North Korea: North Korea reportedly creates wheat beer with ‘exclusive’ brewing technique

North Korea has reportedly created its own domestic beer with a brewing technique touted as exclusive, the BBC reported on February 6.

The British news site quoted the reclusive country's state newspaper Rodong Sinmun, which said that the beer was brewed by local brewery Taedonggang with wheat instead of barley.

This technique is said to be "better than existing beers in terms of taste and smell" and has already "gained positive reviews" from locals.

The Taedonggang Beer Factory is a state-owned factory, reportedly one it bought from Britain in 2000 and shifted to Pyongyang.

In 2009, news of an advertisement for Taedonggang beer on state TV made headlines.

The ad for the beer, which was made of rice and contained protein and vitamin B2, was a surprise as there were said to be no TV advertisements in the country.

A South Korean Unification Ministry official who had been monitoring the North's television for more than two decades said then that it was the first time he had seen any advertisement for food, much less beer - although he had seen shows on North Korean cuisine.

North Korea had held a beer festival - the Taedonggang Beer Festival - in August 2016, where rice beer, dark beer and other varieties of the brew from the Taedonggang Beer Factory were presented.

However, last year's edition of the festival was abruptly cancelled. Reports quoted tour companies that said they received news of the cancellation, but no official reason was given for the change in plans.

Beijing-based Koryo Tours said a looming drought could have been the reason for it, CNN reported in July last year.

Media outlets in North Korea are already counting the launch of the beer as a win for leader Kim Jong Un, who apparently has plans to raise the standards of living in the country, American publication Food & Wine magazine said in an article on Tuesday.

State media said the beer launch is part of a larger "battle" to make life "more enjoyable for the people".

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