Seoul is home to liquors like soju and makgeolli, isn’t where you’d expect to find a 60-year-old Scotch single-malt whisky, much less a room of appreciative fans of the speakeasy.
Thanks to Joshua Hall with the Wall Street Journal
But bars devoted to the drink are popping up around Seoul, a result of growing interest in its history. “Wine taught people that drinking is not only alcohol but has terroir,” says Jackey Yoo, a local whisky importer. “Each whisky also has different terroir and taste.”
To be called single-malt Scotch whisky, the drink must be made only from malted barley at a single distillery and aged for at least three years in oak casks. Koreans, says Eunhwa Gu, a public-relations consultant, prefer Scotland’s offerings over cheaper North American whiskies with “no story at all.” For others, part of the attraction might be the bars themselves, which range from cozy, K-pop-free hideaways to upscale basement bars serving oysters with your order. Here are six of our recommended haunts.
Joshua Hall for The Wall Street Journal
To be called single-malt Scotch whisky, the drink must be made only from malted barley at a single distillery and aged for at least three years in oak casks. Koreans, says Eunhwa Gu, a public-relations consultant, prefer Scotland’s offerings over cheaper North American whiskies with “no story at all.” For others, part of the attraction might be the bars themselves, which range from cozy, K-pop-free hideaways to upscale basement bars serving oysters with your order. Here are six of our recommended haunts.
Coffee Bar K
Don’t be fooled by the name: Coffee Bar K is decidedly more upscale than your typical java joint. Five hundred single malts are on the menu at this modern mixology hub, as well as Japanese whiskies, 200 cocktails and a wine list that features a 1997 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux for 40 million won ($37,500). Book an early (before 9 p.m.) seat at the bar, where you are handed hot towels with each round, and you can hear the mixologists switch between Korean, Japanese and English in mid-sentence. Coffee Bar K, Kangnam-gu, 89-20 Cheongdam-dong; Tel. +82 2 516 1970.
Malt Bar Off
Cozy, comfortable and completely free of K-pop, Malt Bar Off looks and feels like your booziest friend’s crash pad, if he stocked his cabinets with 100 whiskies. A simple bar with one table, one private room and the lowest prices south of the Han River, most whisky is under 30,000 won (about $27) a glass, and the selection changes regularly. Eat before you arrive, as the only food available is a cheese platter. The staff is easygoing but doesn’t speak English, so try your Gaelic. Malt Bar Off, Kangnam-gu, Samseong-dong 9-7; Tel. +82 2 516 6201.
Vault +82
Can’t tell your Speyside from your Islay? Vault +82’s bartenders will take you on a journey through moors, rocky islands and peat bogs. They serve steak tartare, salads and burgers, with a focus on seasonal ingredients. The bar also offers a shoeshine service, with prices starting at 10,000 won, but plan to pay double that for a drink, plus 5,000 won cover. Vault +82, Yongsan-gu, Hanam-dong 653-94, B1. Tel. +82 2 792 9234.
Burn in Hal
With Seoul’s city hall banning smoking in public places and large restaurants, Korean smokers are feeling less welcome these days. Not so at Burn in Hal. Thirty cigars are available, and its 1920s-era interior makes this a favorite after-work spot. Cragganmore 12-Year goes for 11,000 won, and the cigars too are reasonably priced. “I want more people to enjoy cigars, to relax,” says proprietor Hal Husrevoglu, a Turkish-born Canadian who has lived in Korea for 12 years. The bar also offers a cigar pastry made with feta and olive oil—a great pairing with whisky—and Latin jazz on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Burn in Hal, Itaewon 2-dong, 305-7 Yongsan-gu. Tel. +82 2 794 8077; burninhal.com.
The Factory
Park Si-young has being making cocktails for 20 years, and at the Factory, she teams up with Han Kiu-seon in an effort to change Korea’s one-shot-focused drinking culture. “Single-malt whisky is smooth and not for drinking quickly. It’s something to enjoy,” ideally with food, Ms. Park says. Menu items to accompany the 130 whiskies include the Bruichladdich Octomore 10, with dried seaweed, licorice and Belgian chocolates, and a platter of raw oysters drizzled with Laphroaig 10-year single malt. The Factory, Mapo-gu, Seokgyo-dong 402-13, B1; Tel. +82 2 337 3133; barfactory.co.kr.
Speakeasy Mortar
At Speakeasy Mortar, there’s no dancing, no singing, no Wi-Fi and absolutely no picture-taking, and proprietor Rocky Ahn, who has been known to brandish a fake machine gun on the premises, keeps rule-breakers in check. Instead, pull up to one of the chessboards and select from the 300 whiskies on the menu, including a 1953 Glenfarclas Family Cask Sherry Butt going for 19.6 million won (about $18,000). Most patrons will be paying about 30,000 won for drinks, plus a 5,000 won cover charge. This speakeasy is open to the public for now, but according to Mr. Ahn, “Too many people know my place. I’m going to be more mean. Maybe I will lock the door.” Get there before 10 p.m. just in case. Speakeasy Mortar, Yongsan-gu, Hanam-dong 29-4. No phone, no reservations.
http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2013/03/21/where-to-sidle-up-to-scotch-not-soju/
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