Toronto’s Korean food scene is growing fast, but one category has remained stubbornly underrepresented on local menus: makgeolli. That’s about to change in a significant way. The team behind Gonzo Izakaya and Kensei Bar — brothers Hansang and Juwon Lee and their partner Hyunchan Jo — are launching Gyopo Brewery, a makgeolli brewery and Korean snack bar that aims to push the milky, sparkling fermented rice wine into Toronto’s mainstream food culture.
Makgeolli is a traditional Korean beverage with centuries of history, but it has largely remained a niche item on Toronto menus — found mainly in a handful of Korean restaurants and rarely given the platform it deserves. The Gyopo team believes that’s a missed opportunity. “We believe makgeolli has the potential to move beyond a niche category and compete in the mainstream craft market, just like beer,” they explained in announcing the concept.
The snack bar component of Gyopo Brewery draws inspiration from Korean pocha — the street food stalls that are a cornerstone of Korean nightlife culture. Expect the kind of casual, shareable, flavour-forward dishes that pair naturally with a cold glass of house-brewed makgeolli.
The team’s philosophy about Korean food goes beyond just the drink. They’ve made clear that they want to demonstrate the full depth and diversity of Korean cuisine to Toronto diners — a city where, they note, the cuisine still has significant room to grow compared to international food capitals like New York.
Gyopo Brewery is targeting a mid-spring opening. Follow the team on Instagram for the launch date, and plan your first visit to one of Toronto’s most anticipated new openings of the year.