Pyongyang's Haemachi (Sunrise) restaurant and retail complex now has a new beer bar, serving Paulaner beers, almost certainly brewed at one of China's many Paulaner brewpubs. (Though it was claimed by staff that this was not a joint venture - "ha ha, everybody asks that!")
Beer. Paulaner Beer.
Not packed on a Saturday night.
Despite being really chilly (in March) and serving beer that is basically inferior to many of the locally brewed options available, one thing did catch our eye:
There is now a haemachi-wide loyalty card, which operates as you'd expect: keep spending, earn points, use the points for things later.
They have thoughtfully included foreign guests in this scheme, as well.
Apparently, Rakwon (Paradise) Department Store was the first shop in town to have a customer loyalty program some years ago. They increasingly appear to be on the losing end of the retail boom in Pyongyang, however, as newer, glitzier places pop up. Rakwon appears more and more a vestige of the 1980s.
It has been moving into processed foods - another boom industry - and has begun bottling its beer and makkolli. Actually, this author would go so far as to say it might be the best makkolli in the world. So loyalty cards aren't everything. You still need a good product.
Simply the best:
No additives or preservatives here, friends.