Consider yourself a yangban, an aristocrat back in Joseon Dynasty, with a refined palate for craft beer? Well, yeah, it is a weird scenario, but that's what you can imagine at this place. Kiwa Taproom, hiding within the maze of ancient hanoks of Bukchon, is a pub that serves great beers under a charcoal-colored giwa (traditionally-tiled) roof.
During the day, natural sunlight coming in from the center madang (open yard) casually puts an emphasis on the beautiful architectural features; at night, the hanok gets majestically-li t, filled with an ancient glam. Equally impressive is the beer line-up here; From Founders Porter to Schneider Weisse Tap 5 IPW and the sour Duchesse De Bourgogne, Kiwa Taproom offers one of the best selections you'll find in Seoul. What's more, the menu's changed up every month, by the obvious-beer-enthusiast owners. While there’s no real agenda as to how they fill up the list, their choices are mostly likely to be quite adventurous and up to date. The taproom's signature, though, would be the Mungyeong Brewery's Jeomchon IPA which they've had on the menu since the very beginning. Our tip: Don't pass on the food pairing just because there's no professionally-trained chef managing the kitchen—their Portland-inspired spinach artichoke dip with a nice kick of jalapeños is meant to go with the cold treat of your choice.