Ask pretty much any expat about beer in Korea and you’ll probably get a similar response. It sucks. Lauren of Lateral Movements wrote a great post about this subject a couple months ago, lamenting on the lack of choices for beer drinkers in Korea. I agree with her completely. There’s nothing that is absolutely wonderful about the Korean beer scene, but there are some decent options available. And some hope for the future.
Beer was introduced to Korea in the early 20th century by Europeans. Today, there are two main macro-breweries in Korea supplying beer to the thirsty masses: Hite-Jinro and OB. The majority of the beer produced by these two companies is made with corn or rice, instead of the traditional barley malt, which leads to the less than desirable taste.
Where a Cass belongs. On the ground.
Up until last year there were extremely restrictive laws that prohibited small brewers from distributing their beer outside of places they owned. Due to pressure from homebrewers and microbrewers, these laws are gradually becoming less and less strict.
While we’re still far from great beer status over here in Korea, these are your best options if you’re looking for a cold brew.
1. Craftworks
Arguably the most famous microbrewery in Korea, foreign owned Craftworks is the best beer on the peninsula. By far. They currently have eight beers on tap, all of which are brewed in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do. Because of the distribution laws, you can currently only drink Craftworks beers at their restaurant located near Noksapyeong Station, but I’ve heard they are working on being able to sell bottles at retail outlets. Until them I’ll be left dreaming about the day I can pick up a 6 pack of Jirisan Moon Bear IPA at Home Plus.
Craftworks sampler platter
My favorite Craftworks beer.
2. 7 Brau
7 Brau is the newest beer to hit the scene in Korea and they tout themselves as the first new Korean brewery in 70 years. This microbrewery in Gangwon-do offers three types of beer right now: an IPA, stout, and pilsner. The IPA, my favorite, isn’t as good as Craftworks but is fairly inexpensive (around 5,000 won) and is available on tap at a few places around Seoul. Hopefully Korean owned 7 Brau is indicative of the direction in which the beer scene in this country is headed.
3. OB Golden Lager
OB Golden Lager isn’t a microbrew, but it is the best choice in a pool of weak, watery mass produced beers. The reason being, Golden Lager is one of two Korean beers to be made with 100% barley malt, not rice or corn. This gives the beer a slightly darker color and a more robust taste. Sadly, OB Golden Lager is one of the harder Korean beers to find in convenience stores and you might find yourself stuck with Cass after a long day of work when your local GS25 doesn’t stock it. Not that it’s ever happened to me…
It tastes even better when you’re at the beach.
4. Homebrews
You can’t run over to the mart, or a bar in Itaewon, to get your hands on a homebrew, but you can keep your eyes peeled for special events. In May, homebrewers (of which there are thought to be about 15,000 in the country) put on a Spring Beer Fest in Haebongcheon. Beer enthusiasts could pick up a free cup and walk around the neighborhood sampling beer from a various homebrewers who were set up in beers and restaurants. Some were better than others, it was exciting to see the passion and dedication for beer. I think there is talk of holding another event this fall. I know I’ll be looking forward to it!
5. Taedonggang
If all else fails, drink Taedonggang. Or more simply, drink North Korean. North Korea may not be able to feed their people, but they can produce a beer that is far superior to anything Hite or OB puts out. The state run brewery produces beer with German made technology that has been operational since 2002. Taedonggang used to be widely available in South Korea, but after a price increase it has been harder for find. I bought mine at a gift shop near the DMZ. I only bought one bottle, but wish I’d gotten more as it’s almost shocking how much better this is than Cass or Hite.
Beer in Korea still has a long way to go before it rivals anything the United States or Europe, but it has grown leaps and bounds in the past couple of years with the emergence of breweries like Craftworks and 7 Brau. I look forward to the day when microbrews are sold in six packs and Cass is relegated to Bud Lite status.
Although, I probably still won’t be here.
What are your favorite beers in Korea? If you’ve never drank in Korea, what beers do you like from abroad?
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Hi Amanda! Thanks for the mention. Great list, and I love that you included the North Korean beer. We also got a bottle from the DMZ, and were amazed by the superior taste. I didn’t realize most of the beers in SK are corn/rice based – that explains why OB Golden Lager tastes so much better than the rest of them. Now if I could just get it on tap.
Lauren recently posted..Attempting to Prepare for South America
No problem! I’d always heard that North Korean beer was better, but I never believed it. If you’re ever back in Seoul head over to Sam Ryan’s in Itaewon. They have OB on tap for 2,500 won!
Ah this is great! Cass and Hite were okay at first….but sheesh. They are not worth the terrible, terrible, hangovers they give!
Sheryll recently posted..Attack of the Middle School Zombie Killers
Thanks! And yeah, I agree. I’ve never had as bad a hangover as I’ve had since coming to Korea.
I was perusing the internet about craft beer and saw your post. I’m one of the homebrewers that helps put on the various beer festivals in Seoul. I just wanted to pass along that our next festival will be on Saturday, 16 February at (as of now) four venues in Itaewon – Reilly’s Taphouse; Rocky Mountain Tavern; Wolfhound; and Hollywood. The Winter Beer Festival will focus on dark beer styles, i.e., Barleywine, Stout, Porter, and Black IPA (also known as Cascadian Dark Ale (CDA). We will most likely charge W10,000 per ticket this time though to help cover the costs of making the beer. A Facebook event page should be coming soon to announce the festival.
Also, we plan on having four festivals a year – seasonally themed – for Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. The Spring and Fall festivals will be at venues located in the Gyundridan/HBC areas. The Summer and Winter festivals will be at venues located in Itaewon.
I hope to see some of your blog readers at the upcoming Winter Beer Festival… and thanks for recognizing craft beer as something that makes life a good bit better.
Cheers,
Bill Miller
Thanks for the comment, Bill! I will look for the event page on Facebook and hopefully check the event out. It will be one of my last weekends and Korea, and I’d love to celebrate with some great beer.
Yeah, you’re right. Korean beer is crappy >.<
But you can find some alternatives in supermarkets nearby.
Some of them are surprisingly cost-efficient!!
True! E-Mart and Home Plus always had some great deals on imports.
The new Queen’s Ale (extra bitter and blonde) by Hite-Jinro is much better though. I guess they are heading towards the right direction.
http://foodfanatik.com/index.php/articles/reviews/35-first-look-at-hite-jinro-s-queen-s-ale
btw, do you know, by any chance where i can get that north korean beer in Seoul?
would love to try that and review.
good article, cheers
I wish I was back in Korea so I could try this new Queen’s Ale that I keep hearing so much about.
Not sure about the North Korean beer. I bought mine at the DMZ.
We actually reviewed it on our website.
check it out
http://foodfanatik.com/index.php/articles/reviews/35-first-look-at-hite-jinro-s-queen-s-ale