[더오래]The boom of’house beer’ that has emerged and disappeared quietly

Korea’s 20-year history of handmade beer ① Do you remember, House Beer

The time was February 2002. A ray of hope was revealed to the beermen of this land. Previously, only two brands of beer in Korea were Hite and Obi.

When I think of 2002, the hearts of Koreans become magnificent. The 2002 World Cup was held jointly by Korea and Japan, but it has long been forgotten. It was just the same year that we advanced to the semifinals by writing countless impressive stories at the world’s best soccer tournament held by us, beating the leading soccer powerhouses. On the day when the Korean game was held, everyone became a red devil and cried and laughed for 90 minutes, then filled the Sinchon roundabout to celebrate the victory. How can I forget the overwhelming moment? Youth isn’t red, and love isn’t pink.

Let’s come back to beer. 2002 was the year of the Busan Asian Games along with the World Cup. Ahead of the international competition, the government created a’small beer maker’s license’. Until now, only large companies were able to manufacture and sell beer. This is because it was possible to obtain a beer manufacturing license only by having a large-scale production facility with an annual output of 6000㎘ or more (about 30,000 to 40,000 cans per day). The government has opened the way for even small beer makers (annual production 60-300㎘) to do business under the judgment that the variety and taste of Korean beers are insufficient to serve foreign customers visiting Korea.

The first place to obtain a small beer manufacturer license was Korea Brew House in Gwangju Metropolitan City. The first beer was introduced at O’Kim’s Broy House in COEX, Samseong-dong, Seoul, and on July 1, 2002, the first beer was released. By July 2002, 9 companies have applied for licenses and 5 companies have been approved.

Since then, there have been so many beer makers that it would not be awkward to describe it as’woohoojuksun. At this time, small beer companies were commonly used as’house beer’. At that time, there was no place in most commercial districts in the country without house beer specialty stores. House beer specialty stores are not missing from the businesses that move into neighborhood shopping centers such as new shopping malls. There was also a house beer franchise. The number of small beer maker licenses reached 112 in three years. Not only hotels such as Chosun Hotel, Lotte Hotel, and Nongshim Hotel in Busan, but also large corporations such as Hyundai General Trading Corp. entered the house beer market. Near Gangnam Station, Herzen, Castle, Prague, and Oktoberfest were prospering. There was platinum in Apgujeong-dong, and Deutsche Broy House and Devassus were found all over the country.

There was a really house beer boom. They made mostly German, to be precise, German Southern Munich beer. There are many traditional beer powerhouses such as the UK, Belgium, and Ireland, but Germany was the most recognized beer powerhouse in Korea at the time. The German story that 500 years ago promulgated’Beer Pure Spirit’ that only four ingredients were used when making beer, barley, hops, yeast, and water, was a very attractive marketing material in itself.

These house beer specialty stores have a German-style atmosphere and snacks. Following the German beer plaza Beer Garten, they decorated a spacious space of up to 300 to 400 pyeong and produced snacks, sausages, Schwein Haksen, and Icevine. In some places, the brewery manager (Brumaster) was German.

People were enthusiastic about the new space. House beer specialty stores emphasized the fact that they provide fresh beer by placing the beer production equipment visible, which gave an atmosphere different from the’hospital’. Unlike dark pubs, the culture of eating German-style snacks in an open space that looks refined even by name has spread like a fashion. For those who have been tired of the two beer brands with uniform taste, house beer has been fresh. People who only knew Hite and Obi could naturally order beers such as Pilsner, Weizen, Dunkel, and Helles. Back then, the hot place for meetings and dinners was definitely a house beer specialty store.

As the karma increased and a shortage of brewing technicians appeared, the brewmaster received attention as a promising job. Related associations have also been established. In June 2003, the Korea Microbrewery Association was launched to represent the interests of small beer makers. But did you say it was’Hwamu Sigil Hong’? House beer specialty stores disappeared as quickly as they were created.

B-Flat CEO/Beer Post Guest Editor [email protected]