Beer in Korea

Beer in Korea
Beer in Korea
Korean name
Hangul 맥주
Hanja
Revised Romanization maekju
McCune–Reischauer maekchu

Beer was introduced to Korea by Europeans in early-20th century. Both of current major breweries date from 1920s. The third participant, Jinro Coors Brewery, was founded in 1990's, but was acquired by OB later.

The Korean beer market is dominated by two major companies, Hite-Jinro, and OB, and those two provide several brands in local market. Most restaurants and bars will only have one on tap, as they are largely regarded as similar in taste and price (they are mostly brewed from rice). Foreign beers are available but are generally expensive - generally at least 8,000 and as much as ₩15,000 for a pint of Guinness in bars in downtown Seoul, while local brands usually cost around ₩3,000. Recently, microbreweries have begun to appear, and this area of the market is showing increasing signs of sophistication. Of all Korea's mass produced beers, only two marques are brewed from 100% barley malt: Max (Hite) and OB Golden Lager.

A growing trend in S. Korea to overcome the local shortfall of various beer styles is home brewing. While ingredients and supplies are still relatively limited, there are many who brew their own beer. Various brewing clubs exist to help guide newcomers through the baby steps of brewing in Korea, one such club being Homebrew Korea. The online community is a meeting place for all type of brewers to gather, share experiences and information related to beer and brewing in Korea.

Domestic brands

  • Hite-Jinro : Hite, Max, Dry Finish d, S, Stout
  • Oriental Brewery (OB) : Cass brands (Cass, Cass Light, Cass Red, Cass Lemon, Cass 2X), OB Golden Lager, Cafri
  • A few foreign brands are also produced under license: Budweiser and Hoegaarden (OB)

Former products

  • OB, OB Lager, OB Blue : Predecessors of OB Golden Lager
  • OB Super Dry
  • Crown, Crown Super Dry : Hite(formerly Chosun Brewery)'s main product until early 1990's
  • Hite Prime : Succeeded by Max
  • Hite Exfeel : Succeeded by S

See also



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Beer in Africa — Beer in Africa, especially lager, is produced commercially in most African countries, and varieties of beer are also made by indigenous tribes. Beer is served in a range of locales, from neighbourhood shebeens to upscale bars. Many countries have …   Wikipedia

  • Beer in New Zealand — Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink in New Zealand, accounting for 63% of available alcohol for sale.[1] New Zealand is ranked 19th in beer consumption per capita, at around 75.5 litres per person per annum. The vast majority of beer… …   Wikipedia

  • Beer in India — has been an import since the early 18th century and brewed natively since the late 1820s. Contents 1 History 2 Industry 3 Consolidation 4 References …   Wikipedia

  • Beer in the Philippines — is managed by two breweries: San Miguel Corporation, which produces San Miguel Pale Pilsen, the most popular beer in the country and Asia Brewery, the second largest brewery in the country. Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Beer in Romania — comes from the long tradition of Romanian brewing, being introduced in Transylvania by the German colonists (Transylvanian Saxons) and in Moldavia by cultural connections with Poland. A national association of beer with mititei came into… …   Wikipedia

  • Beer in Hungary — has been brewed for well over a thousand years, but in the modern age, most beer is mass produced. Beer has been made there for around a thousand years and the country has a significant history of commercial beer production.[citation needed]… …   Wikipedia

  • Beer in South Africa — has a long history, with a corporate history dating back to the early 20th century. Contents 1 History 2 Modern day 3 Homebrewing Culture 4 See also …   Wikipedia

  • Beer in Portugal — has a long history, going as far back as the time of the ancient Roman province of Lusitania, where beer was commonly made and drunk. Portugal is among the 11 largest beer producers in Europe, and is the 7th largest European exporter of the… …   Wikipedia

  • Beer in Slovenia — is dominated by the pale lager market. Most commonly known brands of Slovenian beer are Laško and Union, although smaller breweries exist. History There was several minor breweries in Slovenia before 19th century. First larger brewery Pivovarna… …   Wikipedia

  • Beer in Azerbaijan — is typified by lighter lagers and the most popular and common beer in the country is Xirdalan, which is brewed by Baki Castel (BGI) brewery in Baku. Beer drinking is relatively uncommon in Azerbaijan, however, as most people prefer spirits,… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”