“I think that a well-crafted beer is a great way to connect people to each other.” Those who accidentally come across craft beer brewing through HoppyHoliday will fall in love with the charm of beer that can express the flavors and colors of various ingredients. And once again, people admire the joy of sharing their beer with their loved ones.
A glass of beer, it is also about protecting a piece of your own value and happiness.
Urban-local interchange in Korea started with the purpose of human exchange between urban and rural areas, and mutual exchange of goods such as agricultural, forestry and fishery products, life experiences, recreational services, information, and culture. After several years of preparation, starting with the agricultural/small/government project in 1988, the Green Local Experience Village project was promoted in 2002 and local tourism was accelerated. The government has been focusing on infrastructure expansion and institutional framework for revitalizing local-urban exchanges and experiential tourism, understanding the revitalization of the local economy and the increase in the income of farmers and fishermen.
Despite significant achievements such as expansion of local experience and recreation infrastructure, local study abroad project, business village tie-up, direct trade of agricultural products, etc., the quality of experience facilities and services is insufficient, and the urban-local interchange project faced the limist of growth due to lack of quality control and information sharing. In addition, the circumstances of the times, such as low birth rate and aging problem, balanced national development, are changing, and a new solution is required.
I stop working in Seoul and was looking for a suitable city for founding business. Then, by chance, I happened to participate in one local hop festival and met a farmer couple named Hopeden growing hops in Uiseong. I thought that if I used domestic hops and seasonal fresh hops, I could definitely make a special and diverse beer.
Supported by the youth inflow policy of Uiseong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do to solve the problems of local extinction and aging due to population decrease, I came to draw my new life in Uiseong. In Angye-myeon, Uiseong-gun, which is a 10-minute walk distance to the bus terminal, Hoppyholiday, a beer workshop and pub, was built by remodeling a country house.
A lovely space for locals who are thirsty for culture and food, a shelter for urban youth who have migrated to Uiseong, Hoppyholiday is giving the unique pleasure of craft beer experience to many people came from near Gyeongsang-do, from the metropolitan region, and even from the United States, Canada, and Japan. HoppyHoliday is attracting attention as an alternative to solving regional problems and a successful case of urban-local exchange.
HoppyHoliday means 'enjoy rest falling deep into beer'. 'Farm to brewing' using local produce such as peaches, strawberries, and herbs is special gift only available at craft beer workshops in local place. The festival held in the fresh hop field every July connects various people one another, and the home-brewing class using fresh hops just harvested is an unique experience which is possible only once a year.
'Uiseong Lager', a beer using domestic cashmere hops, released in January 2022, had a wonderful outcome of being sold out, and the second batch released in July set a record of being sold out again in that day of launch. Taking a steppingstore of the workshop currently in operation, HoppyHoliday is taking a step toward the goal of setting up a brewery at the end.
‘Are you ready to drink value and share experiences?’
Since deciding to start a business in the local region, the following questions often(sometimes very often) come up to me: Why do you so hard? What more are you gonna do? Are you confident?’
Rather than worrying about negative outcomes that you won't know if you don't do it, keep looking for reasons to do it and how to do it for a positive outcome. That's the only reason that keeps me moving forward to the next step. I remember three years ago when I was preparing to start a HoppyHoliday business and recorded my concerns about the beer ingredients switching to localize as possible as I can.
It was only in the third year of its founding that I barely took the first small steps that could be made as a small workshop in a rural village, I realize that a small but definite change is taking place compared to before.
Thanks to everyone who cheered us on in their own way, Korea's craft beer market and domestic ingredients market are still incomplete, but they are definitely continuing to develop and move forward. Another beer using domestic hops is about to be released.
All the consumers who loved the Uiseong lager previously distributed, all the participants who enjoyed the Show Me the Hop Festival, all the ho-hollers(HoppyHoliday fans) who visited Uiseong to experience fresh hop brewing, and breweries who have commercialized the use of domestic hops in beer manufacturing.
Thanks to everyone who cheered me on in their own way, although Korea's craft beer market and domestic ingredients market is small, it is clearly moving in the direction of development. Another beer using domestic hops is about to be released.
The hard work and sweat of Hopeden farmers who continue the domestic hop growing although it is difficult. Those efforts enable to fully reached everyone who loves craft beer are filled in a bottle of beer created by the magic of Turmbräu brewers.
Cheers to everyone who enjoys Korean hopped beer Show Me the Fresh Hop to go on each day not only enjoying the moment of drinking a glass of beer, but protecting a piece of your own value and happiness. Have a Hoppy Holiday.
