So…you want to hear about the craft beer scene around Songtan (Sinjang)? Songtan, one of the northernmost areas of Pyeongtaek, has plenty of bars, pubs, and restaurants serving regular and craft beers. Therefore, let’s explore the neighborhoods of Songtan and discover craft beer with the Osan Craft Beer Club (you can join us on Facebook).
Craft Beer in Sinjang-dong, Pyeongtaek
The neighborhood directly outside Osan AB’s main gate often called the Songtan Entertainment District, or SED for short. This neighborhood has many, foreigner-friendly bars and restaurants, and almost all of them serve the typical Cass, Hite, Kloud, and common imports such as Heineken, Guinness, and Lost Coast. Even so, if you are looking for the craft beer scene around Songtan (Sinjang), you have a few options.
Sunny Can Cook...and Drink
0316651293
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OCBC Notes: In a small back alley, Sunny’s BBQ is a small bar with Platinum beers.
Blue Opera
031-665-3552
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Hangul Address
경기 평택시 쇼핑로 15-1
This popular bar/restaurant is located on the main shopping street in front of Osan Air Force Base. This area is also called the Songtan Entertainment District (SED) and the Ville. You cant miss it as it has a giant gargoyle above the door.
OCBC Notes: Blue Opera located on the main drag of the SED. In fact, they carry a few American craft beers on tap.
brue Pizza And Wings
Hangul Address
경기 평택시 쇼핑로12
Beer pub with 50 beers on tap. A great place for beer lovers. Located on the shopping strip in front of Osan Main Gate on a basement level.
OCBC Notes: The Brue, located on the main drag of the SED, is the largest taproom in Songtan, hosting up to 50 taps (although many are not in use as business recovers from COVID). In addition, the Brue actually makes a few of its own fruit-flavored ales, but mostly carries imported beers with several Korean regular and craft taps rounding out the lineup. The Brue has a pool table and a frequent drinker club with T-shirts and free drinks as prizes.
Wingin It
0316679292
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Hangul Address
경기도 평택시 신장1로 19
A family restaurant serving wings, tenders, wraps, and bowls. They even have vegan options. They also have a nice select of Korean craft beers.
OCBC Notes: One other establishment, although not as large, boasts Songtan’s finest Korean craft beer selection. Wingin’ It Chicken and Beer is a good-sized pub with 14 active taps (with hopefully more opening in the future as there are 26 available).
At the time of this blog, the taps included Gorilla, White Crow, Chillhops, KaBrew, and Magpie; some of Korea’s best craft breweries. Additionally, they also carry some imports and local mass-market beers on tap, as well as a healthy bottle selection largely consisting of quality Belgian beers.
The chicken comes in both tender and wing form, with a tasty array of sauces and side dishes that complement the beer well. They also have vegan tenders for the plant based beer lovers. Also, Wingin’ It has a pool table, dart boards, a poker table, and table soccer.
Concept Kitchen
0316650550
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OCBC Notes: Two venues not normally associated with beer have recently entered the market. Firstly, Concept Kitchen, a small venue near Asia Hotel which is a ghost kitchen for 5 brands (Wingman, Rice Bowl, Mac Daddy’s, Wing Spot, Fortune Cookie) on Shuttle.
Cosmic Cat Sinjang
01077345248
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Hangul Address
경기 평택시 중앙시장로25번길 11
Hand made custom donuts. Pre-orders: Wednesday to Friday (No pre-orders on weekends) Pre-order by messaging their Instagram. You can also find their daily menu there.
OCBC Notes: Also, Cosmic Cat Donuts have well-stocked fridges with a good and rotating selection of Korean craft beers.
Craft beer in Jisan-dong and Seojung-dong, Pyeongtaek
Miguang
010-9881-6219
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OCBC Notes: Miguang Pub, near Posco Apartments, is a cozy pub that sells beer from a few large Korean craft brewers and boasts a good whisky collection. Specifically, be sure to get a picture with the on-site stuffed kangaroo. The “city hall” area is home to dozens of Korean-style restaurants and bars, primarily offering common Korean beer and soju. Two potential venues exist near Seojung-ri Station but are currently not open due to renovations or COVID.
North of Songtan
The following areas are NOT in Pyeongtaek, but they are nearby. However, these craft beer establishments are perfect destinations as they are reachable for an evening outing or for a day trip. Travel to Osan is best done on the subway. Travel to Dongtan is easiest on the subway and then a cab or on the SRT. Traveling to Suwon is easiest via the subway and a cab.
Craft Beer in Osan City
Crow:D
0507-1302-6216
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Hangul Address
경기 오산시 오산로 252
Pub CROW:D is a small pub in the Osaek Market in Osan City. The market is the largest market in Gyeonggi-do and has been in operation for hundreds of years. CROW:D is run by Kkamagui Brewing, with both named after the black crows that are famous in Osan. CROW:D typically sells eight Kkamagui brews and two guest beers. The pub is small with only eight tables. The food menu includes a nice charcuterie board, fried chicken, and more.
OCBC Notes: Pub CROW:D is a small pub in the Osaek Market in Osan City. The market is the largest market in Gyeonggi-do and has been in operation for hundreds of years. CROW:D is run by Kkamagui Brewing, with both named after the black crows that are famous in Osan. Comparatively, CROW:D typically sells eight Kkamagui brews and two guest beers. Although the pub is small with only eight tables, the food menu includes a nice charcuterie board, fried chicken, and more.
Craft Beer in Dongtan City
The new city of Dongtan has a few worthwhile stops. The new Lotte Department Store at the Dongtan Train Station is home to the new Tap Public.
Tap Public
0507-1419-3583
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Hangul Address
동탄점 경기 화성시 동탄역로 160
60 taps to try!! 58 beers and two wines. A full menu of burgers, pasta, and pizza. High chairs for families.
OCBC Notes: Tap Public offers 60 taps of pure joy, 59 being beer and 1 being wine. The beer ranges from Cass and Budweiser up to fine brews from American and Korean craft brewers. This unique pub issues you a wristband that you swipe at the tap when you pour your own beers. Fun times! Since it is near the Lake Como recreation area, you can also find Budnamu Craft and Beer Season.
Budnamu Brewing
033-920-9380
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Hangul Address
강원 강릉시 경강로 1961
A budnamu is a willow tree. Budnamu Brewery was founded in Gangneung-si in 2015. The brewery is situated in Gangneung’s oldest makgeolli distillery which creates a comfy atmosphere for those who visit. The dining room has a mixture of high and low ceilings, with wood and brick accents throughout. It is very interesting to observe the architecture and craftsmanship from 70+ years ago. An outdoor seating area is out the side door and provides the opportunity to eat and drink alongside flowers, trees, and a few kittens. Many of Budnamu’s beers have signature local ingredients such as chrysanthemum, pine, and rice. These ingredients blend nicely with the barley and hops and highlight what the local market can add to the beer. Budnamu also has a great food selection. The burgers are big and filled with plenty of toppings. The pizzas are also large, with thin crusts and fresh toppings. In addition to the brewery and dining room in Gangneung, Budnamu also has a pub at the Lake Como mall in Dongtan New City.
OCBC Notes: Budnamu Craft is a fine restaurant run by the Budnamu Brewery, headquartered on the east coast in Gangneung. Indeed, this restaurant has great pizza and other food and offers a good sampling of the brewery’s beer along with unique items like spices, homemade jams and salts, and seasonal baked goods.
Wine and More in Lake Como Mall
031-377-5551
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Hangul Address
경기 화성시 동탄대로 181
A wine and booze shop located in the Lake Como Mall
OCBC Notes: The Lake Como mall also hosts a Wine and More which carries plenty of beer. Across the street is …
Beer Season
0507-1389-3272
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OCBC Notes: Beer Season, a tiki bar offering great food and 10 taps of Korean craft beer. The atmosphere is fun and the staff is super friendly. Get there just before sunset for beautiful views across the lake.
Nogoon Craft Beer Dongtan
0507-1404-7679
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Craft Beer in Suwon
Moving north to Suwon, you can find three breweries, New City, Levee, and Fundamental.
New City Brewing Club
010-4531-2116
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Hangul Address
경기 수원시 팔달구 화서문로 5
Researched by: Emily, Pyeongtaek Travelers FB Group A small craft brewery right on one of the popular shopping streets in Suwon. I think they have three beers with maybe a seasonal rotator? They also have a dog and a patio
OCBC Notes: New City is located inside Hwasong Fortress. However, they offer a small menu that can be enjoyed in their beer garden.
Fundamental Brewing
0507-1319-7808
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Hangul Address
경기 수원시 영통구 매영로269번길 61
The atmosphere of Fundamental is very posh and modern–not something that would be typical in the US or Canada. It feels like a date spot or a place to impress a potential client. The ability to see the brewing equipment through a glass wall was impressive AND it was super-cool they were barrel-aging some of their beers. I love the warm and inviting feeling barrels invoke.
OCBC Notes: Fundamental is a full brewery and brewpub with unique fusion food and delicious beers. Aside from these breweries, Suwon is also fortunate to have good bottle shops and bars including Alleyway Taphouse, Artmonster, Elephant Castle, and Nogoon.
Alleyway Taphouse
010-7600-2574
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Hangul Address
경기 수원시 팔달구 정조로 751-11
Live music and craft beers.
OCBC Notes: Alleyway Taphouse hosts live music several times a month.
Art Monster
031-233-3715
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OCBC Notes: Artmonster is part of a nationwide chain offering Artmonster beers and more. Also, each store is decorated differently and offers cool, trendy vibes.
Elephant Castle
010-3400-5308
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OCBC Notes: Elephant Castle boasts perhaps the most well-curated beer menu in Korea. Notably, unique draft beers are rotated weekly, and the two fridges contain plenty of hidden treasures. In addition, most of the beers are imports and come from some of the best breweries in the world.
Nogoon Craft Beer
070-7760-3070
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Nogoon Beer Yeongtong
070-7576-4878
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OCBC Notes: Nogoon’s two stores 1F and 2F in Suwon also offer draft and bottle selections.
OCBC Notes: Levee is currently closed due to COVID, but I hope they will reopen soon.
How to find all the beer in Korea
In conclusion, this blog is just the tip of the iceberg. Because the craft beer scene around Songtan (Sinjang) and even in just Korea is new, it is growing quickly. There are roughly 200 breweries and at least that many pubs and bottle shops.
The ???? ????? ???? ???? was created to provide a resource to help find these establishments and guide beer lovers to good beer across Korea. Therefore, if you are interested in partaking in this journey, be sure to check us out on Facebook or Instagram.
Further, for more insight into the Pyeongtaek scene, you should visit The Pyeongtaek Craft Beer Society.
Cheers! 
Mike Brown retired from the Air Force, holds a Master’s in Business Administration, and is a co-founder of the Osan Craft Beer Club. Mr. Brown worked as a Korean language analyst and translator and currently lives with his family in South Korea.
As a leader of the Osan Craft Beer Club, Mike Brown brings together casual beer lovers and advanced craft connoisseurs to share knowledge of the craft beer industry in South Korea.
Additionally, he works with breweries, distributors, and the community to support and promote the growing craft beer scene across South Korea.
