Hite Brewery Company Limited
The company was established as Nippon Beer Chosun Co. in 1933 by Dainippon Brewery (Sapporo Breweries). After 1945, Dainippon Brewery property was confiscated by the Korean authorities and became Crown Beer. In 2001 the company had three factories, and in 2002 its market share of the domestic beer market was some 55%, up from 30% in 1992.
In 2006, the company acquired Jinro, the popular South Korean soju company. Among the two companies, Jinro was founded in 1924 as Jincheon Brewing Company in Yonggang-gun, South Pyongan Province. In 1953, the company moved to its current location in Singil-dong, Yeongdeung-gu, Seoul, and changed its name to Seongjo, Cheongnyo in 1954, Jinro in 1966, and Jinro in 1975. In 1980, it won gold prizes in six categories of the 11th International Mainstream Congress (IWSC) and eight categories of the 18th Monde Selection. It released cham Chamisul in 1998, and sold 10 billion bottles in 2006.
Hite Beer was founded in 1933 as Chosun Beer Corporation in Yeongdeung-eup, Siheung-gun, Gyeonggi-do. It was the first Korean beer export in 1962. It introduced Hite in 1993 and changed its name to Hite in 1998. In 2002, it sold 10 billion bottles of Hite beer.
The two companies launched the Hite Jinro Group in 2005. In 2007, the company consolidated its export sector to form an overseas business headquarters and established a local corporation in China. In 2008, the holding company was designated Hite Holdings and the business company as Hite Brewery, and in 2011, it was launched as the current Hite Jinro Corporation.
Author: Caroline Porsiel
Caroline Porsiel is a master distiller and liqueurist based in East Ellijay, Georgia. She founded House of Applejay, a fine spirits and liqueur distillery, in 2022 with her mother, Sabine, crafting award-winning products like Applejay from Ellijay, Mt. Frozen Knob Vodka, and Winter Cherry Mountain Liqueur. The distillery won a 2024 Best of Georgia Award and a 2025 Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its Winter Cherry Mountain Liqueur. As a founding member of the AMBRU Campaign, launched in 2020, Porsiel advocates for the global recognition of American Brandy and Rum. She continues to drive innovation in the craft spirits industry from her active distillery in the heart of Georgia’s apple country.
