When Ahn Nam Lak decided it was time to return to his hometown of Yeongdong, Chungcheongbuk-do, pretty much smack dab in the center of the country, he looked around and decided he would make wine. It was 2000. Table grapes were already being grown in the region, why not try making wine?

Ahn is the owner and winemaker of Chateau MiSo Wine, so named because it aspires to accompany life’s happiest moments. (Miso is the Romanization of the Korean word for smile.) He planted both table grape vines and traditional vitis vinifera wine grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. The wine grapes died; the climate was too humid, the soils too fertile. The table grapes, however, thrived, and he continued testing out different methods to coax the grapes into wine, learning from each harvest, each winemaking attempt.

Five years later, Yeongdong County was designated Korea’s Special District for Grapes and Wine, with many trying their hand at turning the eating grapes into a more profitable beverage with an oversupply of grapes. Three years after that, winemaking courses started being offered at the local university and Ahn added some formal education to his accumulating knowledge of viticulture and winemaking. Finally, in 2009, Ahn was ready to start selling his wines, all made from grapes grown in Korea. Today, he has an annual production of 30,000 bottles, with 40 percent of the wines made from grapes grown in his own vineyards.

“There are people who don’t know we make wine here in Korea,” says Ahn. I only stumbled upon this fact after coming across his booth at last year’s Daejeon International Wine Fair, where in addition to the wines we are all more familiar with, I tasted wines from regions not traditionally known for wine, such as India, Japan and of course, Korea.

Today, there are about 40 wineries making wine from grapes in Yeongdong, and another 20 further south in Gyeongsangbuk-do in Yeongcheon. Wine Korea, a destination winery with a variety of facilities — wine footbaths, two restaurants, underground wine display, wine shop — and the producer of the wine Chateau Mani, named after a mountain in the area, is the largest by far, while the rest are small and reflect the small, fledgling industry.

Campbell Early, the sweet, blue-black grapes you’ll find in grocery stores, is the most widely used grape to make red wine — both sweet and dry — and increasingly, rosés, at most wineries.

To make Chateau MiSo Premium Dry Red (KRW 40,000, 750ml), Ahn freezes the grape juice after crushing the grapes, them removes the ice to concentrate the flavors before fermenting. It’s an unusual method when compared to Western winemaking techniques, but one that works. The wine is a ruby color with sweet boysenberry aromas. It is dry and rounded with red berry flavors and a refreshing acidity. I couldn’t help but think this is the wine that would pair well with Korean food, a cuisine that is generally very difficult to pair with wine.

Ahn uses the same freezing technique to make a dessert wine, a sweet ice wine (KRW 40,000, 375ml), also made from the same grape, which won the Asian Wine Trophy Gold at last year’s Daejeon International Wine Fair.

His white wine, made from Muscat Bailey A, a grape used to make wine in Japan as well, is the most reminiscent of wines we already know, with the characteristic grape flavors and aromas showing through. This is a medium sweet wine and would also pair well with Korean food.

But it’s his sweet rosé (KRW 35,000, 750ml) made with 100 percent Campbell Early that I think will appeal most to both Korean and non-Korean palates. It is a bright cranberry-colored wine with aromas of candy and bramble and, while sweet on the palate, is also accompanied by tannins. Ahn says he was the first in the area to make a rosé. He is constantly learning and applying that new knowledge to his wines.

Downstairs in his cellar, among the French and American oak barrels used to mature his red wines, is a barrel he had custom made from local Korean oak. He’s also trying out local bamboo. I spot the familiar wooden board where bottles of sparkling wine are eventually held upside down, after a secondary fermentation, when made by the traditional method, better known as the Champagne method. Though the bottles hadn’t fully completed their process from grape to sparkling wine, he opens up a bottle for me to taste. Made from Campbell Early as well, it is a dark strawberry colour, with fine and persistent bubbles.

I can’t help but smile as per the mission of the winery. It’s nice to see a local wine grower and producer put so much effort into his craft — and then be able to take pleasure in the results.

Upcoming events where you can taste and experience Korean wine

Yeongdong Grape Festival

Aug. 23 to 26, 2018

122, Yeongdonghwanggan-ro, Yeongdong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do

T. 82-43-745-8918

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_2_1.jsp?cid=1089406

Train to Yeongdong Station or bus to Yeondong Station from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal. Taxi from either station to the festival grounds.

What to expect: Grape picking, grape stomping, wine foot baths, grape bingsu (shaved ice dessert) making and experiential activities for children. Wines and other local products on sale.

Daejeon International Wine Fair

Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, 2018

87, Expo-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon

T. 82-42-250-1353, 1349

www.djwinefair.com

What to expect: A great opportunity to try wines from non-traditional wine making countries, as well wines from traditional wine regions.

Yeongdong Wine Festival

Oct. 11 to 14, 2018

Buyong-ri, Yeongdeung-eup, Yeongdong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do

T. 82-43-745-8917

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_2_1.jsp?cid=1397093

More Info

Chateau MiSo

143, Yujeonjangcheok-gil, Maegok-myeon, Yeondong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do

T. 82-43-743-2109, Ahn7554@hanmail.net

Wines are sold through Shinsagae as well as online through Kakao and Naver. Winery visits are welcome. For those who do not speak Korean, the best way to visit is through the Wine Train, which includes visits to a handful of wineries including Chateau MiSo and Wine Korea. Call the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline. Winery visits are also welcome.

Written and photographed by Gloria J. Chang

You know of soju as the clear liquid magic (or headache) in little green bottles that accompany the sizzling grilled meat at Korean barbecue restaurants. Or maybe one of your favorite drinks is somaek, the blend of soju from same said bottle and mild Korean beer (maekju)? Friends, I have news for you: If the only soju you’ve had is from a cheap green bottle, you have not tasted the real stuff.

Soju is one of three types of traditional Korean alcohol or jeontongju: takju, yakju and soju. Ju, as you’ve probably figured out, means alcoholic drink. All three types start with the same process. Rice is fermented with a wheat cake called nuruk, a fermentation starter that includes yeasts and molds that give jeontongju their characteristic taste.

Once fermented, the cloudy liquid that settles to the bottom is called takju. You’ll know it as makgeolli, also available inexpensively, but in larger plastic bottles, that range in alcohol from 6 to 16% ABV. The transparent golden-colored liquid that rises to the top is called yakju, the premium drink reserved for royalty and the noble class in Korean history. You may know of it as cheongju, a name that many producers use today for marketing purposes, dissociating the drink from a name that sounds medicinal (yak also means medicine). Distill the yakju and you get soju: a clear, water-white alcohol that ranges from 20 percent to 50 percent ABV.

What makes the green bottle soju not the real stuff? Because it’s made with the cheapest grains and fermented with a Japanese fermentation starter called koji, which results in a much simpler tasting alcohol. It is also volume distilled, diluted and then flavored with a variety of additives. History conspired to make this so. Though soju has been around since the 13^th century, the Japanese Occupation outlawed the making of alcohol at home, which led to the commercial production of soju and other jeongtongju. In the 1960s following the Korean War when rice was scarce, a law banned the use of rice in the making of alcohol, which led distilleries to turn to sweet potatoes and tapioca for the alcoholic base. Though the ban on using rice to make alcohol was lifted in the late 1990s, today’s ubiquitous green-bottled soju is a highly distilled 95 percent ethanol that is diluted with water to between 17 and 25 percent ABV, and then flavored with sweeteners.

Attempts to revive traditional soju came about in the 1990s as well, but now is the time to revel in artisanally-made jeontongju, including soju. A small but growing number of quality-conscious producers are making them as they were meant to be: fermented, filtered and distilled.

So what does a properly made soju taste like? It can be smooth, rounded and aromatic. Or linear and more closed in personality and aromas. Rough or sweet, sour, fruity, spicy or nutty — good soju has a complexity of aromas and flavors.

Mr. Ahn’s Craft Makgeolli, a Korean restaurant and bar that serves a good selection of all three traditional jeontongju made without any additives in Gyeongnidan — as well as a very sophisticated take on traditional Korean cuisine — is one of two places I recommend to sip and revel in Korean traditional drinks. White Bear Makgeolli in Gangnam is the other.

At Mr. Ahn’s, the soju menu is presented graphically along two scales. The horizontal X axis runs from plain or pure, to expressive or splendorous, while the vertical Y axis runs from smooth to rough.

Here are three sojus to try — all in the smoother style. Order the Tong Samgyeobsal (통삼겹살), pork belly made sous vide and seasoned with doengjang to go with. You’ll wonder why you haven’t tried Korean soju, as it was meant to be made and drunk.

풍정사계 둥 Pungjeongsaegye Dung

중정복도 정주 Jungjeongbukdo, Jeonju

화양 이한상

375 ml, 25% ABV

This is the smoothest and plainest of the sojus served at Mr. Ahn’s. Clear and water white, it is smooth, slightly sweet, sour and yeasty.

이강주 Igangju

전라북도 전주 Jeollabukdo, Jeonju

전주 이강형

400 ml, 25% ABV

Moving along the Y axis to the more expressive side, but still very much on the smooth side, this is the happy middle of the smoother sojus at Mr. Ahn’s and of my three recommendations. Clear and water white, the nose is more closed. On the palate are pears, cinnamon, ginger and nuts.

추성주 Chuseongju

전라남도 담양 Jeollanamdo, Damyang

주성고을 양대수

400 ml, 25% ABV

On the most expressive and exuberant side, and slightly less smooth than the other two, this rounded and robust soju is clear and water white. Think roasty, chocolatey, spicy and perhaps even a hint of herbal medicine.

More Info

Where to sip Korean traditional alcoholic drinks:

Mr. Ahn’s Craft Makgeolli

Yongsan-gu, Itaewon-dong 257-4
T. 010-9965-5112

White Bear Makgeolli

Gangnam-gu, Sinsa-dong 657-7
T. 02-540-7644

Written by Gloria J. Chang
Photographed by Robert Koehler

Even as you descend the outdoor stairs, you feel like you are being transported to another, more beautiful world. Bamboo lines the top of the walls of the courtyard, and floor to ceiling windows lead you into a sleek, sophisticated space where plush blue seats surround one of the most gorgeous bars I’ve had the pleasure of sitting at.

“We want you to forget where you are. We want you to think, maybe I’m in Seoul, maybe I’m in Paris,” says general manager and beverage director Bob Louison. Booth seats on the second floor continue the old-fashioned, first class train car design, which was created with the drinks menu in mind. “We hope this bar makes you feel like you’re traveling, you’re having a good time, and discovering new flavors as you travel,” explains Louison.

The Pussyfoot Saloon — so named to keep in line with the train travel theme; pussyfoot is another name for a railroad cop — is the newest addition to Seoul’s cocktail scene and is vying to put the city on the world map for classic and signature cocktails with its knowledgeable service in a decidedly sophisticated and classy style.

“I think we’re ahead of the curve in terms of service and hospitality and the drinks we are trying to achieve,” says Wendell Louie, proprietor. This writer couldn’t help but agree.

The two men of experience and expertise came together to come up with the concept and execution. Korean-American Louie was looking for another project after the success of Mix & Malt, an American style bar and restaurant that also boasts a nice selection of cocktails, while Parisien Seoul-based Louison is a veteran bartender and bar consultant, and the brains behind Seoul’s Sool Bar Week that brought together local and international drinks experts for masterclasses and events at a variety of bars in Seoul last fall.

Cocktails are generally considered an American invention from the late 1700s, though there is evidence it may be the English who invented both the drink and its name. Either way, one can say they disappeared from drinks menus only to return in the late 1990s in New York, their renewed interest spreading to Europe. Asia later followed suit, but it wasn’t until the last five years that they really got started in Seoul with American-style bars popping up. The World’s 50 Best Bars list started nine years ago, with Asia’s Top 50 Best Bars now in its third year of existence. Korea had four bars on the latter list for 2018, announced this spring. And Louie hopes to make both lists with the Pussyfoot Saloon.

While plans are to continually expand the drinks list, eventually also adding a food menu, the pair wanted to open with a list of classic cocktails blended with their own signature cocktails.

“We want to educate our consumers,” says Louison. “We want to show them, this is how an Old Fashioned should taste, this is how a Manhattan should taste.”

In line with that, the cocktail menu doesn’t just list cocktails, but also their story or background, and are categorized by type such as Martinis, Sours, and Fizzes.

Here are three cocktails to get you started at the Pussyfoot Saloon. I could not recommend this bar and their perfectly-made cocktails more.

Negroni

1. Start your cocktail ride with one of their signature sour cocktails, the Modern Tea Punch. Made with house simple syrup, fresh lime juice, VSOP cognac, and green tea leaves shaken and served in an old-fashioned glass, it is refreshing with a subtle, well-balanced tartness.
2. My go-to cocktail is the Italian Negroni: one part each gin, vermouth, and Campari garnished with orange peel. The peel was so fresh, so fragrant, I thought I might have gone to Negroni heaven. Louison imagines an expanded cocktail list where he might have more than 10 variants of this classic. If he does, I might have to reserve a permanent spot at the bar.
3. Legend has it that the Ramos Gin Fizz (renamed after its creator Henry C. Ramos in New Orleans back in 1888) required 12 bartenders to take a turn shaking the cocktail for a minute each before it got passed on to the next to preserve their stamina for the next order. Shaking time has gone down to 6 minutes now, but the Pussyfoot Saloon has invested in a sharking machine to ensure no arms get too tired in the making of this time and labor-intensive concoction. Made with a base of gin, heavy cream, egg white, and fresh lemon juice, it is both lightly refreshing and silky, creamy and elegantly sweet.

More Info.

Pussyfoot Saloon

657-189 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu

Currently open daily 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. (Though they are planning to close one day a week. Call ahead to confirm.)

T. 02 792 5945

Written by Gloria J. Chang

Photographed by Anuj Madan

Despite tough times, the city’s top wine bars keep the vino flowing

It can be a very sad state of affairs for a wine lover in Seoul. Prices are outrageously high. Particularly if you come from a province (British Columbia) in another country (Canada) where something, somewhere in the process of taxes and markups in provincial government controlled liquor sales results in the highest wine prices in the country, only to arrive in Seoul to find that wine prices are generally about double what they were at home.

How expensive is wine in Seoul? Last year, The Drinks Business, a United Kingdom-based international industry magazine covering spirits, beer and wine, put together a list of the most expensive cities in the world to buy a 750 ml bottle of table wine. Guess who topped the list? Yes, Seoul. Seoul is the most expensive city in the world to buy a bottle of wine.

Why this is the case varies depending on who you ask. Taxes (education, alcohol, VAT), its perception as a luxury drink and low sales that require longer storage time and thus resources are three reasons that come up repeatedly. It’s a bit of a Which came first? The chicken or the egg? scenario. Higher prices mean fewer consumers are willing to spend money on wine. But fewer consumers mean those selling wine need to have higher markups to justify the storage of their selections. Blend in the fact that chaebols have taken over a large part of the importing and distribution channels of wine sales in Seoul and you have a wine market that is marked by two extremes available to the wine lover: cheap, entry level wines if bought at your local Emart and Costco, or the most expensive, most well-known wines (usually French). The mid-range band of quality wines, which is normally where you would find the best selection and reasonable prices for good wine, is missing. When available, they are overpriced and difficult to find.

Big sad sigh on the state of wine culture in Seoul, herewith is our roundup of where to drink good wine – the number of places is incredibly small for a city the size of Seoul – and a few tips on where to buy your wine.

Where to Sip

Casa del Vino 까사 델 비노 Cheonam-dong, Apgujeong Rodeo Station

Don’t let the posh surroundings fool you in this recently relocated smaller venue. No dress code required, just a love and appreciation for good wine. The longest-running wine bar in the city, this very stylishly designed bar has the largest selection of wines by the bottle and by the glass. Quality starts mid-level and goes up, so prices reflect this. The wine bar also has a food menu comparable to the others listed here in terms of price. Wines are served in proper wine glasses and by properly educated staff, all with at least WSET 3 (Wine and Spirits Education Trust Level 3 Advanced) wine education.

Magnum the Bottle Shop and Tasting Room 매그넘 더 바틀샵  Sinsa-dong, Apgujeong Station

You’ll fall in love with this wine bar and wine shop. Thirty-six wines on self-serve wine taps for glasses of 30 ml, 50 ml, 150 ml pours so that you can taste before you commit to a full glass or a bottle. Wines on tap range in quality and thus price – from as little as KRW 2,000 to KRW 30,000. We highly suggest tasting during Happy Hour, which is from opening at 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., when prices are reduced by about 40 percent. The bottle shop doesn’t have the largest selection of wine – you might be more impressed by the spirits selection, – but we absolutely loved the Tasting Room, where in addition to wines by the tasting or full glass, there are delicious cheese and charcuterie plates served from 6 p.m. onwards. Alas, the sad state of wine in this city has led owner James Mollini to make a business decision to turn this Tasting Room into a cocktail bar soon-ish as he looks for another location to move the Tasting Room. So take advantage of this beautiful space and the wines on tap while you can.

Hearth Restaurant 할스 Yeoksam-dong, Yeoksam Station

Not a wine bar per se, but an eclectic restaurant owned and run by Korean-Canadian Huck Lee who has such a passion for wine that he offers a nice selection by the bottle and several entry-level wines by the glass. Food is delicious and reasonably priced with a variety of pastas and other foods that are hard to place under one genre – call it Canadian! With an imported oven from Germany, bread is also baked in-house, and the ciabiatta alone is worth stopping by for. Matching the welcoming and relaxed ambience, Huck is also a warm and friendly host.

Sideway Wine Bistro 사이드웨이 와인 비스트로 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam Station

Dimly lit but with music blasting – like the kind blasted at clothing stores – this wine bistro has a selection of wines by the bottle and a delicious food menu. Only one red and one white by the glass at above entry-level quality, so the price per glass (KRW 14,500) reflects the higher quality of wine. Wines by the bottle range from entry to mid-level and, of course, a few higher-end wines. If you don’t mind the loud music, or if you want to feel like you’re young and hip, worth a visit for the food and wine.

Fox Wine Bistro 포도먹는여우 Seogyo-dong, Sangsu Station

This is probably the coziest wine bar of all and the only one located north of the Han River among our recommendations. On the second floor with a view of the streets in Hongdae, it offers only an entry level white and red by the glass, but a very nice selection of wines by the bottle and a food menu. Owner Suyeon Lee has also recently started a kimchi tasting menu, with a kimchi jjim paired with wine. We know kimchi and wine is a most difficult pairing from personal experience, but Lee says the kimchi jjim and wine pairing is beautiful. We look forward to stopping by again to try it.

Where to Buy

Wine prices for the consumer can be very inconsistent as prices are negotiated by volume through each step from importer to wholesaler to retail and restaurants, rather than set by any government body. This means when buying wine, you’ll get the best prices at the larger department stores that can buy in volume. Emart and Costco will provide the cheapest wines at the cheapest prices, but we liked Shinsaegae in Myeongdong for its French wine selection. Outside the actual shop are wines on sale, which are also inconsistently priced. We’ve found a classed Bordeaux on sale for less than a mid-level Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, for example, at the Hyundai Department store in Sinchon. Smaller shops and restaurants that buy in smaller volumes can find that their wholesale price at which they buy their wines can sometimes be higher than what’s on offer at larger retail stores.

Cave Wine (꺄브와인 & etc) Yeoksam Station

A beautiful, smaller wine shop with a nice selection of mid- to high quality wines (and corresponding prices) on the first floor, and a wine bar with a food menu on the second floor.

Written by Gloria J. Chang
Photographed by Robert Koehler

Before Andrew Park became a beer brewer and doer-of-a-bit-of-everything the first Saturday night open at their second brewery restaurant in Seoul in mid-November, he was a hedge fund manager in New York.

“It was way too stressful of a life,” says Park, Executive Vice President of Artmonster, an impressive new brewery you’ll want to keep an eye on. “I wanted to do something that was more tangible, and I wanted to work for myself.”

A visit back home to Korea, a chat with his dad and now partner Edward, and a startup investment of USD 10 million led to a craft brewery in Gunpo, an hour south of Seoul, and ambitious plans for a chain of brewery restaurants that began with beer school in Chicago where he met fellow brewer Jason Matthew Kusowski, who would join the brewery to become the Director of Brewing Operations. Five years later they’ve just opened up their second beer restaurant/bar in Ikseon-dong (Jongno-gu) in a 100-year-old building that was packed with beer enthusiasts when this writer visited for beer and chicken.

Production of beer started this September after training in Chicago and Munich, with experimentation and testing in Ohio that even led to a pilot brewery built just for that purpose.

“We did hundreds of tests. We tested grains, beer yeast, hop varieties, and pretty much every style of beer,” says Kusowski. There were also hundreds of spontaneous fermentations, from which the team isolated strains of wild yeast and bacteria.

“I think Andrew and I have been working on this and living together so long, we might be technically married” according to common law, jokes Kusowski.

It’s an exciting time for craft beer in Seoul. Scratch that. The whole country. Various changes in brewery licensing laws starting in 2002 have allowed a craft beer market to first get its start in South Korea and now continue to expand and evolve with choices continuing to grow for new and old beer lovers alike.

“Korea is making incredible beer right now,” says Phillip Rankmore, head brewer at Budnamu Brewery in Gangneung, a few hours east of Seoul. “It’s come a long way, but it’s got a long way to go.” And if we were to compare it to a human life span? Firmly in its twenties, says Rankmore. Consistency is one of the life lessons to be learned in this still very young market.

Like Artmonster, Budnamu plans on adding sour beers, the next phase in the evolution of Korea’s craft beer scene, to their bevy of beers. Budnamu is currently setting up equipment for a second brewery in Gangneung that will allow them to quadruple their production, with brewing starting at the new facility just in time for the upcoming Winter Olympic Games. This leaves their original brewery to be dedicated to sour beers. Artmonster has a second brewery attached to their first restaurant that will also start production in sours as well.

While new breweries spring up, and not-so-old breweries ramp up production and continue to experiment with new styles, you’ll also want to check another new addition to the craft beer scene with Tap Public in Itaewon. This beer restaurant/bar offers more than 60 brews, including craft, from around the world on tap, self-serve, in a beautiful space, both indoor and out.

Dare we say that the growing craft beer scene is one of the reasons why it’s a good time to be living in or visiting Seoul right now? It’s history in the making, and we get to revel in it, imbibe it, washing down the bitter with the sweet and soon-to-be sours.

More Info.

Where to swill your beer

Artmonster 아트몬스터 Jongno 3 (sam) ga Station

Nine brews on tap at the moment ranging from a traditional German lager to an Imperial Stout with plans for many more – 30 different styles a year. My favourite was the God Jongro German Coffee Kolsch Ale. Enough flavor to make it interesting but not overwhelming, and still refreshing. Also, check out their peach flavored sparkling water if there’s still some around.

The Hand and Malt Taproom 핸드앤몰트 Gyeongbokgung Station

The Hand and Malt Brewing Co.’s brewery is 30 minutes east of Seoul in Namyangju, but the place for beer and food in Seoul is near Gyeongbokgung Station. An established leader in quality Korean craft beer that grows their own hops. Excellent beers all around.

Tap Public 탭 퍼블릭 Itaewon Station

More than 60 beers from around the world on tap, all self-serve and metered by a wristband you are given when you arrive. Priced per 100 ml so you can taste before you commit to a full pint. Beautiful space, both indoors and out.

Maloney’s Pub and Grill 멀로니스펍앤그릴 Noksapyeong Station

One of the first bars to pour craft beer (imported) in the hood known for the start of the craft beer on Gyeongnidan Street. Now pours six craft beers brewed for the pub from recipes by the affectionately known “beerfather” Bill Miller. “Strong, flavourful, and unapologetic” is how Miller describes it. Hops make a strong appearance. Comfy and dive-y, the kind of place where you can just relax and chat with owner and beer lover Brendan Maloney.

Woori Super 우리 슈퍼 Noksapyeong Station

In the original pocket of craft beer land – you’ll find Korean craft beer legends Magpie and The Booth a hop or a skip away – this is not a brewery or even a bar, but a beer shop with a selection of more than 200 craft beers from around the world, with a strong focus on North American and including Korean. Head through the back door, and there’s a small area that’s open to the outside in the summer and protected with plastic and warmed with heat lamps in winter. Cozy, actually.

Written by Gloria J. Chang

Photos courtesy of Artmonster

Discover Seoul’s craft beer, one neighborhood at a time

At the end of a long day’s work, skip the soju and toast another job well done with the help of Korea’s growing craft beer scene. Offering beers brewed with quality and care, Korea’s up-and-coming microbreweries work as hard to make the beers as you do to deserve them. Much of Seoul’s craft beer is gathered in three popular neighborhoods, of which the below are your best options.

Gyeongnidan 경리단

Places to visit: The Bottle Shop, Maloney’s Pub & Grill

Gyeongnidan is a tiny neighborhood between the international giant of Itaewon and the hip expat residential area of HBC. Just a 10-minute walk from Noksapyeong Station, Exit 2, the main attraction of Gyeongnidan is a small alley just behind The Baker’s Table. It’s here that both Magpie and The Booth’s original locations first banded together all of Korea’s beer geeks from far and wide.

Gyeongnidan is also home to The Bottle Shop, where the biggest beer geeks in the country hang out to enjoy imported craft beers and share homebrew, BBQ and potluck. Whenever there’s a gathering, The Bottle Shop always has the most friendly collection of rag-tag beer nuts in the country.

Just across from Gyeongnidan’s craft beer alley, a little further up the hill, lies a true craft beer institution. Maloney’s Pub & Grill is a Boston-Irish pub that offer two of Korea’s best beers: Maloney Brewing Company’s Combat Zone IPA and Southie Irish Red Ale.

Hongdae 홍대

Places to visit: Magpie, Craftbros, Neighborhood

Shorthand for Hongik University, a top fine arts school, Hongdae attracts the young and fashionable of Seoul. It’s famous for its night clubs, restaurants, cafés and music.

A short walk from Exit 9 of Hongik University Station leads to Hongdae Children’s Park and the local Magpie and Craftbros branches. Weary workers might consider Magpie’s new Featherweight Session IPA. It packs a hoppy punch but, at only 4% alcohol by volume (ABV), won’t leave you seeing stars.

Right next door to Magpie is the newest location of Craftbros, a bottle shop and taphouse hybrid.

As Hongdae gentrifies, a lot of the good stuff gets pushed to the borders. About twenty minutes from the park, near Sinchon Station, is Neighborhood. Neighborhood is the only pub in Seoul that exclusively serves Galmegi, another top Korean microbrewery, but one based out of Busan.

Garosu-gil 가로수길

Places to visit: Hop Mori, Mikkeller Seoul, Pong Dang

Garosu-gil is a tiny strip of cafés, clothing stores and restaurants near Sinsa Station, Exit 8. On the west side of the strip there’s the Hop Mori brewpub and Pong Dang taphouse; and on the East side there’s Mikkeller Seoul.

Hop Mori is run by certified beer cicerone Troy Zitzelsberger, a cornerstone homebrewer in Seoul. Hop Mori has just begun serving its in-house beer along with gourmet pub grub.

Pong Dang always has something new, unique and very exciting to try. Whether it’s their own brews or tap takeovers, rare imports, sours or Korea’s best microbrews, Pong Dang never fails to impress.

Mikkeller’s Seoul location has dozens of taps offering very sophisticated beer at sophisticated prices. A champagne flute of a fruity sour or biscotti flavored imperial stout might set you back KRW 12,000 or more, but nowhere else in the city offers this kind of class.

More info

Special Event: Great Korean Beer Festival

Sunday, Sept. 30-Monday, Oct. 3, 1 p.m.-10 p.m.

For the ultimate craft beer experience, visit this season’s Great Korean Beer Festival at the beginning of this month. South Korea’s original craft beer fest will be held, for the first time, at Hyundai IPARKMALL Square near Yongsan station. Enjoy great food and, of course, Korea’s best craft beer including Galmegi, The Booth, Magpie, and Hand and Malt.

facebook.com/greatkoreanbeerfestival

Written by Rob Shelley

Photographed by Robert Evans

When you pair rice beer with gastronomy, good things happen

In recent years, Korea’s mildest native alcohol, makgeolli, has enjoyed an upswing in popularity thanks to its sweet taste and low alcohol content. And like a fine wine, the makgeolli hype seems to only be getting better with age. Now, the city’s newest makgeolli pubs are pushing the drink to a new level by pairing it with food that’s indulgent and creative, yet affordable. Here, we present a few frontrunners of the nouveau-gourmet makgeolli trend.

Korean Pub Mr. Ahn’s Makgeolli (한국술집 안씨 막걸리)  

Kyungridan-gil 경리단길        

You’ll find this treasure in a residential alley so exceedingly dark and quiet that you may be tempted to give it up for lost before you arrive. And if you do, that might be better – because Mr. Ahn’s is the kind of place that’s so good, those in the know want to keep it all for themselves.

In an old-timey home decorated with big wooden furniture, Mr. Ahn’s pairs gourmet caricatures of Korean pub food with craft versions of traditional alcohol. The focus is, of course, on makgeolli – try “Moon Shining on a Thousand Rivers”, which is brewed with sweet pumpkin – but the stronger distilled spirits, like the pine-flavored songhwa baegilju, are also impressive.

Mr. Ahn himself is a young former assemblyman who opened his pub as an alternative to politics. He chose Noksapyeong as his location after being inspired by the neighborhood’s microbrew beer scene. His head chef is a recent departee from one of Seoul’s most acclaimed gourmet restaurants. The menu shows their youthful enthusiasm, offering painstakingly landscaped appetizers that could pass for dioramas, sous-vide chicken (with the skin fried separately and then coaxed back on after), and an “alcoholic affogato” made by pouring Chusungju onto ice cream topped with caramelized apple. Just don’t ask for pajeon! In a challenge to their diners to try something new, they’ve decided not to serve it.

BY30 (바이삼공)   

Jamwon 잠원동         

An exotic wallop of taste awaits at BY30, a tiny, newly-opened Korean bistro in Gangnam’s most below-the-radar neighborhood, Jamwon. Here, sweet, cold makgeolli is served alongside the heavy and heady flavors of Italian street cooking. The inspiration? The owner, a former sommelier, was simply disillusioned with wine, having fallen in love instead with his own country’s brews. Italian cuisine provided the perfect foil.

Try the tripa (tripe), described on the menu as “Italian gopchang”, which comes out colorfully garnished with grilled peas and onions and a platter of flatbread to wrap it all up. Or spoil yourself with the sirloin steak, which is served on freshly-cooked – wait for it – stones, which keep the meat warm. The dishes have a lot more savor and salt than is generally served in Seoul, where Western food is often toned down to prevent complaints of “too greasy!” and “needs pickles!” from local diners. The management’s decision to stick to its guns may help business as well, though, as those big flavors need an even bigger order of high-end makgeolli to wash them down. We recommend a cup or three of Baekryun (“White Lotus”) to do the trick.

Juyu Byuljang  (주유 별장)   

Gwanghwamun 광화문            

In Gwanghwamun’s new foodie haven, D Tower, lies the third and newest branch of Juyu Byuljang, a chain of contemporary Korean pubs that specializes in makgeolli and soju cocktails. From the floating fourth-floor terrace to the gold chrome chandeliers, the interior screams sophisticated, but the menu itself is actually a lot of fun.

The signature drink is a makgeolli slushie, which turns the rice brew into a kind of boozy ice cream cocktail. Slushies are infused with flavors like honey banana, grape, peach, or even ogok, or five-grain powder. The cold shock pairs well with the rib-sticking menu of pub grub. Most items are what’s marketed in Korea as “girl food,” which has come to mean fusion touches, tangy sauces, and lots of cheese. In this case, girls should be happy for the discriminating label. Whether it’s the addictingly tasty pork neck lettuce wraps, a seafood cheese tteokbokki topped with enormous grilled prawns, or the signature order, the “half-moon” cheese potato pancake, these are dishes you might not want to share with the boys, or anyone at all.

While you’re here, be sure to raise a glass to what used to stand at this location – the historic and beloved Pimatgol alley, which was controversially bulldozed in a government beautification project. While it’s now gone, perhaps its spirit remains. The signature drink of the Pimatgol’s bars was, of course, makgeolli.

More Info

Mr. Ahn’s Makgeolli
257-4 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu / 010-9965-5112
Sun-Thu 6 PM – 1 AM, Fri-Sat 6 PM – 2 AM
www.facebook.com/ahnmakgeolli

BY30
38-15 Jamwon-dong, Seocho-gu / 02-6080-4336
Mon-Sun PM – 2 AM
www.facebook.com/06by30

Juyu Byuljang
4th Floor, D Tower, 246 Cheongjin-dong, Jongno-gu / 02-2251-8484
Mon-Sat 11:30 AM – 12:30 AM, Sun 11:30 AM – 11 PM (Breaks from 3 – 5:30 PM Mon-Fri, 3 – 4:30 PM Sat-Sun)
www.facebook.com/joo.u.star

Written by SEOUL staff
Photographed by Ryu Seunghoo

Four places to go when you only want a taste

Popping the cork off a bottle of wine may be one of life’s great pleasures. But when you don’t have the time, budget or attention span for the whole thing, one glass is often enough. As more and more restaurants in Seoul begin to offer quality house wines, “just a glass” is becoming an excellent option. Below are four venues that can turn a one-glass evening into something special.

Le Moulin 르믈랑

Already a popular hangout among Gyeongnidan locals, Le Moulin is known for its French ownership and chic-but-approachable atmosphere. The wine bar takes pride in its authenticity: its finger foods are made using French methods, its tables are made of French oak barrels and its wine is imported directly from France – which keeps the prices affordably French, too.
For those who love wine but not the pretension that often accompanies it, Le Moulin will feel like coming home. The bar’s brick walls and soft white lighting convey elegance and class, but its parties (which can include sports or dancing) and demeanor (the menu is “made by French Dudes”) lend it an irrepressible air of fun. There are also one-table nooks around the perimeter for groups that want more privacy. Finally, the bar’s affordability is one of its biggest draws. The four house wines (a red, a white, a rose and a sparkling) each go for KRW 6,000 a glass.

Jung Sik Bar 정식바

Jung Sik Bar, the new first-floor opening at Apgujeong’s most lauded gourmet restaurant, is Michelin-starred chef-artiste Jung Sik’s first bar. It’s in part inspired by the chef’s wife, an expert who owns no less than seven makgeolli pubs around Seoul.
While the restaurant Jung Sik Dang’s high-end dishes (and prices) tend to attract only special-occasion diners, Jung Sik Bar’s menu is more everyday-accessible. Hand-picked wines and handcrafted food are offered in both regular and teeny-tiny portions, with “taste”-sized glasses of the former starting at KRW 3,000.
The dishes – which include mini-pan paellas and a take on the restaurant’s famous pork belly – are designed to be Spanish-themed with a Korean twist. The wine was chosen to pair with the food; the selection is described by Jung Sik’s head sommelier as a combination of “diverse, relatively unknown, and still enjoyable for wine beginners.” There are also wine flights and tasting glasses available in 30, 75 and 150 mL sizes, allowing – and encouraging – the diner to shop around.

Very Street Kitchen 베리스트릿 키친

In an eye-catchingly repurposed brick building under the highway that will soon be “Seoul’s High Line,” the city’s next hotspot, you’ll find Very Street Kitchen: a street food-themed dining bar that has all the fixings of a front-runner. Very is elegantly unique in every detail, from its location and its furnishings to the sourcing for its fishcake carpaccio.
Very’s dining menu reads like a hungry backpacker’s bucket list, with each dish named after a city famous for its street food. Whether it’s Osaka yakisoba or New Orleans chicken wings, each dish dresses up the most symbolic snacks of its chosen city. Meanwhile, the whittled wine selection is small but tasty. Both houses are whites, available by the glass (KRW 8,000 each) and recommended with the fishier dishes.

Magnum the Bottle Shop 매그넘

Opened in April of this year, the library-like Magnum the Bottle Shop –a wine beer, and premium spirits outlet in Garosu-gil – is aiming high. It’s currently claiming to be “the world’s largest tasting room” thanks to its offering of more than 100 wines to taste by the glass, all via high-tech, chrome-plated Wine Station dispensing systems. So far, nobody is disputing its title.
Magnum was founded by a trio comprising a liquor importer a wine educator and a sommelier. All staff working the shop are wine school certified – and they also speak English.
If, during your visit, 100 wines sounds like an intimidatingly large selection, grab a Tasting Passport and try wines organized by country. The passport is endorsed by multiple foreign embassy trade organizations around Seoul, lending it some significant vino cred. Tasting glasses start cheap at KRW 1,200.

More info

Le Moulin
36 Hoenamu-ro, Yongsan-gu (Itaewon-dong 225-143)
www.lemoulin.co.kr
Tue.-Sun. 6:30 PM – 2 AM / 070-7570-9293

Jung Sik Bar
83 – 24 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu
www.jungsik.kr/seoul
Mon. – Sat. 6 PM -2 AM / 02-517-4650

Very Street Kitchen
246 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu
www.verystreetkitchen.com
Mon. – Fri. 6 PM -11 PM, Sat. 5 PM -11 PM / 02-312-0205

Magnum the Bottle Shop
530 Sinsa-dong (Apgujungro 120), Gangnam-gu
www.magnumthebottleshop.com
Mon.-Sun. 12 PM- 10 PM / 02-512-5271

Written by Daisy Larios
Photographed by Ryu Seunghoo

Seoul’s bar scene is almost a microcosm of Korea’s breakneck ppalli-ppalli culture: cutthroat, ephemeral, overwhelming. Two fledgling businesses, though, have risen through the ranks for their dedication to handcrafted excellence.

[box_light]Magpie Brewing | 맥파이 브루잉[/box_light]

Tucked away behind the main road in rapidly gentrifying Gyeongnidan, Magpie Brewing has been crafting recipes and pouring brew at their beer store since April 2012. The cat out was soon let out of the proverbial bag, though, and Itaewon locals and far-flung fans of craft beer alike have been flooding into the new two-month-old Basement for a swig of quality brew. The co-owners—you might recognize two of them as the hosts of Arirang’s television program Semipermanent—were homebrewers in their pre-Korea days and have continued to ply their craft here.

The exposed piping and grey cinder blocks give the Basement an industrial feel, and the dark corners and low-hanging lights that inhabit the cave-like space threaten to resurrect the art of solo drinking. The menu in the Basement is just as minimalist as their decor: a pale ale, porter, and copper ale on tap, and slices of pizza and spicy almonds for the anju-inclined. Their no-frills approach is quite simply a reflection of Magpie’s singular focus: the beer. Magpie’s various brews—look for a summer seasonal sometime soon—are also on tap at select restaurants and bars around Seoul.

FYI>
Brewshop hours: Tue–Sun 2:30pm–10pm; Closed Mondays
Basement hours:  Tue–Sun 5pm–1am; Closed Mondays
http://magpiebrewing.com
(691 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul | 서울시 용산구 이태원동 691)
GO>
Noksapyeong Station 녹사평역 (Line 6), Exit 2

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[box_light]Limix Lab | 리믹스랩[/box_light]

As the name would suggest, Limix Lab—short for Liquor Mix Laboratory— is more than just a mere bar. Inspired by the microbrewing and microdistilling scene abroad and driven by a passion for libations, the two co-owners—graduates from Korea’s most competitive and prestigious university who gotsnapped up by Korea’s big chaebol conglomerates—abandoned the Korean Dream to try and create a culture where liquor is savored and given its due reverence rather than downed as quickly as possibly.

Playing off of the laboratory theme, Limix Lab’s interior gleams like a pristine arctic and steel altar to the liquor gods, and their playful concoctions will make skeptics of more creative alcoholic miscegenation have a change of heart. Their signature Limix vodkas are a sight to behold—jars infused with the colors of yuja (citron) and other fruits and flavors artfully line the wall like a madman’s collection of oddities. They’ve even recently started serving brunch and a variety of “A-fruit-canos” (Americanos with a shot of flavored liqueur) to those in need a lunchtime pick-me-up. Another popular item on the menu is the ice cream cocktails—an inebriating version of the oh-sopopular affogatos—and their extensive list of bottles and classic cocktails is sure to satisfy any connoisseur.

FYI>
Hours: Sun–Thurs, 11:30am–2am; Fri–Sat, 11:30am–5am
http://facebook.com/limixlab
T. 02-323-9875
(360-24 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul | 서울시 마포구 서교동 360-24)
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Sangsu Station 상수역 (Line 6), Exit 2

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