a very casual rom com
Slice of life kind of drama! A simple and fun romcom! Roles are kind of reversed here where the female lead #KimSejeong is more outgoing and has a tomboy kind of personality (initially) while the male lead #LeeJongwon is highly introverted and a quite person.This is really a binge worthy show it’s only 12episodes and when you feel like watching something light and casual without any complicated breakups or misunderstandings this show will be good. It takes awhile for the leads to get used to each other but they have a very mature relationship and solve their issues properly 👍
The second leads are also really cute surprisingly both of them also had their own arcs given and challenges they had to overcome! The village people were so funny especially the biggest shippers of juju couple the 2 ahjummas!
This is the first time i’m seeing lee jongwon and !!!!! he should have gotten lead roles much earlier!! His acting was good and really very natural! Sejeong was really good in the emotional and sad scenes but aegyo >< (maybe not for me) yea the over the top aegyo all the time was just not for me...
overall will rewatch this drama down the road! The plot was easily to follow and very straightforward ~
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Queen of (fake) smiles meets King of hearts
I have been low-key following Kim Se-jeong since her Uncanny Counters days and then her breakout role in Business Proposal. She has certainly been kept busy with starring roles ever since. To be honest, a couple of them are cash grabs by production companies while others are earnest attempt to recreate the magic of BP. However, none of them have the recipe for the special sauce.This one started promisingly. KSJ was given a strong role and she literally came out fighting (hwaiting!). Our OTP ticked all the boxes but it is a weird chemistry. It is like watching a commercial for Chinese herbal medicine. You know the one where they have the voice-over to tell you that this concoction will reduce your inner heat? Well, the ML is that personified. It is very nice to have a boyfriend that truly gets you but it is something else if all you do is cry together or meditate to gain inner peace. What about unbridled lust?! OBTW, there is a bit of skinship but other than a couple of nice kisses, it is all rated PG.
The 2CP is cute and they try to shoulder some of the load. They do occasionally steal the scene but they need more heat as well. There are glimmers of hope but in the end, they are just mirages.
Once you put that in perspective, the rest of the show is just your typical backstabbing business shenanigans and standard village mischief. Bumbling village head meets loud and nosy ajummas. All done with workman like efficiency but nothing too angsty to disturb your karma.
The ending is sugar overload. Oprah Winfrey would be proud. My teeth are aching just thinking about it. And that, chingu, is the fundamental problem with this show. You are not sure if you have watched a drama or attended a wellness retreat.
I did enjoy the show but I probably won't remember it in weeks to come. That is a shame as the cast did their best and the plot is decent. Good enough to be above average but that's a mighty crowded place.
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Feel-good romance with mediocre plot.
What this drama has :-✅️ Past connection
✅️ ML fall in love first
✅️ Green flag ML
✅️ Introvert ,feminine, shy ML + masculine,strong FL
✅️ Good chemistry between leads
✅️ Sweet, adorable romance
☑️ Okay plot/OST . Nothing really stood out.
My thoughts :
🔸️The whole concept about process of selling beer , as a person who don't consume it , it does not appeal to me much.
🔸️Slow & boring first half , story only get interesting in 2nd half. Watched mostly in 1.5x speed and by skipping scene.
🔸️ Kim Se Jeong being typecasted into these kind of roles. I feel like her acting always looked the same since Business Proposal. I like her & I think her acting is quite good. In the future, I wish to see her in a different role like in a thriller or melodrama .
🔸️My second drama of Lee Jong Won and I liked him more here. He looked so charming in glasses 😍.
🔸️This drama definitely had its moments, I cried at some scenes and main leads romantic scene had me grinning & squealing hard lol.
🔸️Their first kiss scene was kinda awkward & random to me because at that moment, FL did not yet realized her true feeling towards ML. The way she still committed to the act without knowing she likes him/not kinda funny also lol. It was a perfect scene for a hug not a kiss imo 😂.
My verdict :
If you're looking for something new you won't find it here. Only watch this if you're in mood of light and casual drama, rom-com is your genre and you're a fan of Kim Se Jeong and Lee Jong Won. Also, don't forget to lower your expectation.
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1The Brewing Process of Life and love Journey
Even though I don't drink alcohol, the metaphor of brewing is quite captivating as it underscores the messages conveyed in the stories. The drama’s introduction beautifully illustrates this brewing process.1. Malting & Mashing. The malting phase parallels our early years, which lay the groundwork for who we become. Our environment nurtures, educates, and shapes us. The mashing stage represents our formative years, a time filled with a mix of sweet and bitter experiences.
Chae Yong Ju comes from a humble background; she’s been trained to be both physically tough and mentally resilient to survive, yet she often overlooks her own emotions. Yun Min Ju, on the other hand, is a neurodivergent individual sensitive to physical, emotional, and social cues. He is empathetic and creative but struggles to gain his father’s acceptance. Bang A Reum grew up surrounded by material wealth but lacked emotional support. O Chan Hwi enjoys a loving family, but the burden of his duty as a soldier has exposed him to life's darker sides, particularly the harsh realities that come with taking innocent lives.
2. The boiling stage can be likened to the trials we encounter in life. We face these challenges and, ultimately, emerge stronger. Each main character gains strength by acknowledging their past and embracing their true selves. This is where transformation happens—akin to fermentation—where we evolve, change, and mature, much like yeast converting wort into beer.
Chae Yong Ju realizes the importance of accepting and embracing her personal needs and emotions, a lesson she learns from Yun Min Ju, who is attuned to feelings. In turn, Yun Min Ju discovers that he can be accepted, loved, and cherished by others, particularly through his connections with his staff at the brewery. When he falls for Yong Ju, he learns the value of opening up and sharing his feelings with those he loves. Similarly, Bang A Reum also learns to be open with her parents and reveals her true self to O Chan Hwi. In response, O Chan Hwi dares to be genuine in front of Bang A Reum and eventually confronts his family, though this resolution isn’t explicitly shown in the drama.
3. Conditioning Process. Like a finely aged beer, we refine our character and hone our unique qualities over time.
As for the genre, the drama can be compared to a beer with taste notes that blend fruity, malty, earthy, and hoppy flavors. This combination reflects the relationships between the characters, encompassing thoughtfulness, sweetness, happiness, and contentment. The emotional journey is engaging, evoking both laughter and tears, while also providing a sense of comfort and serenity.
Overall, the story balances creativity with some typical romantic cliches, yet these elements do not detract from its value or impact.
Music: Oh the music makes me feel the love in the air. That's all I can say about the OST hehe oh but finally, we've got to hear Kim Sejong again. :-)
Rewatch Value: Yes.
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Refreshing
At first the plot didn’t reel me in that well just from reading it, however the more I watch the drama the more I found myself enjoying it a lot.The repressed girlboss x emotionally sensitive man pairing theyre doing with this drama makes an amazing combination.
The side characters being more than just comedic relief is also refreshing to see as their story gets shone throughout while also not stealing from the main couple’s storyline.
A fun mixture of romance, sentimental and comedy so far
Side note, Kim Sejeong is such a phenomenal actress and the way they paired her emotional scenes with her solo ost is so good 😭
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Greenest Green flag couple!
After watching too many complicated Kdramas with complicated couples, this is like breathing a bit of fresh air!The story is just the typical everyday life of simple people in Korea with heavy baggages in their lives, yet they try to go on and be as bright and kind as possible. Only if life was that simple!
The leads have one of the healthiest and most beautiful chemistry. Their interactions are so natural. Not to mention their steamy kisses lol. i sometimes wonder do we have such people in this world? lol
We get to see bright colors in this drama. it can be boring at times, yet who doesn't like watching esthetics and beautiful sceneries?
The only downside imo is the music. they could have gone with deeper music selections.
Overall, if you're in for a romantic, simple drama, this is for you!
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It's something different and new
So yeah I finished watching the drama just now and hereis my review fresh out of the oven!!!This drama is definitely something new from the usual kdrama trope touching sensitive topics and what impressed me the most the ML definitely shattered all the hailed toxic masculinity he shows his weakness his emotions openly and that is not something kdramas show it is always the ML saving the damsel in distress but here oh mahn the FL is this strong woman who indeed saves the ML. The love story of our ju ju couple is simple and beautiful. No unwanted dramas and twists and turns, they solve their issues like matured couples and there is no cringe aigooo moments. They are one of the veryfew green flag couple's who support and rooot for each other.
The side stories of the supporting characters were also sweet and short and did not bore me. The story was also nice and simple a good slice of life story I liked it. The cast also gave a good performance.
So if you are in for a good slice of life feel good drama brewing love is a good one.
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Beer n Healing...
This is a story about a bunch of very different people brought together and brought down by the less fun sides of society... or something like that a show of opposites attract and united by barely and maybe wheat toasts.The female lead is cool and fun to watch most of the time, she has a bunch of diffent sides to her : sweet, tough, hard working understanding, kind... But lets face it she is there to show a different way to be a woman
The male lead is soft n cold, sweet n fragile... and tries to show us the dangers of gender conventions and toxic masculinity.
The second couple is there to show family and flaws, playfullness and tthe dangers of fragile felinity.
And the third and fourth mains seem to balance between hetero and non hetero vibes without reaching the gay the whole way...
The amount of annoying elements, characters and slapstick contrast moments are a bit overwhelming at times but htey are not as bad as the preachy educational tone the drama gets from time to time reminding to stay away from any title that has the word healing amoung its tags. Seriously what was I thinking...
That said there is enough good in this and I did love enough of the characters to give it a 7,5 but if you too are allergic to healy preachy and annoying village people you should probably run away...
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Unexpected... Should you watch NOW, LATER, or NEVER?
I admit I doubted the chemistry in the first two episodes, but I was wrong. I wasn't supposed to start this review with the chemistry, but because I initially thought the pairing wasn't connecting with me, I was proven wrong by the following episodes. The build-up of the chemistry was done right. It was subtle. I would have to give that to the director. The nuances of the director's camera angles, framing, and movement intensify the chemistry. More importantly, the gaze, the smiles, and the portrayal of a deeper kind of love made the chemistry work.Acting: I have admired Kim Sejeong's acting in Uncanny Encounter. She is a good actress. While I could not remember which drama or show I saw, Lee Jong-won, when I first saw him, I thought it would be nice to see him as the lead actor if he were given a break. I thought then that a badass drama would suit him because of his sharp features, but his portrayal of his character, the empath he is in this drama, showed his depth as an actor. I felt the sincerity, the warmth of the character.
Plot: A simple but enticing plot. The side characters gave it fun and light moments.
What's lacking: This is just a preference, but I wanted it to be like an "Itaewon" -ish drama. I want to know more stories about the brewing industry. They've tackled the supply chain, distribution channels, marketing, etc., but I wanted more of it so I could add this to the business drama genre.
Undoubtedly a WATCH NOW drama!
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This review may contain spoilers
Awwwwwwww
Such warm and fuzzy goodness. The leads were both super charismatic and lovable and I loved watching their relationship blossom. I appreciated their kindness, their strong communication skills, and the complete absence of contrived conflict. The beer stuff was handled in a way that was accessible to a teetotaler like myself. The direction was creative and I appreciated how the show used the beauty of the natural landscape and certain visual tricks such as animations and selective employment of black and white to enhance both the comedy and the emotional stakes of the drama. A few things were glossed over a bit too quickly or introduced haphazardly (such as the ML's past suicide attempt, the second ML's PTSD, the ML's father's change of heart vis-a-vis "proper" masculinity and displays of emotion) and the second couple's courtship initially felt random. A very satisfying finale that made me tear up. A sweet, warm puppy of a show that will charm the pants off of you.Was this review helpful to you?
Brewing Love? More like Snoozing Lager—romance so flat it needs CPR and a shot of espresso.
6.5/10: A Frothy Mess That Goes Flat Fast🍺 THE GOOD:
- **Kim Se-jeong as Chae Yong-ju** – Former special forces turned beer sales queen. Yes, she can kill a man and pitch a lager in one scene. Iconic, but wasted here.
- **Lee Jong-won as the sensitive brewmaster** – Looks like he cries to jazz and brews IPA with feelings. Sweet, but this ain’t *La La Land*.
- **Pretty scenery** – Countryside shots so nice, you’ll forget you’re watching a drama about *beer marketing*.
⚠️ THE "ALMOST, BUT..." MOMENTS:
- **Slower than foam settling on a flat beer** – The “slow burn” romance is more “no spark, just yeast.”
- **Subplots go missing like drunk texts** – Characters vanish, conflicts die, nothing really sticks.
- **Too much biz, not enough buzz** – It's more corporate training video than rom-com. I didn’t sign up for a business degree in Beer-onomics.
💔 STANDOUT SCENES:
- When Se-jeong’s character tries to emote and you’re like “girl, save yourself from this script.”
- Every time Min-ju stares into the distance like he knows he should’ve taken another role.
🎯 VERDICT:
Feels like they brewed this romance with expired hops—bland, confusing, and mildly depressing.
Watch if you're folding laundry. Skip if you value your sanity.
Best paired with:A real drink, a low attention span, and something else to do while it plays. 🫠🍺
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to the people who are labelled for being sensitive, this is for you
its been awhile since i discovered a really great kdrama that touched my heart & resonated with my emotions so deeply. the last time i felt the kdrama so close to myself was summer strike. and i can assure you this kdrama brings similar comfort & plot that every each of us who are struggling needs. the cast were great, the lead characters, side couple, everything was perfect. they potrayed amazing acting which brings so much comfort to me. one thing this kdrama taught me is that, life is really really miserable. really really painful. to the point that we changed ourselves to be numb to that pain. and its so heartbreaking to be so painful to the point that we let ourself lose our true self. and turns out thats how i have been doing with mine. what an eye opener. 10/10 indeedWas this review helpful to you?
