Trevi Bräu's Smoke Beer won the grand award in the craft ale category at the 2025 Korea Wine & Spirits Awards.
Smoked Beer is the only smoked beer in the country, created through a process where the brewmaster directly smokes malt with domestic oak, imparting a unique flavor. With an alcohol content of 4.6% (ABV), it can be enjoyed by anyone without hesitation, and has a bitterness index (IBU) of around 15, providing a suitable bitterness that harmonizes with the smoky aroma. The dark red color (SRM 14) conveys an intuitive feeling of being a smoked beer.
At the moment of pouring into the glass, the natural carbonation bubbles burst forth with the aroma of oak smoke, blending with the surrounding space, and on the palate, one can feel the smoky flavor, appropriate bitterness, and a medium texture.
It pairs perfectly with barbecue and goes well with various meat dishes such as smoked fish like smoked salmon, smoked seafood, and smoked sausages.
Located in Unyang-eup, Uljin-gun, Ulsan, Trevi Bräu is a pioneer of Korea's craft beer culture, founded in the year when small-scale breweries were legalized in 2003, making it a first-generation brewpub. Having learned techniques from Markus Bormann, a brewmaster from the German company BREWCONTEC, it has been producing high-quality beer with advanced brewing equipment from the Canadian company SPECIFIC.
A Trevi Bräu official noted, "This award recognizes the potential of Korean craft beer and Trevi Bräu's innovative challenges," adding, "We will continue to develop more diverse and creative beers, contributing to enhancing the status of Korean craft beer."
Meanwhile, the Korea Wine & Spirits Awards is the country's representative liquor evaluation event, now in its 12th year. Since 2014, ChosunBiz has held it annually with the goal of 'discovering and widely promoting good domestic alcohol while supporting the formation of a healthy drinking culture.'
This year's event saw 236 companies present a total of 1,008 brands, making it the largest evaluation among domestic liquor competitions dealing with comprehensive alcoholic beverages. Among them, 431 brands received the grand award.