By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter
Peter Van Osta, who runs a company representing Belgian breweries, said on Thursday that the beer market in Asia, particularly in South Korea, is dominated by lager beer and that it's time for Koreans to experience the taste of other brews.
Van Osta, president of Bo-Vision, came here to participate in the fifth Seoul International Wines and Spirits Expo in order to introduce a variety of Belgian beers to Koreans. The expo was held at the COEX, southern Seoul, from May 2 to 4.
``Belgium has so many different kinds of beer. There are not only just lager beers but also many other beers such as ale,'' he said. ``I even brought champagne beer and fruit beers such as banana and cherry to this expo.''
He went on to say that Belgian people traditionally prefer to drink beer to wine or other alcoholic drinks because they prefer brewing their own local beer in each town.
Belgium is among the top three largest beer-drinking nations in Europe along with Germany and the Czech Republic in terms of per capita consumption. There are some 4,000 kinds of beers in Belgium, according to Belgian reports, but there are only a few of these available in Korea including Hoegaarden.
One example illustrating the range and diversity of beers available is that each beer has its own glass. ``If you go into a bar in Belgium and you are given a beer in a glass, which is not the correct glass, you can refuse it,'' he said.
He stressed that Belgian beer is naturally brewed, reflecting a respect for tradition whereas lager beer is mass produced, which makes the former more expensive but well worth drinking for its unique flavor.
He is proud of his association with the time-honored breweries his company represents, which are all at least 100 years old.
Van Osta can be reached on his e-mail info@bo-vision.com.