Cocktails on Tap at Draft Land
We tend to fall in and out of love with Taipei’s nightlife scene, but once in a while, something interesting will come along that sparks our interest. One such place is Draft Land, made famous simply for the fact that they have cocktails on draft. On top of this unique concept, this place got rave reviews from our friends, so we knew we had to check it out.
Draft Land opened its doors in 2018, equipped with 18 taps that inject nitrogen or carbon dioxide into alcoholic beverages. Located just off Zhongxiao East Road in Da’an, it’s best for grabbing casual drinks with friends.
The interior is small, with a standing area beside the bar and very limited seating area next to it. The atmosphere wasn’t very lively when we visited on a Saturday night (there was very soft music playing in the background), but that at least meant it was easier to make conversation.
There was also a crowd of people outside the bar, enjoying their cocktails on the curb. As we said, the atmosphere here is very relaxed.
The cocktail menu is displayed above the bar, and most drinks have their ingredients listed below. Our favourite thing about Draft Land was the fact that you can taste the cocktails before choosing one. This was great because it eliminates the risk you take when you order a unique drink that you might not end up enjoying. We can’t count the number of times we’ve taken a risk with a cocktail and been disappointed, so this is huge for us. They were more than willing to give us a small taste of whichever cocktails we were considering (and we each tried multiple before deciding). That way we knew we were getting a drink we’d love!
The friendly staff also helped us choose by asking what kind of cocktails we like and offering suggestions. The menu is always rotating with new and seasonal drinks, so there are always new possibilities. Check out the current selection on their website.
After tasting a bunch, we ended up ordering the English Milk Punch ($200), the Hibiscus Cocktail ($250), and the To Be Free ($200). We obviously enjoyed them because we chose them over the others, but we were actually surprised at their quality — not bad at all. Drinks at Draft Land clearly aren’t as good as the handcrafted ones at more expensive cocktail bars, but we thought they were still strong, tasty, and pretty reasonably priced.
Overall, we felt that Draft Land is a good spot to grab a casual drink with friends in a relaxed environment. Just don’t expect a big social party!
What’s the vibe?
Casual cocktail bar with limited seating and mixed drinks on draft. Even on a Saturday night, the atmosphere was muted with quiet music playing in the background and subdued conversations of people standing at the bar.
Worth it?
Sure! As you could expect, these drinks don’t have the same quality as the more expensive cocktails at some of the city’s nicer bars, but we still liked them and felt like they were reasonably priced. We loved the fact that we could taste the drinks before ordering one.
Would you go back?
It’s a solid choice for casual drinks in the Dunhua area, but slightly too quiet for our tastes. We’ll definitely consider it when we’re close by but wouldn’t make a trip across the city.
Visited: April 2019
| Draft Land |
| Hours: 6pm - 1am |
| English Address: No. 2, Zhongxiao E. Road, Lane 248, Da'an District |
| Chinese Address: 忠孝東路四段248巷2號1樓 |
