017, after securing a distilling license, Lo began his search for sweet potatoes in Tainan, ultimately discovering Tainong No. 57 sweet potatoes (台農57號地瓜) in Shuilin Township (水林鄉), Yunlin. Lee Chih-jung (李志榮) of Tzu Hung Agricultural Products (子宏農產行) in Dagou Village (大溝村) provided free experimentation, a gesture Lo deeply appreciated. This supplier continues to be his main source of produce. In Taiwan, sweet potatoes are harvested seasonally and spoil within a month without refrigeration. Lo learned that from July to October, the price of a 5-catty bag was 3.5 times the usual rate, with scarcity issues. "Out of necessity, I used blemished sweet potatoes for experiments and found the liquor quality unchanged," he noted, gaining insights into Taiwan's sweet potato ecology.
Taiwan's sweet potato cultivation spans approximately 8,700 hectares, with a yield of 30 to 40 tons in bountiful years (per hectare). About 30% are "misfit" sweet potatoes, totaling 8.7 million tons, due to imperfections or size. Processing these could enhance farmers' income, stabilize market prices, and aid environmental conservation. However, his resolve to craft Taiwanese sweet potato liquor met a setback when a shareholder withdrew, dealing a significant blow. "The distillery hadn't scaled production, required more funding, and lacked family support. I was utterly despondent," he recounted, vividly recalling the low point.
Lo's spirits were revived in 2019 when "Sweet Potato Liquor 60%" (地瓜原酒六十度) earned a silver medal. This recognition affirmed the future potential of sweet potato liquor. The distillery's offerings, centered on sweet potatoes, grew to include the "Sweet Potatos’ Good Friends" series, featuring Taiwanese "misfit" agricultural products, which are all locally-grown products. He later embarked on fruit experiments. "As more people discovered I was exploring fruits, they began offering their homegrown produce for testing," he noted.
Green plums provided an easily communicable, delightful flavor but posed challenges due to existing Japanese and Korean varieties. Strawberries had excellent taste but remained expensive even with "misfit" produce. Kyoho grapes offered year-round availability, ensuring a steady supply. Mulberries were prone to mold, and West Indian cherries from Tainan's Jiali (佳里) had limited yields. Honey apples from Fushoushan (福壽山) proved unsuccessful in two trials, halting further experimentation. Indian gooseberries, despite being healthy, had insufficient juice.
Upon obtaining fruits, Lo employed a traditional method, layering fruit and sugar in glass jars and aging them with oak-barreled sweet potato liquor. The resulting blend, with a 17% alcohol content, was "just right" for women, the distillery's main clientele. Why focus on women? "Women purchase liquor more emotionally, drawn by its story and packaging, and often invite friends to join. However, men usually fixate on a certain brand due to being more conscious about their perceived status," Lo explained. In public settings, men typically defer to women in drink selections, granting women considerable influence in the liquor market, Lo said.
After numerous experiments, Lo discovered that women favored sweeter, smoother, and less spicy liquors, guiding the distillery's primary production focus. He has transitioned from not drinking to being able to consume half a bottle of 60-degree liquor. Every time a new liquor is developed, he and three male colleagues from marine biology, microbiology, and Chinese studies assess it first. Before launching, he gathers women's feedback and submits promising ones to competitions.
Sweep in Awards, But Stay True to Their Roots
Following these principles, "Sweet Potatos’ Good Friends—Lychee" (地瓜的好朋友—荔枝) and "Sweet Potatos’ Good Friends—Plum" (地瓜的好朋友—梅子) fruit-based liquors won silver medals in 2022. At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, all seven entries received awards. Lo remarked, "Unawarded liquors aren't necessarily inferior; they might just not have entered competitions." Among his award-winning liquors, Lo takes the most pride in "Fan Su" (繁曙) sweet potato liquor, the distillery's first gold medal winner. It secured the 2023 Spirits Selection by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB) (比利時布魯塞爾金牌獎), earned 90 points and a gold in the International Wine & Spirit Competition (英國IWSC96分金牌獎) in 2024, and another Spirits Selection Gold Medal in 2024. "Fan Su," the Hakka term for sweet potato, represents his Hakka roots and was launched as a symbol of hope post-pandemic.
"This liquor is ideally served chilled, offering a light, easy solo drinking experience, and complements Japanese cuisine," Lo noted. As his sweet potato liquor gained recognition, people began sending Tainong No. 66 sweet potatoes (台農66號地瓜) and water chestnut sweet potatoes (菱角地瓜) from Taoyuan for him to experiment with. The latter is unique, with a red core, low sweetness, and a starchy texture akin to water chestnuts. Experiments also uncovered a distinct lychee flavor. Due to its five-month growing period, production is limited and costly, resulting in a restricted release of 100 bottles of "One-Red-Dot" sweet potato liquor (一點紅地瓜酒).
Awards Record for Hengchi Spirits:
- 2020 | Gold Medal at the Spirits Selection by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles | Hard Sweet Potato Japanese Shochu
- 2022 | Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition | "Traveler 1" Rice Shochu Category
- 2022 | Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition | "Agarwood Wine — Vietnamese Nha Trang Agarwood" White Wine Category
- 2022 | Silver Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition | "Golden Cask Magic Batch 2" Other Whiskey Category
- 2022 | Silver Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition | "Sweet Potatos’ Good Friends — Lychee" Fruit Fortified Spirits
- 2022 | Silver Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition | "Sweet Potatos’ Good Friends — Plum" Fruit Fortified Spirits
- 2022 | Bronze Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition | "Traveler 2" Citrus Flavored Gin
- 2022 | Bronze Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition | "Carefree - Loquat Infused Liqueur" Nut Liqueur
- 2024 | Gold Medal in the Brandy Category at the San Francisco Spirits Awards | Brandy Distilled from Peaches
For More Reading
This article is excerpted from the January issue of Global Views Monthly; for more articles, please visit the Global Views website
Here is the link to the Chinese story: 從不喝酒到開酒廠，恆器製酒釀出女性最愛地瓜酒
More coverage:
1. 地瓜也能製酒？在地原料精釀世界級台灣地酒
2. 水果味威士忌女生也愛，南投酒廠拿下82面國際金牌
3. 禽流感H5N1疫情升溫！加州進入緊急狀態，專家分析大流行可能
