Buying Beer In North Korea: What's The Deal?

North Korea has a thriving micro-brewing industry, with at least ten major breweries and many microbreweries. The country's most famous beer is Taedonggang, a light lager produced by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company.

Beer is an important part of North Korean culture, and locals enjoy a pint or two after work. Beer is also provided for free by the government as part of monthly rations.

Tourists can buy beer with foreign currency without the limitations that apply to North Koreans. A beer in international hotels costs about two euros.

North Koreans need to use food coupons when buying beer, which will reduce their grain rations.

Beer is part of North Korean culture, with locals enjoying a pint or two after work

Beer is indeed part of North Korean culture, with locals enjoying a pint or two after work. Beer is provided for free by the government as part of monthly rations given to local people. The North Korean word for 'cheers' is chukbae, which literally means 'celebratory glass'.

North Korea has at least ten major breweries and many microbreweries that supply a wide range of beer products. The country has a lively beer-brewing culture, despite its isolation.

The top brand is the light lager Taedonggang by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company. It is considered one of the best-quality beers in all of Korea and is available in both bottles and cans, and on tap. It is named after the river that runs through Pyongyang, dividing the city between east and west.

The second most popular beer is Pyongyang Beer, which is the oldest North Korean beer. It is produced by the Pyongyang Beer Factory and comes in a range of varieties, including lager, dark beer, and draft beer.

While beer is a part of North Korean culture, the country's most popular alcoholic beverage is soju. This is a clear spirit made from rice, wheat, or barley, with an alcohol content of 20-25% (although it can be as strong as 55%). It is usually consumed neat after a meal and is central to Korean culture, both North and South.

Beer is provided for free by the government as part of monthly rations

Beer is provided for free by the North Korean government as part of monthly rations given to local Korean people. The North Korean word for 'cheers' is chukbae, which literally means 'celebratory glass'.

North Koreans enjoy a pint or two after work at one of the local bars. Drinking is a major part of social life in Korea among friends, both indoors and outdoors on some public holidays. However, public displays of drunkenness or rowdy behaviour are strongly discouraged.

North Korea has at least ten major breweries and many microbreweries that supply a wide range of beer products. The top brand is the light lager Taedonggang by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company.

The country's problems with goods distribution and power output have forced North Korean brewers to innovate. To minimize distribution, many restaurants and hotels maintain their own microbreweries. Because unreliable power supply makes it difficult to refrigerate beer, North Koreans have developed their own steam beer, brewed at higher-than-normal temperatures.

Although there is no shortage of booze in North Korea, and no limit on consumption, beer is still rationed. Tourists, on the other hand, can enjoy inexpensive beer without such limitations.

There are at least ten major breweries and many microbreweries in North Korea

North Korea has at least ten major breweries and many microbreweries, which is more than South Korea. The country's isolation and sanctions have led to a thriving microbrewery culture, with many restaurants and hotels maintaining their own breweries to minimise distribution issues.

The top brand is the light lager Taedonggang, brewed by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company. The company was established in 2002 when former leader Kim Jong-il purchased the old brewery of Ushers of Trowbridge in the United Kingdom and imported it to North Korea. The Taedonggang Beer Factory is based in the capital, Pyongyang, and the brand is considered one of the best-quality beers in all of Korea.

Other major breweries in North Korea include the Rakwon Paradise Microbrewery and the Yanggakdo Hotel Microbrewery. The "surprising microbrewery culture" can be attributed to sanctions that limit the availability of petrol, making the distribution of beer particularly challenging. As a result, many bars and hotels brew their own beer, and only the Taedonggang Brewing Company could be classified as a "macro" brewery.

North Korea has a lively beer-brewing culture, and its beers are known to be "relatively good", tending to be darker, fuller, and maltier than their South Korean counterparts. The country's problems with power output and goods distribution have encouraged innovation, with North Koreans developing their own steam beer, brewed at higher-than-normal temperatures to overcome refrigeration issues.

The country's isolation has also contributed to the unique brewing culture, with North Koreans being described as loving beer "as much as Europeans or North Americans". However, beer is not the most popular alcoholic beverage in North Korea; that title goes to soju, a Korean liquor.

The top brand is the light lager Taedonggang, by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company

The top beer brand in North Korea is Taedonggang, a light lager produced by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company. The beer is named after the Taedong River, which runs through the centre of the capital city of Pyongyang.

The Taedonggang Brewing Company was established in 2002, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-il decided that North Korea needed a better state-run brewery. Instead of building a brewery from scratch, Kim Jong-il decided to purchase one. In 2000, North Korea bought the intact brewery plant of the closed Ushers of Trowbridge in Wiltshire, England, for £1.5 million. A team of Russians then travelled to Trowbridge to dismantle the brewery, which was later reassembled in Pyongyang by the Russian team. The Taedonggang Beer Factory uses German-made computerised brewing control technology.

There are four brands of beer marketed as Taedonggang, with the brand known simply as ""Taedonggang Beer" being the most widely available. It has been described as a "full-bodied lager a little on the sweet side, with a slightly bitter aftertaste" and "one of the highest quality beers on the [Korean] peninsula for several years". It has also been likened to "mass-produced American beer". Taedonggang beer is primarily targeted at domestic consumers, but it has also been exported to South Korea and China.

Tourists can buy beer with foreign currency without the limitations that apply to North Koreans

North Korea has a thriving micro-brewing industry, with at least ten major breweries and many microbreweries. The country's most famous beer is Taedonggang, a light lager produced by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company.

While beer is rationed for North Koreans, tourists can buy it with foreign currency without any such limitations. Beer is widely available in international hotels, where it costs around two euros, and in farmers' markets, where a bottle costs about 53 North Korean won.

On a typical North Korea tour, one or two beers are included with every lunch and dinner, and extras can be purchased inexpensively. Every restaurant and hotel has a fully-stocked bar, with prices ranging from 50 cents to two euros per beer.

Tourists can also visit local beer bars, such as the Mansungyo beer house, which offers seven different types of Taedonggang beer on tap. These establishments offer standing tables only and are usually packed with workers in the early evenings.

It is even possible for tourists to visit real breweries. The Taedonggang Brewery in East Pyongyang, for example, is occasionally open to foreigners.

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