Magpie Brewing
Magpie Brewing Co. is a privately held Korean craft brewery founded in 2011, operating a Jeju production brewery and four owned Seoul/Jeju taprooms. It sells year-round and seasonal craft beers through taprooms, nationwide wholesale, US retail exports, and a merchandise e-commerce store.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersYongsan, South Korea
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Magpie Brewing does
Magpie Brewing Co. is a privately held South Korean craft brewery founded in 2011 by four friends in Seoul's Kyoungridan neighborhood, and is widely credited as Korea's pioneer craft brewery — including brewing the country's first sour beer. The company operates a production brewery on Jeju Island (repurposed from an abandoned tangerine warehouse) alongside four owned retail locations: the Brewshop in Itaewon and the Euljiro taproom in Seoul, plus the Jeju Brewery & Taproom and the Tapdong taproom on Jeju. Its product portfolio centers on four year-round core beers (Pale Ale at 4.8% ABV, IPA at 6.5%, Kölsch at 4.8%, and Porter at 5.6%) and a seasonal rotation of at least three new beers per season (Bring Spring, Summer Summit, Full of Fall, Winter Recess), with locally sourced Korean ingredients — Jeju tangerine peel, sancho pepper, and smoked Korean hobak pumpkins — used as differentiators.
The business model is a multi-channel craft beverage operation. Direct-to-consumer revenue comes from the four owned taprooms/brewshops, plus a Shopify-powered merchandise e-commerce store and paid brewery tours at the Jeju facility (₩20,000 per tour). Wholesale revenue flows through Korean bar and restaurant distribution (active since 2017), and packaged revenue comes from retail canned beer exports to the United States (via Total Wine and Whole Foods Market), Hong Kong, and Thailand. A premium hospitality line is anchored by a co-developed cocktail beer with Charles H bar at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. Magpie is led by Representative Tiffany Lee Needham, operates as a Korean corporation with registered entities in Seoul and Jeju, and has no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, subsidiaries, funding rounds, M&A activity, or financial figures.
Revenue is concentrated in physical retail and on-premise channels rather than technology-enabled services; no AI/ML capabilities, proprietary software, or platform architecture are disclosed. The competitive positioning rests on first-mover brand equity in the Korean craft category, vertical integration across brewing and retail, and a diversified distribution footprint that spans domestic wholesale and selective international retail — a structure that is asset-heavy (brewery + four venues) and operationally lean (no disclosed headcount).
Magpie Brewing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Magpie Brewing
- Legal name
- 맥파이 브루잉 컴퍼니 (Magpie Brewing Company)
- Website
- https://magpiebrewing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Magpie Brewing Co. is a privately held Korean craft brewery founded in 2011, operating a Jeju production brewery and four owned Seoul/Jeju taprooms. It sells year-round and seasonal craft beers through taprooms, nationwide wholesale, US retail exports, and a merchandise e-commerce store.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Magpie Brewing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Beer Brewing
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810), Breweries (312120)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD), Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)
Keywords
Where Magpie Brewing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Yongsan
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices5 records
Markets served
Magpie Brewing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Beer Sales (Direct to Consumer): Direct sales of brewed beer through company-owned taprooms, brewshop, and brewery locations in Seoul and Jeju.
- Bar and Restaurant Distribution: Wholesale distribution of Magpie beer to bars and restaurants across Korea and internationally.
- Retail Canned Beer: Canned beer sales through retail partners including Total Wine and Whole Foods Market in the US, and general Korean retail distribution since 2017.
- Merchandise and Merch: Sale of branded merchandise including screen printed posters, t-shirts, growler totes, logo pint glasses at retail locations.
- Brewery Tours: Jeju brewery tours offered on Saturdays and Sundays at 1, 2, 4 & 5pm for ₩20,000 including one free beer at the taproom.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time | Brewery Tour - ₩20,000 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels3 records
Magpie Brewing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Magpie Brewing manufactures and sells a portfolio of craft beers — including year-round Pale Ale, IPA, Kölsch, and Porter — alongside a rotating seasonal series. The company distributes its packaged beer through Korean bars and restaurants, retail partners in the United States (Total Wine, Whole Foods Market), and exports to Hong Kong and Thailand. It also operates its own taprooms in Seoul and Jeju and runs guided brewery tours at the Jeju facility.
Product overview
Magpie Brewing Co. is Korea's first craft sour beer brewery, founded in 2011 in Seoul and now operating a brewery on Jeju Island. The company offers a portfolio of year-round core beers — Magpie Pale Ale, Magpie IPA, Magpie Kölsch, and Magpie Porter — alongside a rotating seasonal series (Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter) releasing at least 3 new beers each season. Magpie distributes its canned and bottled beer across Korea through retail partners and exports to the US, Hong Kong, and Thailand. The company also operates direct-to-consumer channels through its chain of bar/taproom locations and an online Shopify-powered merchandise shop.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Magpie Pale Ale (맥파이 페일 에일)
- Magpie IPA (맥파이 아이피에이)
- Magpie Kölsch (맥파이 쾰쉬)
- Magpie Porter (맥파이 포터)
- Magpie Seasonal Beer Rotation (봄마실/여름회동/가을가득/겨울방학 — Bring Spring, Summer Summit, Full of Fall, Winter Recess)
- Magpie Brewing Taproom & Bar Locations
- Magpie Online Shop
- Jeju Brewery Tours
Quantifiable outcome
- Sparked craft beer explosion in Korea with first pale ale in 2012
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Magpie Brewing
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Magpie Brewing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Magpie Brewing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Total WinecoreMagpie beer exported to United States and sold at Total Wine retail locations as canned beer products.
- Whole Foods MarketcoreMagpie canned beer distributed through Whole Foods Market stores in the United States.
- Charles H (Four Seasons Hotel Seoul)minorCollaborated with Charles H cocktail bar at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul to create a new type of cocktail beer using an unprecedented manufacturing method.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Magpie Brewing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hand & Malt Brewing: One of Korea's oldest established craft breweries, founded in the late 1990s, with multiple taproom locations and nationwide distribution. Closely mirrors Magpie's DTC-plus-distribution model.
- 7Brau Brewing: Korean craft brewery with taproom locations and packaged distribution. Competes in the same Seoul/Korea craft segment as Magpie.
- Amazing Brewing Company: Korean craft brewery operating brewpubs and producing a range of ales and lagers. Directly comparable product mix and Korean on-premise orientation.
- The Booth Brewing: Seoul-based craft brewery operating its own taprooms and distributing nationwide. Directly comparable as a Korean craft peer competing for the same on-premise and retail shelf space.
Broad incumbents
- Brooklyn Brewery: Established US craft brewer with broad international presence including Asia. Comparable as a globally distributed craft brand that overlaps with Magpie's export channels.
- Stone Brewing: Large US craft brewer with international distribution including Asia. Comparable as a scaled craft exporter competing for the same premium on-premise and retail accounts that Magpie targets in the US and Asia.
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Major US craft brewery with broad product portfolio and international distribution. Comparable as a scaled craft exporter whose products compete for the same retail/on-premise accounts as Magpie's exports.
- Lagunitas Brewing Company: Large craft brewery (now part of Heineken) with global distribution including Asia. Comparable as a scaled international craft brand competing in the same export markets and on-premise channels as Magpie.
Regional players
- Young Master Brewery: Hong Kong-based craft brewery with regional Asian distribution and taproom presence. Comparable as a regional Asian craft peer operating in one of Magpie's named export markets.
- Hitachino Nest Beer: Japanese craft brewery known for sour and specialty ales with significant Asian distribution. Comparable as an Asian craft brewer focused on sour/innovative styles similar to Magpie's positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Magpie Brewing social profiles
Digital presenceMagpie Brewing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Magpie Brewing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Magpie Brewing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Magpie Brewing M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Magpie Brewing
What does Magpie Brewing do?
Magpie Brewing manufactures and sells a portfolio of craft beers — including year-round Pale Ale, IPA, Kölsch, and Porter — alongside a rotating seasonal series. The company distributes its packaged beer through Korean bars and restaurants, retail partners in the United States (Total Wine, Whole Foods Market), and exports to Hong Kong and Thailand. It also operates its own taprooms in Seoul and Jeju and runs guided brewery tours at the Jeju facility.
Is Magpie Brewing a public or private company?
Magpie Brewing is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Magpie Brewing founded?
Magpie Brewing was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Magpie Brewing based?
Magpie Brewing is headquartered in Yongsan, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does Magpie Brewing make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Beer Sales (Direct to Consumer) is the primary driver. The others are bar and Restaurant Distribution, retail Canned Beer, merchandise and Merch and brewery Tours.
Who are Magpie Brewing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hand & Malt Brewing, 7Brau Brewing, Amazing Brewing Company and The Booth Brewing. Broad incumbents are Brooklyn Brewery, Stone Brewing, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and Lagunitas Brewing Company. Regional players are Young Master Brewery and Hitachino Nest Beer.
Does Magpie Brewing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Magpie Brewing.
What industry is Magpie Brewing in?
Magpie Brewing's product category is Craft Beer Brewing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAIAA, Beer Brewing & Brands, with a secondary code of THAFALAD, Regional & National Breweries. Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.