Beerport Bräu's Imperial Stout won the grand award in the craft ale category at the 2025 Korea Wine & Spirits Awards.
Imperial Stout features a high alcohol content of 8.5% and a deep, rich body. It offers a variety of aromas and flavors such as dried fruit, chocolate, coffee, and licorice from the deep malt flavor, balanced with appropriate sweetness.
A Beerport Bräu representative noted, "This is a traditional beer style derived from the strong stout of British origin that captivated the palate of Russian Empress Catherine the Great in the late 18th century." The representative also mentioned that they aimed to convey the true charm of craft beer to Korean consumers by modernly reinterpreting this historical beer style.
Beerport Bräu is a first-generation craft beer brand in Korea that started in 2003 as a brewpub called Trevi Bräu in Ulsan. In its early days, it learned German brewing techniques and currently produces more than 20 varieties of craft beer ranging from traditional German styles like Weizen, Dunkel, and Pilsner to modern American and European styles.
Through three breweries, Trevi Bräu, Beerport Bräu, and Trevier, it has established brewing facilities capable of producing 3.6 million liters annually. It showcases not only traditional styles but also experimental beers and regional specialty beers made with crops grown at its directly managed farms.
Meanwhile, the Korea Wine & Spirits Awards is the country's representative liquor evaluation event, now in its 12th year. ChosunBiz has been hosting it annually since 2014 with the aim of discovering and promoting good domestic liquors and supporting the formation of a healthy liquor culture.
This year's event saw 236 companies presenting a total of 1,008 brands. It is the largest evaluation event in Korea that deals with comprehensive liquor. Among them, 431 brands received the grand award.