When the malt hits your tongue, a long night of officially begins.
Korea is country known for its drinking culture and its people are known to be heavy drinkers. It is deeply embedded in a culture that has valued relations within the family and with neighbors and colleagues. For the longest time, drinking has been more of a celebratory gathering for seasonal events and a tributary gesture to honor ancestors.
Chimaek is an amalgam of the Korean words chicken and maekju, the latter of which means ‘beer’. In Korea, this has long been part of their fast food culture, popularized 15 years ago at the 2002 Korea–Japan World Cup. In many other countries like the Philippines, the chimaek boom across the big cities where Korean communities flourish was due in part to the Jeon Ji-Hyun and Kim Soo-hyun drama My Love from the Star (별에서 온 그대) where the heroine always opts for chimaek as a source of comfort.
Around the world, chimaek is popular, so much so that in Southeast Asia chimaek restaurants are everywhere and the most popular ones are endorsed by the most popular Korean stars much to the delight of the fans (both of the chimaek and the stars).
*photo source: https://blog.naver.com/eueuy/221098068079
