Korean beer: Last throw of the dice

I am a beer drinker. I like my beer and am always happy to sample something new. Before coming to Korea I had read that the country is a nation thats likes to drink and have a good time. It's true, people here love having fun and equally love their booze. Just one thing, the beer is very poor.


I have gone through periods here where I would drink it often in a bar and those where I would only touch it just to be sociable with co-workers. I would never buy it to drink it at home. There can be no defense, it is just bad - in total contrast to the Japanese who have some fine brews. I think things will change over the next ten years when Koreans realise what they've been drinking is essentially an inferior copy of American brands like Budweiser and Miller, the kind that are unversally regarded of as low quality. I think tastes will start to change farly quickly judging on the availability of higher quality beers in the supermarkets.


I just bumped into a co-worker in the local store. I was buying a few cans of Japanese beer (Asahi Premium) when he suggested I try a new Korean beer, OB Golden Lager. It is only 1,350won so I decided to give it a go. A lot of foreigners who I have met in Korea have defended the beer but I think they are either seduced by the cheap price or don't know better. Was I about to be seduced by it's taste?


On the positive side, the initial taste is OK. It also looks better with a slightly richer colour. On the negative side, it does not taste 'good'. There is no unpleasant after taste but then again there is no real after taste. Like most beers here it is quite weak bordering on watery and doesn't taste like the 4.8% it claims. It doesn't drive you away from it but doesn't make you feel like drinking another. OB Golden Lager is the best Korean beer I've had. I hope that will change as the years go by.

2AM singer demonstrates 'Power of beer'

Here is a recent beer commercial for Hite lager starring Korean singer Jo Kwon of boyband 2AM. 조권 is a staple of Korean 'family entertainment' programs of late, a ubiquitous presence who dances in an exaggerated fashion whenever he gets the chance and is representative of the prevailing 'humour' shown on Korean TV. Meaning that he does everything over the top and does something even more stupid than whoever is doing something before him in order to get a longer laugh.

A less convincing beer commercial I am yet to see. I know when I make the mistake over drinking the appalling beer here doing the limbo is the last thing on my mind. I also like the way he finishes his pint in under one second, without actually swallowing any of it. I'm crossing my fingers that we get a follow up.

New Asahi beer in Korea. Style Free and taste free

Being in Korea, for a drinker like me, means a limited choice of decent beers. There are convenience stores seemingly on every street corner but they are littered with a poor selection of Budweiser, Miller and Korean beer which is, FACT, the worst quality of beer in the world. Big chain convenience store will have Heineken, maybe Hoegaarden and usually Asahi and from time to time different lagers or even Guiness. It's the supermarkets, particularly the bigger ones where you find a decent selection.

I have to say the selection is light years ahead of what it like just four years ago, so I am thankful. Browsing the local Lotte Supermarket I found this beer over the weekend - Asahi Style Free. Here I point out that I prefer Sapporo infinitely more to Asahi but I haven't found Sapporo in Korea for nearly a year now, much to my great sadness. However, Asahi does produce a few quality beers.

Intruiged by the packaging and the name I bought a few to try. Sadly the name should be Taste Free. It is similar but not as bad as Korean beer, having many of the problems of Hite, Cass etc etc. Some research into the matter and I find out that it is sugar-free and seemingly not made from malt or hops. What demographic does this fall into? Who buys beer based on its sugar or lack of? It is also only 4%. No style and no substance. Despite this I am eternally hopeful of stumbling on more beers in Asia that I haven't sampled before. I wonder where my drinking will take me?