Chillhops Brewing Company Location
UPDATE: As of September 2022 Chillhops Brewing Company closed the doors on their Seosan location and opened a new taproom in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul near Noksapyeong Station. Descriptions of the taproom in this article are based on the previous location and are no longer up to date. We encourage readers to check out their new location for the same great beers.
Chillhops Brewing
010-9231-8737
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Update: The Chillhops tasting room Closed in Seosan and opened in Itaewon. This is the most exceptional brewery that I have yet found on the Korean peninsula. They do every style well. Their experimentation is varied and well executed. I had 10 beer tastings so far and havent found one I wouldnt have a full pint of. The staff is super passionate and interesting to chat with and they know their craft very well. I cant recommend this place highly enough, but know that its out of the way and the beers are constantly changing. They are an Australian, New Zealand, and Korean rooted Craft brewery that truly is setting the bar high. Youll see them Next Friday at the 13th Beer Tasting at the E-Club though! From the Brewery: A Countryside Batch Brewery located on the very West Coast Side of Korea. A brewery dedicated to bringing modern style beers & supplying throughout Korea with one twist... Beers inspired from back Home - Down Under (Australia & New Zealand). We use the freshest Hops and malts from Down Under giving you the taste of our Homeland. We have house beers and a flagship New Zealand Double IPA (Chur Bro!) but enjoy pushing the boundaries and batch brew as much as we can. Chur!
Hangul Address
서울 용산구 녹사평대로40다길
Chillhops Brewing Company sits near the heart of Seosan city, Chungcheongnam-do, about an hour southwest of Pyeongtaek. Having never looked up its exact location, I originally expected Chillhops to be in a more rural setting, considering the last Seosan brewery I visited, Oh Brewery and Cafe, was off the beaten path. Although Chillhops was still off the beaten path too, it’s nestled on a side street in a more urban setting.
The Chillhops Vibe
The brewery and taproom were on the bottom floor of an old, renovated 80’s style Korean brick house. I later learned from Jina, a co-founder of Chillhops, the second floor was an office and storage area. Honestly, I am a huge fan of renovated, old Korean houses turned into cool cafes, offices, and new breweries.
These hip renovations are often seen in posh areas of Seoul, with a few found in other modernizing cities, including Pyeongtaek, and it looks like Chillhops is bringing sexy back to the mean streets of Seosan. Great choice in location!
Finding Chillhops
After Waze took us to the general vicinity of Chillhops, we had to briefly search down a residential side street. I was worried that perhaps the brewery had relocated because I expected it to be on the main street with large signage. After three minutes of driving, I saw the Chillhops logo, white, against a black painted garage door. There was also a small, subtle, lighted sign.
Chillhops First Impressions
I saw the head brewer and co-founder, Nick, sitting at one of the outdoor seats of the brewery. Rolling down my car window, I asked if he was with Chillhops, not wanting to presume he was associated with the brewery as the only obvious foreigner around. I quickly corrected myself and told Nick I recognized him from Chillhops Instagram photos. He was “Insta-famous” to me, so I was a little star-struck.
Nick mentioned the brewpub would not open until 7pm on Fridays, about 45 minutes from the time I arrived. I asked about parking and he pointed further down the side street. I peered into the taproom and thought it was small, but also thought the whole vibe, being in a renovated old house with modern accouterments, was “Gucci,” as the kids like to say these days–I think 
.
Chillhops Brewing Company Has a Bottle Shop
At about 7pm, we returned back to Chillhops and noticed the brewpub area had another sign over it stating, “Bottle Shop.” I did not know, but Chillhops carried other Korean craft beers! How awesome! We entered and were greeted by Jina, the co-founder of Chillhops. I didn’t realize who she was until later when I grabbed her business card. My initial impression was that the taproom was small but very cozy.
There was definitely soft mood lighting and the furniture had an industrial, rustic feel. Interesting, often sought-after limited edition beer bottles lined a shelf surrounding the taproom. I could tell whoever put them there was WAY more versed in beer tasting than I was.
Chillhops Doesn’t Serve Food BUT You Can Order Delivery
In my very semi-fluent Korean, I asked whether Chillhops served food. Jina said their selection was very limited, but we were allowed to order 포장, or food delivery as long as the aroma was not too pungent.
Pungency is often a risk with some types of Korean food. We opted for Tteokbokki (떡볶이) and chicken. Jina gave us her phone to look at the menu and even called in the order for us. She was very gracious and welcoming and even allowed me to continue speaking in my sometimes broken Korean, although I later found out she was fluent in English. Thanks, Jina!
Chillhops Brewing Company Beer Menu
The beer menu consisted of 16x mostly unique types of beers. I ordered two paddles of 4x beers for a grand total of 8x samples, only tasting a few sips of each:1. G’Day Mate, Tropical Pale Ale2. Ginger Crush, Fruit Ale3. Lucinder, Dark Ale4. MPPGCS-324, Triple Fruited Gose5. Oat Xream #3, Oat Cream DDH IPA6. Pineapple Cherry Pants, Fruited Super Sour7. Berry Decadent, Pastry Stout8. Tropicool, DDH Hazy IPA. My goal was simply to taste the beers and take my favorites ‘to-go.’ Four of the beers really ‘talked’ to me.
What I tried at Chillhops
The Ginger Crush had a noticeable ginger taste but was not as sweet as a typical low-alcohol ginger beer. It had a balanced level of bitterness, which made it a delight to taste.
The Gose was unique and fruity–maybe a bit too much, but was tasty nonetheless. It had a sweet, tangy finish.
The Oat IPA was exactly what I hoped for. It had a very creamy mouthfeel, achieved by adding oats–not sure if some lactose sugar was involved too? Nick used just the perfect amount of thickening ingredients to give this IPA that silky-smooth mouthfeel while maintaining the ability for the beer to form a good head of foam.
Finally, the Pastry Stout achieved it’s purpose well. It was quite sweet, rich, thick, and a wonderful example of what a pastry stout should be–“DECADENT.” It reminded me of the previous pastry stout I had at SugarMan in Sosabeol.
What I took home from Chillhops Brewing Company
I bought a can of this Berry Decadent, but will likely share it–it is that rich. It was sad to see only a limited selection of their ‘house’ beers available in cans. I really would have liked to take a Xream home to further ponder the flavor and mouthfeel. I ended up getting one of each of Chillhops’ beers available, minus the G’day Mate Tropical Ale. It was good, but a little too watered-down for my palate. The beers ‘to-go’ I purchased were:1. Juicinder, Hazy IPA2. Be The Red, IPA3. Tropicool, Hazy IPA4. Ginger Crush, Fruit Ale5. Pinapple Cherry Pants, Fruited Super Sour6. Berry Decadent, Pastry Stout7. Joy Juice, Hazy IPA8. Fizzy Oranzzy, Jeju Fruited Gose AND Non-Chillhops9. Gorilla Popcicle IPA
Heading Home From Chillhops
I was glad to finally make it out to Chillhops Brewing Company — one of the few breweries that are semi-close to Pyeongtaek at about one’ish hours away. The atmosphere was cozy and the beer selection was both unique and tasty. One beer I really wish they still had a few of was their recently released (in September), but quickly sold out barrel-aged stout. Maybe next year!
Thanks, Nick and Jina, for your warm hospitality and wonderful craft beer selection. I will be seeing you again in the future, perhaps after your next unique release of tastiness. Thanks, Pyeongtaek Travelers and South of Seoul, for giving us a venue to share our love for beer!
(Mike Smith is the founder of the Pyeongtaek Craft Beer Society. Join the group and learn more about Craft Beer across South Korea.
Founder of the Pyeongtaek Craft Beer Society, Mike Smith is currently studying for a Master Brewers Certificate while living and working in South Korea.
The Pyeongtaek Craft Beer Society fosters friends and a love for craft beers across South Korea. The group provides a welcome and inclusive space to learn about new beers, share beer stories, and generally geek out about all things brewing. Anyone is welcome to join their Facebook group to learn more about Korean craft Beer.
