It may vaguely remind you of a pioneering electronic German band, but Craftworks Taphouse and Bistro is the hottest brewpub in Seoul. Tired of Cass and Shite, er, Hite beer, then you need to get over there.
Craftworks is located in the somewhat trendy, foreigner-frequented Itaewon neighborhood, not far from the mouth of the Namsan tunnel. It’s a medium-sized place with a smoking section separate from the main bar area. Totally laid back and frequented by foreigners and locals alike. English is spoken. Not a surprise as the founder is Dan Vroon, a foreigner who made Korea his home and was jonesin’ for craft beers.
They typically have 6 locally brewed beers on tap ranging from pilsner and wheat beer to dark ale and an oatmeal stout, plus one import. And if you want to try them all they have a beer flight for just under 10,000 won. The beer is from Kapa Brewery located in Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province with a stream running right past the brewhouse. They offer the only beer brewed in Korea using spring water and they deliver it fresh to the brewery. The brewers are Korean and trained in Germany, and have been brewing for 15 years. The head brewer, Park Chul, is a partner here.
There are about a dozen wines for those more into grapes than grains, and the best selection of single-malt whiskeys this side of the 38th parallel. More than 24 at last count and a number of blends and bourbons as well.
There’s food, of course, some vegetarian items, a real hamburger made with hormone-free beef, several items involving cheese – something the long-term foreign residents will likely be missing. Even the salad dressings and mayonnaise are made in-house.
Having a couple of brews with my friends Alan and…say, isn’t that Runaway Juno?? 🙂
Craftworks opened in November 2010 and immediately became popular. The beer is good, no question, and it’s one of the very few places to find an IPA.
The kitchen closes a bit early which can leave one a bit taken by the munchies. But they do have some amazing cakes. And there’s always the beer. Beer is food, right?
Open weekdays from 3pm to “late” (2am) and weekends serving brunch from 11am and closing around 3am.
Located in Itaewon, just a five-minute walk from Noksapyeong station
Myeongsan Building, Yongsan-gu, Itaewon 2-dong 651, +82 (2) 794-2537
For your taxi driver: 용산구 이태원 2동 명산빌딩 651
A much needed place in the Itaewon area! There is only so much crappy Korean beer a man can drink! What are the prices like? Any kind of non-local beer in Korea is usually quite expensive. I was paying nearly $10 for a Guinness last time I was there!
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I found the prices rather reasonable for Seoul and for craft beer. Definitely less than $10. In fact, I think the sampler tray was just under $9 or so.
I can’t believe I spent a whole year in Seoul and was never aware this place existed–I was DEFINITELY tired of Hite and Cass. It got so bad, I even found myself ordering Budweiser on more than one occasion.
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