South Korean beer on display for sale in July 2008
Korean name
Hangul
맥주
Hanja
麥酒
Revised Romanization
maekju
McCune–Reischauer
maekchu
IPA
[mɛ̝k̚.t͈ɕu]
Beer, called maekju (Korean: 맥주; Hanja: 麥酒) in Korean, was first introduced to Korea in the early 20th century. Seoul's first brewery opened in 1908.[1] Two current major breweries date back to the 1930s. The third brewery established in Korea, Jinro Coors Brewery, was founded in the 1990s. It was later acquired by Oriental Breweries (OB). Hite Breweries's former name was Chosun Breweries, which was established in 1933. The company changed its name to Hite Breweries in 1998.[2] OB Breweries established as Showa Kirin Breweries in 1933. The company changed its name to OB Breweries in 1995.[3]
The South Korean beer market is currently dominated by two major manufacturers, Hite-Jinro and OB, with several brands being sold in the local market. Most restaurants and bars in Korea only have one of these beer brands on tap (Hite or OB's Cass), as they are largely regarded to be similar in taste and price (they are mostly brewed from rice). Imported beers are widely available in Korea, but are generally expensive - usually costing at least ₩8,000 and as much as ₩15,000 for a pint of Guinness in bars in downtown Seoul, versus approximately ₩3,000 for local brands. Recently[when?], microbreweries have sprouted up throughout the country, showing increasing signs of sophistication. Out of South Korea's mass-produced beers, only two are brewed from 100% barley malt: Max (Hite) and OB Golden Lager.
The lack of microbreweries in the South Korean market is attributed to onerous government regulations. This has constrained small-size brewers from supplying beer to locations under their ownership. These laws were eventually relaxed in June 2011, granting several small players a share in the local beer market.[4]
A growing trend in South Korea is home brewing. While ingredients and supplies are still limited, there are many households brewing their own beer. Various brewing clubs also exist to help guide newcomers through the processes of home brewing in South Korea; one such club being Homebrew Korea.[5]
^Seoul City Guide. Lonely Planet. 2009. ISBN 9781741047745.
^Naver`s Company dictionary, Naver`s Company dictionary (2016-11-28). "THE HITEJINRO CO.,LTD". terms.naver.com.
^Naver`s Company dictionary, Naver`s Company dictionary (2016-11-28). "Oriental Brewery Company". terms.naver.com.
^""House beer"...Quality Competition Fiercely Allowed". Korean Broadcasting System. August 18, 2013.
^"Homebrew Korea". Archived from the original on 2014-04-29.
and 27 Related for: Beer in South Korea information
North Korea has at least ten major breweries and many microbreweries that supply a wide range of beer products. The top brand is the light lager Taedonggang...
law inSouthKorea, it was introduced that license of making small scale beer. By releasing regulation, craft beer has increased as of 2014 inSouth Korea...
Somaek (소맥) is a beer cocktail made with soju and beer. The beer used is typically a lager-style. It is a syllabic abbreviation of two Korean words, soju (소주)...
articles and categories dealing with beer and breweries by region: the breweries and beersin various regions. Beer is the world's most widely consumed...
Ltd. (Korean: 하이트진로; Hanja: 眞露; Korean pronunciation: [tɕilo]) is a SouthKorean multinational drink, brewing and distiller company, founded in 1924....
Brewery or OB (Korean: 오비맥주; lit. OB Beer) is a SouthKorean brewery currently owned by AB InBev, and initially founded by Doosan Group. In 1933, Showa Kirin...
(치맥; from Korean chikin 'fried chicken', and maekju 'beer') is a pairing of fried chicken (either plain huraideu or spicy yangnyeom) and beer, served as...
(/ˈhaɪt/; Korean: 하이트맥주; KRX: 000080) is a SouthKorean brewery company headquartered in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Its main products are beer, rice wine...
Girl Beer (Chinese: 藍妹啤酒) is a German beer brand founded in the 19th century. It is currently brewed inSouthKorea. Blue Girl Beer was first brewed in Bremen...
which it had sold in July 2009. OB is the largest brewer inSouthKorea. Its CASS brand is the best-selling beerinSouthKorea. All beers produced by OB...
traditional Korean spirit. Some North Korean dishes and foods are also prepared inSouthKorea, and many dishes that originated in North Korea were brought...
Africa BeerinSouthKoreaBeerin Sweden Beerin Syria Beerin Taiwan Beerin Thailand Beerin the Caribbean Beerin the Czech Republic Beerin the Netherlands...
Korean drama (Korean: 한국 드라마; RR: Han-guk deurama), also known as Koreanovela or K-drama, refers to Korean-language television shows made inSouth Korea...
Korean fried chicken, usually called chikin (치킨, from the English "chicken") inKorea, refers to a variety of fried chicken dishes created inSouth Korea...
Taedonggang (Korean: 대동강맥주) is a brand of North Koreanbeer brewed by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company based in Pyongyang. There are four brands...
kiloliters), SouthKorea (2 million kiloliters) and India (1.9 million kiloliters). Ancient Middle East is believed to be the cradle of beer, as it linked...
Examples are somaek (soju and maekju, the Korean word for beer), foreign liquors and beer, and soju, beer and coke (kojingamlae). Poktanju makes people...
Root beer is a sweet North American soft drink traditionally made using the root bark of the sassafras tree Sassafras albidum or the vine of Smilax ornata...
contemporary culture of SouthKorea developed from the traditional culture of Korea which was prevalent in the early Korean nomadic tribes. By maintaining...
Hanseong and Keijō, is the capital of the Republic of Korea (ROK), commonly known as SouthKorea, and the country's most extensive urban center. The broader...
Beer (Czech: pivo) has a long history in what is now the Czech Republic, with brewing taking place in Břevnov Monastery in 993. The city of Brno had the...
on the Korean Peninsula so that forces are agile, adaptable and ready. With 28,500 U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines inSouthKorea, U.S. forces...