The first stop on our tour of Korea was rehearsal for a month in the capital city of Seoul. One of the world's most technologically advanced cities and home to more than 25 million people(half the population of the entire country) it is certainly the cultural hub for the nation's citizens. Everyone in the Gangnam-gu district, yes that Gangnam from the popular song, is clad in either business attire or fashion way forward. No matter what you're wearing, where you work, or what time of night it is, one thing brings everyone together when the sun sets: Beer. Most of the beer here in Korea is contract brewed by much larger beer companies, (think Macro brewers like Anhueser-Busch, SABC, etc...) These beers are the traditional drink-to-get-drunk light lagers and ales with a an ABV that never exceeds 4.5% and you can buy a liter at a convenience store for the equivalent of $1.75.
Drinking is as deeply rooted and crucial to South Korean culture as kimchi is. It is tradition and a way of life. One that shows no signs of fading away, rather, with the help of the recent craft movement, is growing more and more vibrant.
Now, the craft movement still being fairly young in the country, I had many friends who had visited or are from Korea state that I would have a difficult time finding real, Korean brewed, beer. "The Booth Brewing Co." was the first craft bar that some comrades and I visited in the bustling hills of Gangnam-gu.
