HOMEBREW KOREA

I’m out for a Saturday afternoon pint and noticed the Geckos has a new beer to add to their ever growing list. Maisel’s Weisse (8,000won) is a German hefe-weissbier. It comes in a pint bottle with a proper pint glass. I’d say it’s a good example of a proper hefe-weizen with all the fruity esters that one would expect. Lots of banana flavour with hints of clove. It’s relatively sweet with a fair amount of carbonation.

I’d say it’s definitely worth a try and on a hot summer day, it’s very refreshing. Since it comes in a bottle remember to pour 90% of the bottle, give it a good swirl to stir up the yeast and pour that into your glass.

Enjoy!!

A poster designed by Andrei Chapoval and was available on MantisDesign, but it appears as though it isn’t being made anymore.

International Underground is a group of writers looking to tell the unsung story of people and their  communities from around the world.  This article, the first in a series on ‘The Spirit of Entrepreneurs’, delves into the seemingly closed and restricted world of beer and microbrewing in Korea.

For those with the mildest interest in good beer, it can be hard to reconcile the beverage marketed by a handful of Korean conglomerations as beer, with the actual centuries-old, alcoholic concoction of malt, hops, and water that people the world over know and love. Max, one of the corporate-controlled beer brands in Korea, markets its beer with the slogan, “a delicious idea.” For most beer here, that is as precise a moniker as one could give. Reminiscent of keg beer served to anyone with five bucks in grungy college houses, most Korean beer is, sip-by-skunky-sip, a reminder that better beer waits elsewhere in the world.

Head over to International Underground for an interesting read of the full article; Chaebol vs. The Microbrewer by Greg Boone.

For years people have been able to buy wine in a box, even if frowned upon by some people (personally, I think it’s a great idea!) but buying beer in a box was never available.

Australian industrial design student, Thomas Hussey has tackled this issue with his beer-in-a-box design.  It allows maintains a constant CO2 pressure inside the bag while keeping O2 out and the box is more environmentally friendly than the small ‘pony’ kegs.

Awesome work Tom!!

Check out the article by Jason Gelt over at Brand X Daily for the full read.

An update on the December get together.

So I think we can finalize things and say that the get together will be on Saturday, the 19th at my place in Suji (It’s the ‘A’ pin on the map). Jukjeon Station (죽전역) is the nearest subway stop. If you click on ‘샤르망오피스텔’ on the left side panel of the map, a list of buses will pop up. Clicking on the bus number will show you where each stop is. Bus #’s 11, 5500-2, 60, 660, 7, 7-2, 720, 77-1, 320, 38 all run in the immediate area. 

Let’s try and go for a ‘pot luck’ kind of thing. I will make some Caesar salad and something else. I think we should get things started around 3~4:00. Please bring some food and of course your beer!!

Looking forward to seeing everyone and having a few beers.
Rob

So, just to let everyone know so you can 1) mark it off on your calendar, and 2) get off your ass and start brewing, this years ‘Homebrew Beer Festival’ that the Daum Cafe group puts on is either November 7th or the 8th.  They are still looking for a venue to hold the event so that’s why an exact date hasn’t been set.

It is open to everyone (see homebrewers and family) so keep an eye out here for more information.  Once I know more, I will post it here.  It’s coming up fast, so get your recipes put together, get those malt/hop orders in and get brewing!!  Ideally we would have found out earlier to give our beer some time to age, but they just posted about the event the other day.  So choose your brews carefully.  Things like IPAs can take a month to really start to come into their own.  There are apparently lots of prizes available.  Not sure what they are, but definitely some good stuff.  I know that last years top prize was a weekend at a ‘pension’ in Gangwon-do…pretty slick!

Ok, that’s it for now!!  I have some recipes to put together!!!  Mooowahahaha. 

See the Homebrew Korea Community Forums for a discussion thread.

Some data that I dug up about beer consumption by country.   The data is a few years old, but i’d imagine it’s not too far off.  Korea won’t be winning any records for beer drinking.  They are way down the list at 38.5L/year.

And here is a map showing beer consumption by country.

While a definite beer fan, I also love my cheese.  Unfortunately here in Korea, cheese is generally outrageously overpriced.  These prices are coming down over time as more cheeses become available.  This opens up a whole new world of possibilities; beer and cheese.  The whole wine and cheese thing is surely well engrained in most peoples minds.  Wine and cheese tend to be pairings of contrast, while beer and cheese tend to compliment each other.  This opens a whole new world to beer drinking, for me anyways!!

Here is an article from Owen Ogletree over at ClassicCityBrew.  His article ‘Beer and Cheese Pairing Ideas” gives many examples of beer and cheese pairings and  explains why,

A beer that is lighter in body and flavor would be a perfect marriage to a mild, mellow cheese; and, conversely, a dark, rich ale would stand up well to a heavier, more pungent cheese.

Another good read is an article by Janet Fletcher from the San Francisco Chronicle, ‘Beer and Cheese‘.  She also gives a wide range of possible pairings for the beer drinker to enjoy,

Harmonic convergence happens when a sharp, bitter, hoppy India Pale Ale meets a piquant, high-acid cheddar; or when a porter with its caramel and coffee notes encounters a smooth and sweet aged Gruyere.

Here is an article by Michael Hall from drinkingbeer.net.  We all knew it had to be good for us….I’m going to go grab a beer.

Top 10 Reasons Beer is Good for your Health
Michael Hall, 2007-02-06
Everyone is looking for a reason to drink beer. Right? It turns out that a lot of people are. So here are 10 great reasons to drink more beer. Not only that, but they’re all true. Beer really is good for your health, so drink up!

1. Beer Reduces Stress
Alcohol in general has been shown to reduce stress. This one is obvious, and may be the best reason beer is good for your health.
2. Beer is Good for the Heart
A study was conducted from 1982 – 1996 on the elderly. It was found that those who drank at least 1.5 per day had a 20-50 percent less chance of having heart failure.
3. Beer Improves Blood Circulation
Beer increases your “good” cholesterol, or HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. Its basically a kind of blood fat, so it reduces blood’s tendency to clot.
4. Beer is Chock Full o’ Fiber
The fiber comes from the cell walls of the malted barley. A liter of beer can have as much as 60% of your daily recommended fiber. The extra fiber will keep you regular and can also lower the risk of heart disease.
5. Beer as a Multi-vitamin
Beer is a significant source of magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12
6. Beer can Prevent Strokes
A study published in Stroke magazine in 2001 showed that alcohol drinkers have fewer strokes. Because it thins the blood, it increases the circulation in the brain, thereby protecting from silent strokes which are cause by tiny blood clots.
7. Beer keeps your Brain Young
A large study, published in the December 2001 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, was conducted on elderly italian men and women. It showed that moderate drinkers had a 40% lower risk of mental impairment.
8. Beer is Good for your Liver
Alcohol expands the small blood vessels in the liver. This speeds up metabolism so it can help clean all the toxins out of the liver. This is from Beer Net Publication, April 2001 Biological Institute.
9. Beer Cures Insomnia
Lactoflavin and nicotinic acid, both present in beer, can promote sleep. Also hops are a natural sedative.
10. Beer Fends off Gallstones
According to Professor Oliver James at the University of Newcastle, beer protects against gallstones and kidney stones.
References:
RealBeer’s “Good news, and bad” on Beer Health
AllAboutBeer’s “Beer and your Health”
Essortments’s “Health benefits of beer?”
Drayman’s “13 Reasons to Drink Beer”

This post is mirrored here in the forums for discussion.

Here is a cool PDF I found to help everyone order their favourite beverage (beer, of course) while traveling the world.  Link: http://esperanto-usa.org/posters/Beer_please.pdf