In Defense of Korean Beer

Pavement, “Texas Never Whispers”

By law, foreigners in South Korea are obligated to complain about the watery, domestic local beers like Cass and Hite and OB.  And also, cheer at the growth of Korean micro-breweries.

It’s a bit of a bum rap though.  In the context of Korean food and drinking culture, light lagers are perfectly fine.  If you’re gulping down pig entrails and spicy, salty bowls of soybean soup, you really don’t want anything darker or heavier.

What really defines Korean drinking culture isn’t the lightness of the beer, but the smallness of the glasses.  This compels you to constantly pour drinks for and accept pours from your friends.  It makes for a much more performative night out than an American- or European-sized bottomless mug would.

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