The Hand and Malt Brew Lab (Yongsan)

The Hand and Malt is a well-known Korean craft brand with its production brewery, and a hop farm the owner runs himself in Gapyeong, based in Namyangju. The brewery has picked up awards including at the International Beer Cup, and it is known for brewing with Korean regional produce: Jeju tangerines, Chilgok honey and Sinan sea salt have all featured in its beers, which is why one Seoul taproom guide called it the most Korean beer on its list.

This Yongsan taproom, the Brew Lab, is renovated from an old Western-style house at 149 Hangangno 2-ga and is built around a direct-delivery system that sends beer from an underground brewery straight to the first-floor pub, playing up a beer laboratory theme throughout the retro-styled space. The venue spans several floors, with cosy rooms, a lounge, group rooms and an outdoor terrace, making it flexible for anything from a quiet pint or a date to a larger group booking.

On tap, expect the house range, including hop-forward styles such as a double IPA and a New England IPA, with a plum beer often singled out by reviewers. Fixed tasting flights are the easiest way to work through the styles, and ordering is by tablet, with a language switch for visitors. The kitchen covers wings, a potato pancake and truffle-oil fries, and there are beer cocktails too, though reviewers note there are no small side dishes to snack on.

Listed hours are 5pm to 11pm from Monday to Thursday, 5pm to midnight on Friday, 2pm to midnight on Saturday and 2pm to 11pm on Sunday. It gets busy, so weekday evenings or weekend afternoons are the best bet for a table. Staff are friendly and happy to recommend, prices are considered fair, and it is a solid, well-established choice for tasting one of Korea's more serious craft breweries away from its Gyeonggi-do home base.