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For decades, Korean beer meant exactly three things: Cass, Hite, and OB. The country's domestic beer market was dominated by light, mass-produced lagers that paired with fried chicken and not much else. That all changed around 2014, when a wave of small craft breweries opened in Seoul and Busan, transforming Korea from one of Asia's most boring beer markets into one of the most interesting. Today, Seoul alone has more than 50 craft breweries, and the Korean beer scene is genuinely competitive with Tokyo, Bangkok, and Singapore.
This guide walks through the modern Korean craft beer scene: the breweries that started the movement, the major Seoul beer neighborhoods, the domestic Korean beer brands still worth knowing, and where to find the best Korean beer outside of Korea.
How Korean Craft Beer Started
Korea's craft beer movement got moving after a 2011 government regulation change that allowed micro-breweries to license at lower volumes. Before that change, Korean beer law effectively limited small brewers from competing with the three big domestic players. Once the rules loosened, a generation of Korean and foreign brewers (many of them returnees from the US craft beer scene) opened breweries in Seoul's Itaewon, Hongdae, and Gangnam districts.
The early Korean craft beer movement was loud and experimental. Brewers focused on bold IPAs, stouts with Korean ingredients (yuja, makgeolli-style hybrids, ginseng), and sour beers that introduced Korean drinkers to flavors that the big three lagers never offered. By 2018, Korean craft beer had become a real category, and many young Koreans had switched their default drink from soju and Cass to craft pints.
1. Magpie Brewing Co.
Magpie Brewing Co. is widely considered the founder of Seoul craft beer. The brewery opened in Itaewon in 2011 (with the original Magpie taproom in Gyeongnidan), and the founders (a mix of Canadian, American, and Korean brewers) helped change Korean beer culture. The Magpie main brewery is now on Jeju Island, where the brand also runs a destination taproom for beer-tourist visitors.
Magpie's flagship beers include the Magpie Pale Ale, the Wisp smoked lager, the Old Pals Pils, and the Evil Eyes hazy IPA. The brewery has Seoul taprooms in Itaewon and Hongdae, plus the destination Jeju Island brewery. Magpie is a smart first stop for anyone exploring Seoul's craft beer scene because its core lineup is consistent and welcoming to people transitioning from light Korean lagers.
2. Amazing Brewing Company
Amazing Brewing Company (ABC) is the other defining brewery of modern Seoul craft beer. Located in Seongsu-dong (the "Brooklyn of Seoul"), the brewery occupies a converted shoe factory and serves over 20 beers on tap at any given time. The Seongsu taproom is one of the most photogenic beer halls in Asia, with industrial décor, communal tables, and rotating seasonal releases.
ABC's lineup leans American IPA-heavy, with strong saison and stout programs. Their signature beers include the Han Riverside Pale Ale, the Amazing IPA, and seasonal collaborations with other Asian craft brewers. The Seongsu taproom is also a popular Sunday brunch spot, with house-made pizzas, fries, and Korean fusion bar food. The brewery has expanded to multiple locations across Seoul.
3. Moonbear Brewing
Moonbear Brewing, claimed by some as Korea's first true craft brewery (founded in 2002, well before the 2011 regulation change), pioneered the small-batch beer scene in Korea decades before craft beer was mainstream. The brewery is located in Gyeonggi-do (just outside Seoul) and supplies many Seoul gastropubs with their flagship beers.
Moonbear's beers (named after the founder's pet dog, a Korean Jindo) include the Moonbear Pale Ale, the Honey Brown Ale, and a seasonal yuja-flavored wheat beer that has become a Korean craft beer reference point. The brewery is harder to visit casually (it is not in Seoul proper) but Moonbear pints are available at many Seoul craft beer bars.
Other Seoul Craft Breweries Worth Knowing
Beyond the founders, modern Seoul has dozens of craft breweries worth visiting. The Booth Brewing in Gyeongnidan and Hongdae is famous for their Bill's Pale Ale (one of Korea's best-selling craft beers) and innovative IPAs. 7BRÄU brews German-style beers and operates a popular pub chain. Mikkeller Seoul, the Danish craft beer brand, has a Seoul outpost in Gyeongnidan. Goblin Brewing, Hand and Malt, and Trash Burger Brewing round out the rotating top tier.
Seoul's craft beer geography splits into a few clusters. Itaewon and Gyeongnidan have the highest density and the most international atmosphere. Hongdae is younger, edgier, and oriented toward college students. Seongsu-dong is the most fashionable, with industrial-chic taprooms and weekend day-drinking crowds. Gangnam has the more polished, business-casual options. Try one neighborhood per visit rather than trying to hit them all in a single night.
The Big Three: Cass, Hite, and Terra
For all the craft beer growth, the big three Korean domestic beers still dominate everyday drinking. Cass by Oriental Brewery is the all-around bestseller, a light, slightly sweet lager that pairs with almost any Korean food. Hite by HiteJinro is the older, more traditional Korean lager with a slightly heavier body. Terra, also by HiteJinro, launched in 2019 and quickly became the millennial-favorite Korean lager with a cleaner, more European-style taste.
Other notable Korean domestic beers include Kloud by Lotte Chilsung (a slightly more premium lager), Cafri (a light pilsner), OB Premier Pilsner, and Filgood by Cass (a low-calorie version). For Korean BBQ specifically, Cass or Terra is the universal default and pairs especially well with samgyeopsal.
Where to Buy Korean Beer Outside Korea
Korean domestic beers (Cass, Terra, Hite) are now widely sold at Korean grocery chains like H Mart, 99 Ranch, Total Wine, and most Asian liquor stores in major US, Canadian, European, and Southeast Asian cities. Korean craft beer is harder to find abroad, but a few breweries (Magpie Jeju, The Booth Brewing) have started exporting select cans to Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
For the most authentic Korean beer experience abroad, your best bet is pairing a Korean beer (Cass or Terra ideally) with Korean fried chicken at a Korean restaurant. The "chimaek" combination (chicken + maekju, Korean for beer) is the defining Korean beer pairing, and it works equally well at home if you order Korean fried chicken delivery and stock the right bottles.
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