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69 Kim was quick to note, though, that not every- one who comes in is knowledgeable about beer or goes there specifically to try craft beer. Rather, he has observed the importance of the “beer geek” in growing the craft beer culture in Korea. “(If), for example, four people come here, (usually it’s) only one guy leading the other three here … and he just explains (the beers to them). … So one ‘beer geek’ leads the other three.” Although there is a growing interest for craft beers, it appears that the Korean market for craft beer is still small. Quoting an article he read re- cently, Kim reported that 95 percent of the beer drunk in Korea is domestic macro beer such as Cass or Hite. Only 5 percent is imported beer, and of that 5 percent, only 1 percent is craft beer. Kim jokes that the 1 percent figure can probably be attributed to the expat population in Seoul. Despite the low market share for craft beers, both Wilson and Kim believe the demand is on the rise. Kim notes that there has been a dramatic increase of craft beers available in Korea in the past year. Pointing at the Four Seasons’ on-tap menu, Kim states that of the eight beers currently served at the pub, “seven beers did not exist in South Korea (last year).” Wilson says home brewing is a niche hobby, and that people who enjoy craft beers don’t necessar- ily want to brew their own. However, he still be- lieves that the number of home brewers in Korea will continue to increase. There is already a strong beer-drinking culture in Korea, with alcohol being almost a mandatory aspect of company dinners. And “as people’s tastes change and appreciation for better beer grows, some of those people will want to try to make it.” Korea already has a strong brewing culture, es- pecially in relation to makgeolli. Wilson observes that “it’s quite common for grandmothers to make makgeolli at home. … So with the introduction to Western culture, I think a lot of people would be interested in just expanding that (brewing culture) into beer.” As for the brewing industry’s future, there are reasons to be optimistic. In a large, globalizing city like Seoul, Wilson is confident that the demand for high-quality beer will only increase. Anyone who has lived in Korea for five years or longer can already attest to these changes. They can be seen in the widening selection of foreign food, wine and beer available at Homeplus or E-Mart, in the increasing number of brew pubs popping up around Itaewon and Hongdae, and even in the cultural makeup of the city itself. Additionally, because of the average Seoulite’s desire to keep up with current trends, many will want to try a new brew pub or a new beer in the same way that they will want to eat at the trend- iest restaurant in Hongdae or go to the hottest club in Gangnam. And as the number of brew pubs increases, so, too, will the number of beer geeks. A recently passed law coming into effect in April will have significant implications for the brewing industry. This law will make it much easier to open breweries and let brew pubs sell their beer in oth- er licensed establishments. Previously, to obtain a brewer’s license, the company had to be able to produce 150,000 kiloliters of beer — an absurd- ly high quantity that would require a large initial investment in equipment and facilities. However, the new law will halve the production capacity re- quirement. So will Seoul suddenly become oversaturated with business-savvy brewers looking to get in on this fairly untapped market? Kim hopes not, but notes that the trend for businesses in Korea seems to be “easy come, easy go.” Recalling the recent makgeolli boom, Kim remembers that a few years ago, “makgeolli was very popular. But one year, then two years later (people didn’t) have any interest.” He worries that the same will oc- cur with brew pubs; they will pop up ubiquitously around Seoul, and then suddenly the “bubble (will burst), and everybody (will) leave.” But Wilson has a positive outlook on the future of the industry. “Weekend beer drinking in Korea is not going anywhere, so I don’t see any reason that craft beer will not become increasingly popu- lar as in the West. ... (It’s) an expanding market.” We have just put the last round of hops into the pot. Smoke billows out, along with a blend of mostly unidentifiable scents. Wilson passes us another pint — “The Wisco Sippin’ Stout,” a Pitch-black, toasty creation brewed by Nichols — to try. There is nothing more to do but drink and wait, and our instructor uses this time to quiz us on our general knowledge of beer; we perform abysmally. When asked, “What are the four main ingredients of beer?” we are only able to come up with two of the correct answers. Today has been slow, but Wilson isn’t concerned with the number of clients they have. Their main goal at the moment is to learn the ins and outs of the industry and to stabilize as a business. Wilson states: “We would like to expand in some way (in the future), but we’re not sure whether it will be producing a few of our own beers for distribution to other bars or opening our own brew pub. … At this point, we’re just setting a foundation; we’ll see where it goes from there.” If the market does expand significantly over the next decade, will this mean a new brew pub will open up on every street corner? Will home brewing become an increasingly popular pastime, with clubs, schools and events being launched all around Seoul? Or will there simply be a few more options of craft beer available in already existing establishments? Either way, it’s likely that a strong craft beer culture will emerge in Korea over the next few years. And drinkers from all walks of life will be welcomed into its fold, including niche home brewing hobbyists, beer geeks, prospective brewery owners, trendsters or beer lovers sim- ply looking for a finer tasting brew to share with friends on a Friday night. groovecast GrooveCast host Chance Dor- land and writer Christine Pickering take a home-brewing class. Check out the podcast at groovekorea. com.