Korea beer

[xflibble]

I was thinking about a beer trip of Korea at some point. Some might think of this as a bit odd, but I found this -

http://www.microbrewery.or.kr/frame3-1.htm?mode=3

Any recommendations for the best microwbreweries/brewhouses in Korea?

[javiskefka]

It's not a microbrew, but there's a good lager from OB called Red Rock.

It's mostly marketing speak, but here's a page with info about OB's brands: 오비맥주브랜드[/url]

[xflibble]

<beersnob>
"Good lager"...What's Korean for 'oxymoron'?
</beersnob>

Jokes aside, anything made by the big brewers is probably not going to be the basis of a Korean tour, although I wouldn't mind visiting the breweries. I see OB have a tour, but can't find anything for Hite.

http://www.ob.co.kr/factorytour/FactoryTourMain.asp

But their red lager is a promising sign that Korean beers may be getting more interesting. Thanks for the pointer...

[javiskefka]

Haha. After I said that I thought, "Well maybe 'decent' is more accurate..."

That said though, I wonder how many of those microbreweries are foreign operations. Beer isn't quite held in the same esteem as an artisan's craft in Korea as it is in the West.

[xflibble]

Yeah, I'm wondering the same thing. I watched the Youtube video on Jeju
Brewery, and it was a European guy running the place. But still, Koreans are travelling more, and I suspect it's only a matter of time before exposure to foreign brews brings some enthusiasm home. My (Korean) brother-in-law staying with us says he can't really enjoy Korean beer any more

[javiskefka]

Well I don't think hops are even native to Korea, so it may take a while before Koreans make their mark in that field. Foreign-born workers living in Korea could drive the demand for artisan beer up though. What's President Lee's immigration policy like?

[xflibble]

My wife's Korean, so no problems for me