Magpie Brewing Co. is a South Korean craft brewery based in Seoul and on Jeju Island. Founded in 2011 as a home-brewing project in the Itaewon district of Seoul, it grew into one of the country's better-known craft beer producers, operating taprooms in Seoul and on Jeju as well as its own brewery on the island.
History Magpie began in 2011 when a group of friends started brewing beer in a home-brewing studio near Gyeongnidan-gil in Itaewon, Seoul. One of the co-founders, Erik Moynihan, has said the venture started as a hobby before becoming a commercial operation. The company opened a bar in the Tapdong area of Jeju City in 2014, and in 2016 it built its own brewery in a converted citrus warehouse on Jeju Island. Its head office is in the Yongsan District of Seoul.
By 2019 the company was exporting to Hong Kong and Thailand and ran a membership programme for its sour and barrel-aged beers.
Beers Magpie produces a range of styles including pale ale, porter and a gose called "The Ghost". In 2019, The Ghost was named Champion Beer of Asia at the SEA Brew conference in Thailand, a competition organised with the German hops company Barth-Haas; the beer also took gold in two of the contest's categories.
Locations The company's original venue is its taproom in Itaewon, Seoul. It later expanded with locations in Seoul and on Jeju Island, including a brewpub in Jeju City.
Reception Magpie has been described in English-language media as a notable stop on South Korea's craft beer scene. The Korea Times reported on the brewery's tenth anniversary in 2022.
References