A bottle shelf with a Taiwan itinerary

Sweet potato, grape, honey—and coriander, the herb that starts religious wars in Taiwan? Reading OR House's bottle labels, you might wonder whether you've brought a shopping list or a drinks menu. Tall glass bottles hide behind squat square ones, clear and amber liquids catch the light. These crops have ambitions. They don't want to end up in a stir-fry; they want to get you drunk.

From September 17, Sip of the Land: A Journey into Taiwanese Craft Spirits opens on the fourth floor of this great-grandparent of a Hsinchu department store. Rice and sweet potatoes arrive bare-faced as ingredients, then undergo the social makeover of fermentation, distilling and ageing. Scent installations lead you into contemporary Taiwanese drinks. The wicked finale is a bar with fourteen selections waiting for you.

This building already understands eating and drinking: downstairs are local provisions, bottles and a bistro. The department store opened opposite Dongmen Market in 1934; your grandmother might have hung out here. On an old-city walk, make it your layabout stop. Browse downstairs, head up to the exhibition and impersonate a cultured person. Dinner here too? See how you feel.

The exhibition is free, running September 17, 2026–February 14, 2027. October 9–11 adds an afternoon-and-evening drinks market. Free entry doesn't mean the bartender has taken up charitable work. Bring your wallet for drinks and activities; see the venue's individual prices.