In Episode 3 of Brewing Love, the story kicks off with Min-ju spotting Yong-ju working hard in the field. Impressed by her skills, the older women convince Min-ju to hire her as a part-time worker. Meanwhile, back in Seoul, Chan-hwi runs into Ah-reum and gets completely star-struck by her.
As Yong-ju settles into the job, she begins to learn more about Min-ju’s personality. At lunchtime, the two women take her to a cozy shed that’s fully furnished, almost like a small apartment. Min-ju had it specially made for her.
Back in the city, Ah-reum’s bosses push her to work harder, much like Yong-ju. During her lunch break, the mouth-watering smell of Chan-hwi’s food truck catches her attention. He makes her a toasted sandwich, and she can’t help but rave about how much she loves it.
Min-ju, meanwhile, notices Yong-ju working and decides to join her, bringing along coffee and a cream bun. He even ties her hair for her, a sweet gesture that reminds him of when she had talked about those little details. The two older women tease them, and Min-ju quickly shifts his mood, suddenly telling Yong-ju to leave.
But Yong-ju doesn’t back down. Determined, she heads to Uilhan Pub and drinks all ten litres of Naro Beer. The village chief, who also runs the pub, calls Min-ju to warn him. A tipsy Yong-ju, in her drunken state, tells the chief about her plans to help her colleagues, and Min-ju overhears.
The chief leaves Min-ju to handle things, and he confronts Yong-ju, telling her that she’ll burn out if she keeps overexerting herself. Exhausted, she falls asleep, and Min-ju ends up carrying her back to the brewery on his bike.
Meanwhile, the villagers are gearing up for the upcoming beer festival, and Jjuan and her husband return from their trip to Vietnam. Yong-ju wakes up, completely sober, and helps the group set up. The two older women come up with a plan to push Yong-ju and Min-ju together, sending Yong-ju into the woods to gather ragwort and then tricking Min-ju into thinking she’s lost and needs his help.
Min-ju spends hours searching for her until nightfall, eventually finding Yong-ju sitting near an old shed. She explains that her phone died, and she decided to stay the night. She then presses him, demanding to know why he seems to hate her. Min-ju reassures her that he doesn’t hate her.
He opens up about his troubled past, including his strained relationship with his father and his retreat into isolation. Flashbacks reveal how others took advantage of his kindness. His mother, who understood him, passed away, leaving him to face the world alone.
Min-ju admits that Yong-ju reminds him of the son his father always wanted him to be. He also shares that six years ago, someone saved him from an accident and told him to protect himself and block out the bad stuff. Yong-ju, moved by his words, reflects on how not everyone has the ability to protect themselves, her emotions running high.
Min-ju gently encourages her to stop suppressing her emotions. When she falls asleep again, sitting up, Min-ju lets her lean on his shoulder. The next morning, Yong-ju wakes up and chastises herself for letting her guard down and sleeping so peacefully.
Meanwhile, Ah-reum receives news from a marriage counsellor, who grades her with an A-minus due to her parents’ professions. This leads her to ask the village chief to gather the villagers. Ah-reum, inadvertently, starts a rumor, telling the villagers how much money they could make if Jisang acquires Naro. She makes them believe that Yong-ju plans to steal Min-ju away to create a new beer and leave everyone behind.
By the time Min-ju and Yong-ju return from the mountain, the villagers have turned against her, throwing salt at her in anger. At the end of Episode 3, Min-ju steps in to protect her, standing between her and the villagers, setting the stage for the next chapter in Brewing Love.
The episode opens with Min-ju stepping in to defend Yong-ju from the villagers. Realizing Jisang’s role in the chaos, he tells both Yong-ju and Ah-reum to leave. Later, Min-ju invites Yong-ju to his place, where she cleans up and bonds with his cat. At the brewery, Min-ju shares how the villagers helped him grow his beer business and why he feels deeply loyal to them.
At the beer festival, Yong-ju confronts Ah-reum, accusing her of withholding critical information. A Jisang merger would strip the villagers of their beer’s ownership and job security. When a supply issue threatens the festival, Min-ju and his team step up to help, but Yong-ju takes it further, calling in a favor from a trusted wholesaler to secure more beer. Despite suspicions from others, Yong-ju insists she won’t manipulate Min-ju or the villagers to achieve her goals.
At the festival, Min-ju shocks everyone by agreeing to partner with Yong-ju, expressing his trust in her. The festival is a success, and later, Min-ju and Yong-ju share a quiet moment where they reflect on the parallels between people and beer. Min-ju finds himself drawn to how well Yong-ju understands him, even catching her singing outside his home, which brings a smile to his face.
The next day, Min-ju nervously heads to Jisang Liquor’s office but finds encouragement in a supportive video from Yong-ju. At the office, Yong-ju reveals she’s built a capable team for him, including Ah-reum and Beom. They sign the contract and celebrate with dinner, where Min-ju impresses everyone by acing a beer taste test. Yong-ju calls his talent a gift, while Beom becomes visibly jealous of her closeness with Min-ju.
After dinner, Beom’s jealousy is apparent, especially when Min-ju notices his feelings for Yong-ju. But as the rain starts, Yong-ju runs toward Min-ju, leaving him questioning if his emotions for her are more than he’s willing to admit.
The episode ends with Min-ju torn between his loyalty to the villagers and his growing feelings for Yong-ju, setting up more emotional turmoil ahead.