Drinks-only Gwangalli bar that re-tops your beer foam: Ganppa Beer

Ganppa Beer Gwangalli 2

Ganppa Beer Gwangalli 2: one alley in from Gwangalli Beach

Today I'll introduce Ganppa Beer Gwangalli 2, where I properly enjoyed draft beer in Gwangalli. It's just one alley in from Gwangalli Beach, so it was nice to step slightly away from the crowded beachfront energy.

This spot has an official collaboration with Sapporo beer, so if you're usually a Sapporo fan, you definitely won't be disappointed here.

You can find it pretty quickly once you turn just a little into the alley from Gwangalli Beach. Rather than the chaotic bustling feel right by the water, it sits tucked in the alley, so it had a more relaxed atmosphere for a drink.

Standing tachinomi style — is it tiring to drink on your feet?

First off, Ganppa Beer's signature is that it brings over the Japanese 'tachinomi' standing-drink culture. It's the culture of a quick drink after work, and Ganppa Beer is a place where you stand and chat while drinking.

Honestly I wondered if standing to drink would be tiring, but since it's not a spot for a heavy meal, it wasn't that bad. By the way, I took this shot because the outdoor atmosphere is really nice — there are great tables outside too. There are two benches outside, so if you're worried it'll be tiring, I'd recommend sitting there.

A second-round bar where you can order beer only, no food

Here's the menu at this 6th location of Ganppa Beer — they carry Sapporo and Ebisu draft as standard, plus simple, affordable izakaya snacks. It's a nice-guy kind of bar where you're not required to order food. Since I came here as a second-round stop, I only ordered beer.

Ganppa Beer really seems to obsess over beer flavor... places that maintain their quality this well really do seem to last a long time.

The Sapporo draft keg kept in the fridge looked so cool that I told a friend I wanted one — they joked that at 30L I could probably carry it but wouldn't get far, haha. That's how much I wanted it.

The side where the beer comes out and the rinsing side were both kept spotlessly clean and well-managed.

Ebisu draft poured with the foam ratio just right

The first thing I ordered was Ebisu draft. Pouring beer turned out to be harder than I thought — I remember trying it at VIPS once and ending up with just foam. The one part-time job I've never done is bartending...

It didn't seem like they just poured and served — they seemed to actually think about the foam ratio. Even though the beer was already complete, they added more foam to adjust it. True to being an official Sapporo collaboration spot, I felt like real care went into the whole process of serving even a single beer.

Ebisu 生ビール (draft beer)

Staff re-top the foam once the head settles

There was one thing the staff did that really touched me. After I ordered my beer, my eyes suddenly started hurting so I went to the bathroom to take out my contact lenses. Since I couldn't drink it right away, the foam had settled a little bit — but the staff member said I absolutely had to taste the foam, and beautifully topped it back up. I loved that they cared that much!!! 🖤

The foam was piled back up nice and fluffy. They asked in detail how it tasted, so I told them the foam was the best, haha. To me, Ebisu had a bit more aroma and a sense of depth in flavor. The foam, just as it looks, was creamier than a cappuccino — like velvet cream...

Even at about half-finished, the foam stayed creamy with no bubbles — so smooth and nice. I really hate a rough, coarse beer, ㅠㅠ.

Sapporo draft in Korea's only thin house glass

I only meant to have one glass, but for comparison's sake I ordered a Sapporo too.

Sapporo 生ビール. The Sapporo came in Ganppa Beer's house glass. The foam was piled up nicely here too — no real difference, but to the eye, the Ebisu seemed to have a bit more foam.

This glass is the only one of its kind in Korea — the thinnest house glass used exclusively at Ganppa Beer!! Draft beer in a thin glass conveys the temperature better, so you can really feel the cold on your lips along with the aroma. It's much thinner than the Ebisu-branded glass, and because the rim where it touches your lips is so thin, you end up focusing more on the beer, which made it taste even better.

Ebisu vs Sapporo: what's the difference?

Sapporo goes down a bit cleaner and crisper — the taste is completely different from Ebisu. Ebisu is a beer where the aroma comes up first.

By the way, this is actually my third-and-more revisit, having also been to a different branch. Ebisu has that upscale aroma rising up, and the foam has a more three-dimensional texture than a cappuccino. Sapporo is really smooth and clean-tasting, with foam like a silkier version of the foam on a latte. Conclusion: both are delicious!

Black-and-white photo machine and guestbook at Gwangalli 2

There's also a spot at the Gwangalli 2 location where you can take photos — press the shutter and out comes a black-and-white photo.

We wrote a message with the colored pencils provided, kept one copy, and stuck the other one up before leaving, haha. Whenever I run into one of these photo machines I always take a shot, but I never expected to find one here at Ganppa Beer Gwangalli.

We stuck ours up in the highest spot in the whole bar — if anyone finds it, we'll give them ₩200, haha.

Besides the photo machine, there are photo spots scattered all around, making Ganppa Beer perfect for making memories.

Why Ganppa Beer Gwangalli 2 is worth returning to

It was fun comparing Ebisu and Sapporo draft side by side, and I'll remember the dense foam and flavor in the glass along with the staff's attentiveness right down to the last detail — that's Ganppa Beer for you.

I've even visited the Sapporo Beer Museum, and as a self-proclaimed nihonjin (Japan enthusiast), I recommend Ganppa Beer~