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Strawberry beers developed at Gyeonggi agriculture lab
Mimiberry and NYJ-Strawberry are new fruity beer brands developed by the Gyeonggi Agricultural Technology Institute and manufactured by two local breweries. Courtesy of Gyeonggi Provincial Government
By Ko Dong-hwan
By Ko Dong-hwan
A new breed of strawberry-flavored beers has been developed by an agricultural research lab in Gyeonggi Province, expanding the domestic beer market where flavored beers are hard to find.
The Agricultural Produce Research Division under the provincial government's Research and Development Bureau said Monday that Mimiberry and NYJ-Strawberry went on sale to the public on Saturday.
The technology behind the beers was developed by the Gyeonggi Agricultural Technology Institute in the city of Hwaseong. Eight People Brewery in Namyangju manufactured Mimiberry and Vaneheim Brewery from the same city that made NYJ-Strawberry.
The institute developed new technology to further expand the market for local strawberries.
Mimiberry is a mixture of strawberries and rice-fermented beers that used Chamdream, a new rice breed developed by the provincial authority. The beer contains 30 percent fruit and 30 percent Chamdream. Its international bitterness unit (IBU) is 7 (between 1 and 100) and its alcohol level is 6.3 percent.
Wheat-based NYJ-Strawberry, initialed from its city of origin, contains 44 percent strawberry with an IBU of 10 and an alcohol concentration of 4.2 percent.
The beers were offered for sampling at a public square in Namyangju on Saturday. While moderately positive reviews dominated the evaluation outcome, some said the beers could have been stronger in tang and color.
The provincial agency that organized the tasting event said more women favored Mimiberry which is sourer because of the rice, while those accustomed to existing beers had enjoyed NYJ-Strawberry because of its more familiar taste.
Lee Young-soon, head of the Agricultural Produce Research Division, said the beers were a brainchild of the provincial government, the Namyangju city government and the local breweries. The new beers are expected boost the sales of strawberries and Gyeonggi rice, the region's special produce, among consumers nationwide.