Korean Craft Beer Festival

We haven’t been able to go to any public gatherings for most of the year, so Mana and I have been reminiscing about the first beer festival we went to. There were so many delicious beers from local breweries that we had never heard about. So, even if you can’t go to a large function, you can find great beer to drink at home.

When we arrived, we decided that we should get tickets. This was optional, but we felt that it was a better value than buying a beer from each booth. We purchased both tickets, which covered samples for all of the booths and a 6 oz cup for each booth.

The first beer we tasted was a Czech beer, Merlin Cerny. This was Mana’s favorite. It was a stout that had a slight bitterness and a rich aftertaste. Mana was excited about trying it and tasted it before I could take a picture.

Next stop: Goose Island. We really wanted to taste the Duck Duck Goose because it’s an ale with tropical fruit and that sounded interesting, but they, unfortunately, ran out, so we had the Urban Wheat Ale instead. The Urban Wheat was light and had a slight fruity flavor. The sign said citrus, but it didn’t taste citrusy to me(Chanda). It had more of a light, sweet, fruity flavor. It wasn’t overly sweet, and it still tasted like an ale. I like Goose Island beer, and I’ve never been disappointed with their products. It’s not my favorite, but I think it’s a solid beer that you can rely on.

Schöfferhofer Grapefruit Beer – We’ve had many grapefruit beers in Korea, which are typically grapefruit-flavored Cass. They’re usually too sweet because they’re trying to mask the flavor of the beer and this reminded us of that. We were surprised because we’re partial to German beer, and we’ve liked all the German beers we’ve had, but this was too sweet and tasted more like a cocktail than a beer. The line was also really long, so it wasn’t worth the wait.

Platinum Craft Beer Oatmeal Stout – Mana and I alternated between ale and stout to balance out the flavors so we wouldn’t be influenced by the aftertaste of each beer, but I wanted something bitter after that last beer, so I chose the stout. I’m usually more into ale, but I liked all the stouts we tasted, and this one made my top 3. It had a deep, rich flavor, and it wasn’t bitter.

Gorilla Brewing Co Raspberry Wheat Ale – Mana didn’t want to go to this booth because there weren’t many people lining up, but I wasn’t going to let one beer go untasted. The initial taste was a little sour and bitter. The sourness was subtle, but it lasted long. The aftertaste slowly dissipated, but I felt that was a good thing. While the flavors weren’t powerful, I thought this indicated quality ingredients and good brewing technique. It was a little flat, but I think it’s a great beer for summer because it’s refreshing. Also, it’s something you can drink for a while without feeling bored with the taste.

The Hand and Malt Brewing Company Mocha Stout – We didn’t have a ticket for this booth because Mana accidentally used it at another booth without that booth noticing(we kept the ticket as a souvenir). We bought a cup, which is bigger than the taster, and it was worth it. We’ve had this beer before because they sell it at the Shake Shack in Gangnam, and I love it! The initial flavor is a strong mocha flavor, then slightly bitter. The bitterness stabilizes, and the other flavors slowly diminish, but I like the bitterness in this stout because it still has flavor to it.

We took a much-needed food break because I didn’t want to stumble around drunk, and I wanted to taste the beers. The food wasn’t great, but it sobered me up a bit. I looked a hot mess, but I’m sure no one noticed.

After we took a, rest we went to the Ark booth and had Last night. I wasn’t really into this ale. It had a fruity bitter taste, but the flavor disappeared quickly. I felt it was an unmemorable ale because it doesn’t have a taste that distinguishes it from any other beer. It’s not something I would willingly drink again.

Brewdog Punk IPA – Mana and I both liked this beer. When you first taste it, the flavor intensifies, then comes down slowly. It has a long-lasting flavor, so I would drink this beer slowly to fully enjoy it. It’s not something you want to throw back on a night out. This beer is meant to be appreciated and enjoyed.

Brau Breitbach BB Stout – This one was just ok to me(Chanda). I thought the bitterness lasted too long, and the flavors weren’t very well balanced. Even though they topped it with a lot of foam, it was a little flat. We don’t know anything about their ales, but we’d pass on this stout.

Brewery 304 Cinema Houston Stout – This was my(Chanda) favorite beer of the festival! It was chocolaty but not overpowering or sweet. The bitterness was intense but slowly melted away. It was creamy, smooth, and not overpowering like I feel most stouts are. It was the best stout I’ve tasted.

Art Monster Ultimate Luck – We thought that this ale was refreshing and very light. The aftertaste lasted very long, but it still remained fresh. We think this is another beer that’s great for summer because it doesn’t make you feel heavy and remains light. We want to try it again on a hot day and see how we feel about it then.

The Ranch Saison De Siegel – This ale had a long-lasting flavor. It’s a little difficult to describe the flavor because it felt very complex, but it was well-balanced. Mana said it made her mouth feel a little numb like Sichuan peppercorns. The flavors were so well balanced that it made Mana’s top 3.

Jeju Beer Company Jeju Wit Ale – We didn’t care for this one. I’m not sure if they have other brews, but this one was the only one on the menu. It was carbonated well, but it didn’t taste better than the regular local beers we’ve had before. The only real difference in taste was subtle, but nothing that made me want to drink more.

After several hours and 13 beers, we were finally ready to go home. The festival was still crowded, and there were a few hours left before it ended, but I(Chanda) was very satisfied with the day and super proud of my cup collection. Mana may or may not have had to help me get home.