North Korea beer is losing out at home to homemade craft brews and Chinese imports. Even so, the country’s state trading companies are pushing exports of the same domestic brands into China.
A source in South Hamgyong province said beer demand has climbed in Hamhung as the weather warms. But state-made brands such as Taedonggang beer and Ponghak beer are losing ground to Chinese beer and beer brewed at home.
Restaurants and jangmadang, the informal markets central to North Korea’s economy, sell all three types side by side in Hamhung. Homemade beer is the best seller, the source said. Chinese beer comes second, and domestically produced factory beer trails both.
Demand for factory beer is relatively weak because of its taste, the source said. North Korean people have long complained that it carries a strong barley smell and tastes heavy and unrefined.
North Korean people have generally preferred homemade beer to the factory-made variety, even before this recent shift, the source said. The source compared it to injogogibap, a rice dish stuffed into pressed soybean-oil cake wrappers that is popular nationwide. Homemade beer holds a similar place among alcoholic drinks, the source said.
People who master brewing sometimes open their own beer bars. Others supply restaurants and retail stores wholesale, the source said. Home-brewing skills have improved enough that some drinkers now rate homemade beer as tasting better than the factory-made kind.
Alcohol content is another draw. Homemade beer averages around 15% alcohol by volume, noticeably higher than Chinese or domestic beer. Drinkers looking for a stronger drink tend to seek it out, the source said.
A source in Ryanggang province reported a similar pattern in Hyesan. Homemade and Chinese beer are said to outsell domestic brands there. Homemade beer sells best in restaurants, while Chinese beer draws customers with more money to spend, the source said.
Many North Korean people view Chinese beer as overpriced for its taste. Still, wealthier drinkers order it at restaurants as a status symbol, the source said. Factory beer differs little in taste from homemade beer, so price-conscious drinkers tend to choose the cheaper homemade option instead.
North Korea beer sells well in China, unlike other exports
Domestic consumers are turning away from state-made beer at home. Even so, North Korean trading companies are actively exporting it to China. North Korean cosmetics and other food products have struggled to sell in the Chinese market. The country’s beer brands, however, are reportedly performing comparatively well.
Another source said North Korean brands, including Taedonggang beer, Ponghak beer and Unhasu beer, are sold in Chinese brick-and-mortar shops and online. Bottles typically cost around 15 Chinese yuan, or about $2.20. Some buyers purchase by the case, the source said.
North Korean alcohol sells comparatively well next to other North Korean exports, the source said. Some Chinese merchants are reportedly considering investing directly in North Korean beer factories. Their goal would be producing canned beer and other varieties aimed at export markets.
Reporting from inside North Korea
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July 7, 2026 at 07:28PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)