Korea's thirst for great quality, independently produced craft beer is on the rise.
Once dismissed as a fad, time has proven that micro-brewed craft beer is not only here to stay, but it's ready to shake the dominance of the nation's big breweries.
Shin Se-min reports.

"Here is an interesting collection of craft beer,… this one has a hint of banana, while this one a bit of nutty chocolate. And the number of the thirsty visiting local bars for artisanal beer has surged in recent days."

Local bars like this offer a variety of beer, each brewed in its own unique way,… and all leaving an unforgettable impression on the palate.


"The more varieties of beer I encounter,… the more I'm drawn in due to the different tastes and flavors. I have already experienced a handful,... but I look forward to trying more in the coming days."

Korea has a growing interest in both craft and imported beer.
The nation's imports of beer rose more than 25 percent in the first half of this year compared to 2013.
It's set up a new battlefield for the beer market.


"Currently, craft beer takes up less than one-percent of the beer market,.. and microbrewers face a long battle if they hope to compete against the large Korean companies. There's a better chance that craft beer will overtake the import beer market, if current trends continue."

The growing interest in the more refined beer rose in stride with eased regulations on alcohol in the nation.
The taxation on microbrewers has shrunk by 20 percent,... and distribution was recently allowed outside of the microbreweries,... which has opened up more markets like local bars and even supermarkets.
But some aren't completely satisfied.


"They don't go far enough. The already-eased rules allows microbrewers to produce more,... but we are still limited in how much business we can do."

While there is still more to be done to level the playing field for these smaller craft beer makers, recent months have shown that Koreans are willing to spend a little extra for a little something different.
Shin Se-min, Arirang News.

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