Department Store Popup Waiting Lines, Sold-Out Items at Convenience Stores... How Delicious Is Butterbeer? [Kim Yuri's Hipple Hot Items]

From This Summer, Pop-up 'Open Run' Event for Boulangerie Boeure Butter Beer
After Recent GS25 Distribution, "Do You Have Butter Beer?" Sold Out Within a Week
4 Types for 24,000 KRW... Popular Despite Price Over Twice That of '4 for 10,000 KRW' Beers
Butter Base with Vanilla, Caramel, Almond, and Hazelnut Flavored Lager Beers
Great for Light Enjoyment with Snacks as Main Beer
Photo-Friendly Design... Expected to Remain Popular During Fall Picnic Season

Since last summer, people carrying four cans in transparent vinyl bags have occasionally been seen at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul. The closer you get to the basement level 2, where products targeting the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) are lined up, the more 20-30-year-olds holding 'that bag' appeared. On basement level 2, it was easy to find a store with a long line circling around a pop-up shop. It was the waiting line to buy the butter beer 'Boeur Beer' introduced by the handmade butter brand Boulangerie Beurre.

As its popularity grew, the 'tasted it' trend spread through social networking services (SNS), and from the end of last month, butter beer became available at convenience store GS25 as well. Curious about the beer's taste, many flocked to convenience stores, and the initial stock sold out within a week, making it a 'sold-out item.' Among the approximately 200 types of beer handled by GS25, butter beer quickly rose to second place in sales, right after Cass. More than 8 out of 10 people who bought butter beer at convenience stores were in their 20s (55%) and 30s (31%).

Last summer, customers formed a long line outside the store at the Boulangerie Beurre popup store in The Hyundai Seoul, Yeouido, Seoul, to buy butter beer.

One can costs 6,500 won, and buying four cans costs 24,000 won. Despite being more than twice as expensive as the typical convenience store '4 cans for 10,000 won' beer, what is the secret behind its sustained popularity? The first reason is curiosity about 'beer that tastes like butter.' For the 2030 generation who grew up reading 'Harry Potter,' there was also the anticipation of experiencing the butter beer mentioned in the story in real life. Boulangerie Beurre's butter beer is a lager beer with a buttery aroma. There are four types: Butter Beer AAA+, Butter Beer BBB+, Butter Beer CCC+, and Butter Beer DDD+, each with a buttery base plus added flavors of vanilla, caramel, almond, and hazelnut respectively. The alcohol content also varies by flavor, ranging from 4.5% to 5.2%.

When actually tasted, the beer's original flavor was less pronounced than in regular beer, but the unique taste of butter beer?nutty, sweet, and slightly bitter?came through differently in each variety. To better enjoy the distinctiveness of the butter beer aroma, it was preferable to pair it with fruits, bakery items, or snacks where beer is the main focus, rather than heavy or strongly flavored dishes like beef, pork, or chicken.

Design also played a significant role in its popularity. The 'photo-friendly' clean design appealed to 20-somethings enjoying 'hon-mak' (drinking alone) at home and 30-somethings having picnics by the Han River, sparking a desire to post on Instagram. The spread through SNS further amplified the curiosity of those who had not yet tried butter beer. Although the price is higher than typical beer, the willingness to pay to satisfy curiosity also contributed to its popularity.

Who would enjoy tasting it? We recommend it to those who have been curious about the butter beer craze on SNS and wondered what it actually tastes like. Ideally, open four cans at once, taste a little of each, and share which flavor suits your preference with friends. Since the pop-up store's waiting line has significantly decreased on weekdays after convenience store sales began, purchasing is less burdensome. When buying through GS25, you can check stock via The Pop application (app) to avoid wasted trips.

Boulangerie Boeure Butterbeer.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.