K-Pour Chronicles – Episode 5: Creating new memories at Daegu

7. Januar 2026

Some bars you visit once. Others linger with you quietly, long after the last sip. After the cosmopolitan buzz of Seoul, the sea-salted rhythm of Jeju, and the slow grace of Gyeongju, it was time for something new. So we boarded a train and headed to Daegu. Only an hour from Gyeongju by rail, Daegu feels like a shift in tone. It’s Korea’s fourth-largest city — modern and industrious — yet it doesn’t force itself upon you. Maybe that’s why I liked it from the start.

Daegu is known for its traditional textile markets, its spicy cuisine, and the dry heat of its summers. For travellers, it offers a refreshing detour from the usual trail — temples tucked between modern buildings, lush parks, vibrant street food stalls, and a rising creative scene pulsing just beneath the surface. And somewhere in all of this, tucked just off Dongseong-ro Rodeo Street, we found a new reason to return: Bar Sisu.

We’d heard whispers. A new opening. A newcomer that already felt like a classic. A bar shaped by someone who brought years of experience from Seoul’s top bars and poured it into something small, grounded, and intimate in Daegu. And to spoil the ending: it didn’t disappoint.

Bar Sisu is the kind of place that doesn’t try to dazzle you with spectacle — it just does everything right. The size. The setting. The sense of welcome. A small, owner-run space that invites you to slow down and sink in. Music hums just loud enough to shape the room. Soft lighting warms the space. All attention rests gently on the guest.

My dream bar always has these things — warm beige tones, thoughtful wood details, and the kind of bar that’s more listening than performing. The design is modern, but never cold. What stands out most, though, is intention. Everything — from the glassware to the garnishes — feels deliberate. Not overdesigned, just right. Some bars are built to impress. Bar Sisu is built to understand.

From the very first page, the bar introduces itself in a whisper rather than a shout:

Sisu is a warm and inviting space, inspired by the most basic and humble elements of nature — firewood and water — creating a comforting and relaxing atmosphere. And that sense of humble strength flows right into the menu. Short, seasonal, and full of quiet invention, Sisu’s drinks aren’t here to show off. They’re here to connect.

One drink, in particular, carries a story that lingers: Oncheon. Inspired by a childhood memory, it captures the quiet mornings when the owner would wake before dawn to accompany his father to the oncheon—Korean hot springs steeped in tradition. Those early rises weren’t easy, but they came with a small, sacred ritual: a banana milk bought along the way, a silent reward that transformed duty into comfort. All of this is distilled into the glass. The cocktail blends cacao- and persimmon leaf tea–infused whisky with banana syrup, lemon, and clarified milk—gentle, warming, and nostalgic, but never cloying. Oncheon takes its name from the mineral-rich hot springs themselves, places of routine, rest, and reverence. And that’s precisely the experience it delivers: familiar, grounding, and quietly moving. It’s not just a drink—it’s a memory, poured.

Tomatini was a refined surprise — Korean mint-infused gin, black pepper, fino sherry, dry vermouth, elderflower, tomato, celery bitters, and just a kiss of absinthe. Like a garden after rain, layered and unexpected. Nutty Sour was another standout — tequila infused with pistachio butter and dried persimmon, blended with Frangelico, apricot, and lime. Rich, slightly savoury, gently sweet — playful, but grown-up. And then there was 5lljang, a spicy and herbaceous blend of Korean apple brandy infused with chili pepper and wild chive, mixed with lemon, cinnamon syrup, egg white, and bitters. A drink that doesn’t hide — but doesn’t overpower either.

A seasonal favourite? A dessert cocktail called Salted Bread, inspired by the viral Korean salt bread trend (with roots in Japanese shio-pan and old European traditions). Think salt-bread-infused whiskey, Gosling rum, Frangelico, milk, lemon, and a soft touch of sour cream. Sweet, salty, and soul-warming — like biting into something both new and nostalgic.

A Different Kind of Bar Culture

Daegu has long been overshadowed by Seoul’s glitter and Busan’s beachside bars. But something is shifting. A new generation of bartenders is choosing depth over dazzle. There’s a focus on craft, on community, and on creating spaces that feel personal. Bar Sisu is at the heart of that. It’s not chasing social media virality. You won’t find over-the-top garnishes engineered for likes. The owner may not be a face splashed across influencer reels or reposted by global spirits brands — but scroll through their Instagram, and you’ll see what matters: a growing community of regulars, seasonal menus carefully introduced, and a space that’s finding its rhythm without losing its roots. This is a bar that could thrive anywhere. But it belongs in Daegu — quietly shaping its cocktail identity one guest, one pour, one story at a time.

Why You’ll Remember Sisu

We stayed only one night in Daegu, but Sisu made it feel like a pause in time. The kind of place where you forget to check your phone. Where a short conversation with the bartender turns into an exchange of stories. Where the cocktail in your hand feels like a beginning — not an end. We came for the drinks, yes. But we left with something more.