[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Following bears, horses, and tigers, this time the protagonist from Jeju Island folklore has appeared on beer.
On the 10th, CU announced that it will sell ‘Our Ale,’ a unique collaborative craft beer developed through a partnership between Hyundai Card and Jeju Ale to strengthen its lineup of domestic craft beers.
Our Ale is a product jointly developed over a year and a half by Hyundai Card and Jeju Beer, distinguished from existing products by incorporating the unique story of the ‘Seonmundae Halmeoni Shin’ folklore into the craft beer.
The Seonmundae Halmeoni Shin folklore is a creation myth of Jeju Island, telling the story of the creator deity Seonmundae Halmeoni who made Hallasan Mountain and various oreums by carrying soil in her skirt.
The Our Ale packaging uses blue (sea), green (oreum), and red (sun) colors, featuring a playful depiction of Halmeoni Shin brewing beer with barley and hops.
This product is a session ale that minimizes the heavy hop aroma and bitterness typical of ale beers, emphasizing citrus (tangerine) scent and sweetness. It features a lower alcohol content (4.4%) and a light fullness compared to regular ales, making it easy for craft beer beginners to enjoy.
CU is offering a promotion throughout November where customers can purchase 4 cans for 10,000 won to enjoy this product at a reasonable price.
Recently, CU has been continuously launching unique craft beers with distinctive stories such as Gom Pyo (Bear Brand), Mal Pyo (Horse Brand), and Horangi Pyo (Tiger Brand, Muke’s Mild IPA), securing a solid fan base.
In fact, from January to October this year, CU’s craft beer sales growth rate soared by 546.0% compared to the previous year. The share of craft beer among domestic beers also increased fivefold from 1.9% in 2018, when convenience stores began actively introducing craft beers, to 9.5%.
Along with sales growth, the number of craft beer items operated by CU has nearly doubled from last year to about 30 varieties, holding the largest lineup in the industry.
Seungtaek Lee, MD of the Beverage Food Team at BGF Retail, said, “The domestic craft beer market, which was worth around 88 billion won last year, is expected to grow significantly due to the revision of the liquor tax law this year and expand to a scale of 200 billion won by the end of this year. CU will continue to strive to introduce diverse craft beers with rich stories, living up to its reputation as a craft beer artisan.”
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