Mini-sized beer all the rage in Korea

Mini-sized beer is all the rage in South Korea, a trend said to be driven by female beer drinkers and more solitary drinking occasions, prompting the country’s biggest brewery to release its beer in a smaller format.

Cass beer in 250ml can (left), the latest small format release from Oriental Brewery in South Korea (photo source: The Korea Times)

Oriental Brewery (OB), South Korea’s biggest domestic brewery, has unveiled its Cass beer in 250ml cans, rather than the conventional 500ml format, apparently in response to the preferences of the country’s growing female consumer base, more solitary drinking habits and because smaller formats cool down more quickly in the summer months, as reported by The Korea Times.

This is the latest mini size release from the brewery following its similar Hoegaarden Rosse release in 250ml in 2016, and the brewery is planning to launch more smaller-sized beer products in cans and bottles.

“We came up with Cass beer in 250ml cans to satisfy young customers who tend to enjoy a glass of beer alone at home,” an OB official was quoted as saying in the report.

“We will continue to make innovations with our products to satisfy the needs of various consumers.”

A few other companies including HiteJinro and Lotte Asahi Liquor have also released mini size beers in 250ml and 135ml formats.

The mini-size trend also extends beyond beer into whisky. Diageo Korea has rolled out 200ml formats for both Johnnie Walker Black Label and Red Label, while Pernod Ricard Korea has introduced Jameson in 200ml formats.

Retailers in the country have begun putting up shelves for liquors in small cans and bottles in line with the market trend.

“The growing number of single households and people putting emphasis on their personal happiness has influenced the liquor market, leading the small-size products to gain popularity,” an official at BK, a Korean importer of foreign beers, told the newspaper.