14 Popular Korean Beers You Must Try Now

You know Korea for its consumer electronics and its cheap and reliable cars. But is this everything that Korea has to offer? What about their beers? Which brands are Korea’s most popular beers? Well, let’s find out.

But before we get into it, here’s something to keep in mind. While we use the words “Korea” and “Korean,” we really mean South Korea. As you probably know, the Korean peninsula is made up of two countries, North Korea and South Korea.

And given that the former is isolated from the rest of the world, we really can’t include it in this list as we don’t know their beer preferences, that is, if they drink any beer at all.

Now that you know the rules, here are 14 popular Korean beers:

14. Aleston Brown Ale by Oriental Brewery Co., LTD

• Style: English Dark Mild Ale
• Alcohol Content: 5.2% ABV
• Tasting Notes: Caramel, Coffee

Aleston Brown Ale is quite a fizzy beer. However, its head is short-lived, and its lacing is even worse. Carbonation is so strong that you can feel it in the texture of the beer. It has that sharp bite of fizzing carbon dioxide.

Taste-wise, it feels like roasted coffee with a caramel-like sweetness. But it finishes with a faint bitterness. Overall, super drinkable ale.

 

13. Queen’s Ale – Blonde Type by Hite Brewery Company LTD

• Style: English Pale Ale
• Alcohol Content: 5.4% ABV
• Tasting Notes: Toffee, Flowers

Korea’s beer scene is full of adjunct lagers. An English Pale ale feels like a breath of fresh air; or a sip of fresh beer, if you catch my drift. And it all starts with the aroma. Queen Ale – Blonde Type smells like freshly picked flowers. Its taste is similar, except for the bitter undertones.

Overall, Queen’s Ale- Blonde Types tastes like a hybrid between an American IPA and a Blonde Ale.

 

12. Black Beer Stout by Hite Brewery Company LTD

• Style: Export Stout
• Alcohol Content: 5% ABV
• Tasting Notes: Sweet Malt, Earthy Hops

Black Beer Stout appears to be a hybrid beer, which might lead to some confusion due to its “Stout” label yet “Lager Type” description. The label clearly states, “Stout.” But then it also says “Lager Type.”

While it looks like a stout, it smells like a lager. You won’t find the strong chocolate flavors of regular stouts in this can. But if the label says it’s a stout, who are we to argue?

 

11. Fitz Super Clear by Lotte Liquor

• Style: European Pale Lager
• Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
• Tasting Notes: Malt, Honey, Herbs

Lotte Liquor launched Fitz Super Clear in the spring of 2017. Since then, the beer has captured the hearts and beer bellies of beer lovers all over the world. On the build-up to its launch, Lotte Liquor said that Fitz Super Clear was its attempt at shaking the “tasteless beer” reputation.

Well, how did they fair? Fitz Super Clear has a noticeable honey aroma. It tastes like corn with hints of herbal flavors.

 

10. Terra by Hite Brewery Company LTD

• Style: European Pale Lager
• Alcohol Content: 4.6% ABV
• Tasting Notes: Corn, Grass

If you love your golden lagers, you’ll love this entrant. Terra is a pale lager that pours a straw-colored beer with a white head. The head is pretty thick and stays around for quite a long time. Lacing is also impressive.

Terra is brewed by barley grown in Australia’s Golden Triangle. This beer is an excellent companion for your saucy snacks.

 

9. Max by Hite Brewery Company LTD

• Style: American Pale Lager
• Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
• Tasting Notes: Malt

Many beers in this list contain a portion of rice, not Max. Max is brewed entirely from malted barley. I’m not saying that barley is the only ingredient (there are hops, yeast, and water). I’m saying its grain bill only contains malted barley.

Such a grain bill would give a beer a malty character, which is consistent with Max.

 

8. Dry Finish D by Hite Brewery Company LTD

• Style: American Adjunct Lager
• Alcohol Content: 5% ABV
• Tasting Notes: Malt, Lemon

As its name suggests, Dry Finish finishes dry. You can confuse this beer for a Sour because of its prominent lemon flavor. Which is quite a weird trait for an American Adjunct Lager. The beer loses its carbonation rather quickly. So don’t expect much from head formation and retention. Lacing is also quite poor.

 

7. OB Premier Pilsner by Oriental Brewery Co., LTD

• Style: German Pilsner
• Alcohol Content: 5.2% ABV
• Tasting Notes: Malt, Corn

“OB,” one can only guess that it stands for “Oriental Brewing.” OB Premier Pilsner is not the strongest in terms of flavor. But you don’t expect strong flavors from macro beers (especially pilsners). But what it lacks in flavor, it makes up for in its refreshing nature.

Buffalo Wings and OB Premier Pilsner are soul mates. But don’t go hard on the beer; it’s rather strong in alcohol.

 

6. OB Blue by Oriental Brewery Co., LTD

• Style: American Adjunct Lager
• Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
• Tasting Notes: Malt, Lemongrass

And we continue the reign of the OB brand. OB Blue has a super light boy with a malty character. Behind the malty flavor is the citric taste of lemongrass drowned in water. The result is a refreshing brew. So refreshing is the OB Blue that it is a perfect companion to the spicy soups they serve late in Korean bars.

Need a palate cleanser for your hot grub? OB Blue all the way.

 

5. Cafri by Oriental Brewery Co., LTD

• Style: Light Lager
• Alcohol Content: 4.2% ABV
• Tasting Notes: Malt, Lemon

One thing that Oriental Brewery excels at is making lagers. And with Cafri, they prove that they can make good light lagers too. Born in 1995, Cafri is a mainstay of countless bars and liquor stores in South Korea.

It is a malt-centric brew. It smells grainy, and it tastes malty too. But in the sea of malty sweetness, you’ll find a faint lemony (citrus) flavor.

 

4. Kloud Original Gravity by Lotte Liquor

• Style: German Pilsner
• Alcohol Content: 5% ABV
• Tasting Notes: Malt, Honey, Grass

For a beer to be launched and become an instant hit, Kloud Original Gravity is really a special pilsner. The beer was launched in 2014, and it already sits in the top five of Korea’s most popular beers.

What can you expect from this golden pilsner? It first hits you with a malty, bready aroma. Taste-wise, it starts sweet and finishes with a light bitterness. A perfect pilsner for the warm Korean summers.

 

3. OB Golden Lager by Oriental Brewing Co., LTD

• Style: European Pale Lager
• Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
• Tasting Notes: Malt, Earthy Hops

OB Golden Lager is one of South Korea’s oldest beers. It has been around since 1948. Through strife and war, OB Golden Lager has stood the test of time. Today it stands proud among the top three most popular beers in the Korean peninsula.

OB Golden Lager has a light body and crispy taste. Its white head will surely leave a mark on your mustache.

 

2. Cass Fresh by Oriental Brewery Co. LTD

• Style: American Adjunct Lager
• Alcohol Content: 4.5 % ABV
• Tasting Notes: Malt, Grass

Ladies and gentlemen, Oriental Brewery does it again, tightening its grip on the top three. This time they present Cass Fresh, an American Adjunct lager that has been around since 1995. It is a thirst quencher, with its light taste and refreshing finish.

This is the beer you need by your side when watching Korean baseball.

 

1. Hite by Hite Brewing Company LTD

• Style: European Pale Lager
• Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
• Tasting Notes: Malt, Citrus

And the most popular Korean beer is Hite from Hite Brewing Company LTD. You see this brewery wasn’t always named Hite Brewing Company. It started off as Chosun Beer Corporation, from its establishment in 1933. And Hite (the beer) wasn’t brewed until 1993. And here’s a secret; the beer wasn’t named Hite until 1998.

Regardless of what its name was, Hite has grown to become the most popular beer in South Korea. It tastes fresh and sells like hotcakes.

 

Popular Korean Beers: FAQs

To quench your thirst for knowledge, below are some common questions regarding Korean beers:

What is the Most Popular Beer in Korea?

Hite is the top-selling beer in South Korea. The beer brand has only been around since 1993, and with its current name since 1998. But in terms of market share, Oriental Brewery dominates the Korean beer market. Their top-seller, Cass Fresh, only comes in at number two in this popularity contest.

What Kind of Beer Do They Drink in Korea

Like in many parts of the world (America included), Koreans love their lagers. The top 10 most popular beers in South Korea are all lagers or variations of lagers. They include:

1. Hite
2. Cass Fresh
3. OB Golden Lager
4. Kloud Original Gravity
5. Cafri
6. OB Blue
7. OB Premier Pilsner
8. Dry Fresh D
9. Max
10. Terra

What Does Korean Beer Taste Like

The taste of Korean beers is highly dependent on the style of the brews. You wouldn’t expect an Italian pizza to taste like an Italian pasta dish, would you? Both are Italian dishes but made in different styles. I digress.

Korean lagers are malty, like any other lagers from different parts of the world. While many Korean lagers include rice in their grain bill, contributing to the beer’s body and texture, others, like “Max,” are brewed entirely from malted barley.

Final Thoughts

And that’s it; the most popular Korean beers. We even went the extra mile and answered the internet’s burning questions regarding Korean beers. Do you have any experience with Korean beers? Well, don’t keep quiet; spill the tea.