Taedonggang

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This article is about a beer brand. For the river in North Korea, see Taedong River.

Taedonggang

A bottle of Taedonggang beer as sold at a pub in Itaewon, South Korea.

Korean name

Chosŏn'gŭl	대동강맥주
Hancha	大同江麥酒
McCune-Reischauer	Taedonggang maekchu
Revised Romanization	Daedonggang maekju

Taedonggang is a brand of North Korean beer brewed by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company based in Pyongyang. Technically, it is actually 4 brands^[1], though the brand known simply as "Taedonggang Beer" is that described below. In 2000, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il purchased all of the dismantled formerly British-based and now-defunct Ushers Beer Brewery^[2] plant and all the necessary brewing equipment and components. The brewery uses German-made computerized brewing control technology and official production of beer started in 2002. With an alcohol content of 5% and a taste significantly more bitter than most Asian beers, indeed resembling a British ale, Taedonggang beer is targeted primarily at domestic consumers, but in 2005 limited export began to South Korea, where it is imported by Vintage Korea, a company based in Dogok, Gangnam, Seoul. In mid-2007, however, availability of Taedonggang beer in South Korea began to lessen and it is widely believed now that it is no longer being imported into the country, after the brewery increased the price 70% without warning.