Korean Brewing Icon KaBrew Sold

First, there was KaBrew, and their craft beer cruises and brewery parties. Then KaBrew started contract brewing for Craftworks and the customers started lining up. Shortly thereafter came a tidal wave of craft beer brewers, bars, importers and distributors that has filled your neighborhood pub with a massive variety of tasty suds. Thanks to a combination of changes to the legal system in 2011 and these two small businesses, locals have acquired a taste for and now demand a wide variety of quality beers rather than one of 3 mass-produced beers. Now majority interest in KaBrew as been sold to Jinju Ham.

The Ham Takes Control

Jinju Ham has acquired a controlling stake in Kapa Brewing, the parent company of KaBrew, thereby immediately become a serious new player in the brewing game. Original owner Park Chul has not left KaBrew, but has become a minority shareholder in the operation. Jinju Ham CEO Park Jeong-jin has taken over as CEO of KaBrew in addition to his duties as the head of Jinju. For those who haven’t heard of Jinju Ham before, they make a wide variety of products from Vienna Sausages to frozen Sweet Potato Pizza (which rather humorously has a giant “HOMEMADE” written on the label).

We look forward to seeing what kind of creativity the Jinju Ham & KaBrew combination brings to the craft beer game in 2015 and beyond.