Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dev]

Love it or hate it, why does Korean beer taste the way it does? Very light tasting and highly carbonated.

Is it because...

Korean beer companies use cheap ingrediants to turn a high profit?

they learned how to make beer from the American beer companies?

of Korean tastes?

other?

[Yaya]

I have no clear answer to your question, but part of the reason is that beer in Korea is the domain of domestic companies, who have long enjoyed a good market share without big competition. That could change as more companies pressure Korea to open up the market further.

I avoid Korean beer for the most part. Last night, I bought from Grand Mart four bottles each of Beck's, Krombacher and Hoegaarden for about 28,000 won. I'll also say that Korean beer is weak.

[Hollywoodaction]

There's probably some truth in all of them.

I might add that many Koreans drink like 16 year-olds (drink fast and puke by 9 o'clock). They are very much social drinkers, too. They wouldn't be able to play all those drinking games, and convince women to participate, if Korean beers were more like Belgian abbey beers or British stouts.

[Moldy Rutabaga]

My theory is that because the Japanese had a strong British presence, their beer has a more bitter and ale-ish taste to me, whereas the Koreans had (have) an American presence, and so the beer is equivalently lager and weak-ish. Not sure I could tell Cass from Miller; I certainly can't tell Cafri from Corona with a lemon in it-- even the bottles are an imitation!

Ken:>

[RACETRAITOR]

[Pyongshin Sangja]

[rothkowitz]

I thought it was a German that found or introduced the right yeast in Japan for beer-making...How is there a British connection there?

Frankly,I think in this day and age,there's no excuse for Koreans making such crap beer.

Restaurants have improved..but,the beer on offer is still Bud,Cafri and Hite-Exfeel.I just up and leave,wood-fired pizza or no.Yes,thats you Delhi and PIU in Sunae.

[Dev]

The story I heard about the Japanese is that they actually went to Europe to study beer-making. That would not surprise me bacause the Japanese seem to always be "in the know" knowing who makes the best stuff. Then they do a perfect immitation of it or tailor it to Japanese tastes.

I find the German occupation story hard to believe. As if the Germans would help them make beer while taking over the country?

Anyway, the bad Korean beer seems to be more due to government regulations and or the market being fiercely dominated by a few players. Go to a Korean brewpub and you'll see that they're good at making fine beer. Too bad we can't buy it in stores.

[RACETRAITOR]

[ajgeddes]

[Hollywoodaction]

[rothkowitz]

Yep,they can make good microbrewery beer...I've seen the guy stirring the wort at the one at Yatab,they seem to have a decent enough idea as to what to do.

They could probably make all manner of cheeses too,if they had a mind to.

For a country of 50 million there's plenty of space to move without really stepping on anyones toes.Even the big players could have some alternative beers.The ginseng one by,I think OB, a while back wasn't too bad.

I dunno....maybe there needs to be some kind of government drive ?????to promote diversity in these areas,and in doing so promote a kind of internationalism.The number of wine shops opening these days is pretty surprising....

Crikey,you open the beer fridge door at a Japanese 7-11 and yr overwhelme for choice.

[rothkowitz]

Jerries had to make Fanta(short for fantastiche sp?) cos the yanks wouldn't sell them Coke anymore.Partpoopers.

[jaganath69]

[Yesanman]