Gyopo Brewery<\/a>.<\/p>\nA milky, slightly sparkling, fermented rice wine beverage, makgeolli is something of a rarity on many Toronto menus, but Hansang, Juwon and Hyunchan believe that it doesn’t have to be.<\/p>\n
“We decided to open Gyopo Brewery because we believe makgeolli has the potential to move beyond a niche category and compete in the mainstream craft market, just like beer,” the team tells blogTO.<\/p>\n
“While Soju is well-known, we wanted to show Toronto that Korean makgeolli offers a sophisticated and refreshing experience that belongs in the city’s major craft scene.”<\/p>\n
But the idea for the new venture really took root when the team first sampled the makgeolli made by Gyopo’s head brewer, Dohyon Kim. According to the team, Kim’s father began brewing his own makgeolli from home upon moving to Canada.\u00a0Kim grew up watching his father alchemize a taste of Korea, his home.<\/p>\n
“While the interest started early, the serious research began five years ago. [Kim] taught himself the entire process from the ground up, focusing on the microbiology of fermentation and the technical side of managing temperature and humidity in a Canadian climate,” the Gyopo team tells blogTO.<\/p>\n
After an extensive trial-and-error period that produced more than 200 experimental batches, the entire team was satisfied with the final product: Gyopo was a-go.<\/p>\n
Opening near the intersection of Dundas West and Dufferin this spring, Gyopo will feature a menu of jang-centric Korean BBQ bites designed to be paired with the makgeolli. Though you won’t be grilling your dishes yourself, as is tradition for Korean BBQ, all the same flavours of fermented sauces and grill char will be present.<\/p>\n
“Our philosophy about the food is to show Toronto diners that Korean cuisine has far more depth and diversity than many realize,” the Goypo team tells blogTO.<\/p>\n
“Compared to cities like New York, Korean food here still has room to grow. Many local restaurants are run by first-generation immigrants, and fewer chefs have explored creative interpretations\u2014Gyopo is here to change that and show that Korean cuisine is much more than tteokbokki, bibimbap, or bulgogi.”<\/p>\n
Where the team’s first three-way collaboration, Kensei Bar, pays a surprisingly faithful tribute to 1980s Tokyo, Gyopo Brewery takes inspiration from Korean street food stalls called pocha, where dishes like those on the menu at the brewery are commonly found.<\/p>\n
While the brewery’s exact opening date hasn’t been nailed down yet, the team tells blogTO that they’re aiming for mid-April of this year, so it won’t be long before the city has a new go-to spot for makgeolli \u2014 even if you didn’t have an old makgeolli spot to begin with.<\/p>\n
Gyopo Brewery will be located at 1456 Dundas St. W.<\/p>\n