page_title: Beer in South Korea
section_title: Domestic brands
hierarchical_section_title: Beer in South Korea / Domestic brands
caption_attribution_description: English: Gangseo beer
context_page_description: Beer, called maekju in Korean, was first introduced to Korea in the early 20th century. Seoul's first beer brewery opened in 1908. Two current major breweries date back to the 1930s. The third brewery established in Korea, Jinro Coors Brewery, was founded in the 1990s. It was later acquired by Oriental Breweries. Hite Breweries's former name was Chosun Breweries, which was established in 1933. The company changed their name to Hite Breweries in 1998. OB Breweries established as Showa Kirin Breweries in 1933. The company changed their name to OB Breweries in 1995.
  The South Korean beer market is currently dominated by two major manufacturers, Hite-Jinro and OB, with several brands being sold in the local market. Most restaurants and bars in Korea only have one of these beer brands on tap, as they are largely regarded to be similar in taste and price. Imported beers are largely available in Korea, but are generally expensive - usually costing at least ₩8,000 and as much as ₩15,000 for a pint of Guinness in bars in downtown Seoul, versus approximately ₩3,000 for local brands. Recently, microbreweries have sprouted up throughout the country, showing increasing signs of sophistication.
context_section_description: HiteJinro: Hite, Max, Dry D, S, Stout, Lager Beer, Prime Draft, J Draft, Queen's Ale
  HiteJinro is a merger between two alcohol companies: Hite Brewery and Jinro. Hite Brewery was established in 1933 as a liquor company. Jinro was established in 1924 as the first Korean beer company. In 2006, Jinro was acquired by Hite, a popular beverage company. HiteJinro is the world's leading producer of Soju. HiteJinro manufactures many types of alcoholic beverages.
  Oriental Brewery (OB): OB Golden Lager, Cass brands (Cass Fresh, Cass Light, Cass Red, Cass Lemon), Cafri, Aleston
  Oriental Brewery (OB) was established in 1933. OB Golden Lager was launched in 2011.
  Lotte Liquor: Kloud
  Lotte Chilsung was established in 1950. Their original product was a lemon-lime soft-drink. Since then, they have created a multitude of beverages.
  Korea Craft Brewery: ARK, Hitachino
  KCB has collaborated with other brands such as SM and Line Friends.
  7Bräu: Gangseo
  7Bräu started as a small pub in the Gangseo district of Seoul, thus lending the name of their signature beer. It is the first Korean beer named after a district (e.g. Tsingtao Brewery in China and Brooklyn Brewery in Brooklyn, New York). The label design features an air control tower, a reference to Gimpo International Airport, which is also located in the Gangseo district.
  Energin: Kimpo
  A beer made from ginseng and rice. The rice is locally cultivated in Gimpo, South Korea.
caption: Gangseo beer
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