Enjoying the wide variety of Korean liquor : The vast offering of local liquors excite alcohol enthusiasts

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Enjoying the wide variety of Korean liquor : The vast offering of local liquors excite alcohol enthusiasts

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A group of foreign visitors learn about different types of Korean liquor at The Sool Gallery in Gangnam, southern Seoul. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Anyone with a basic knowledge of Korean cuisine is probably familiar with standard dishes such as kimchi, bibimbap, and bulgogi. Maybe some more adventurous people, who would consider themselves food aficionados, have already ventured out to try more dishes with intense flavors, like gejang (soy sauce marinated raw crab) or cheonggukjang, (a soup with fermented soy bean paste), thinking that kimchi and bibimbap are too basic.

A similar situation exists for Korean alcoholic beverages. Many have yet to explore the world of Korean liquor outside of the famous green-bottled soju.

Many know that French foods pair well with French wine and German foods with German beer. Japanese food goes excellently with a variety of sakes, and there are millions of choices for wines, beers and sakes, depending on how much you are willing to pay. Is pairing your grilled beef at a Korean barbeque restaurant with shots of soju the best you can do?

Although not yet widely promoted, there are hundreds of different types of alcoholic drinks available in Korea, made with Korean ingredients and at Korean distilleries. The drinks can largely be put into three categories; distilled high-level alcohol is called soju: clear drinks made through fermentation called yakju: and drinks that include both the clear liquid and residue of the fermented liquid called takju. Takju is similar to what is commonly known as makgeolli.

If such a wide variety of categories of alcoholic beverages exist, then why have they not yet been widely promoted? Many Koreans were even in the dark about the diversity of Korean liquor until recently.

“It seems like local liquors have lost their stance somewhere throughout the tough historical events and it is unfortunate that the general public do not know much about traditional drinks” said Lee Ji-min, content creator for Daedongyeojudo, a company that introduces Korean drinks, adding that the consumption of traditional drinks probably does not take up even a one percent share of all alcoholic beverages consumed in Korea.

“What we need now is a good bridge to connect drink makers to the right consumers so that we can spread the idea of drinking more of what’s made in Korea.”

Korea has gone through two major crises when it comes to alcohol-making: a lack of home distilling culture and a ban on the use of rice to make alcohol. When Korea suffered under Japanese Colonial Rule in the early 1900s, Japanese authorities required locals to report their alcohol-making and pay a tax at a time when most alcoholic drinks were distilled individually at home. One may expect that the situation must have improved after Korea gained its independence, but due to the lack of food countrywide, the government decided to forbid the use of rice, a key ingredient in alcohol making and a fundamental part of everyday meals, in the production of alcoholic beverages.

The combination of these two historical factors was detrimental in further developing a variety of alcoholic beverages and the culture of handing down recipes that used ingredients abundant in the region.

“It was just family ritual to make drinks with pine leaves as they were everywhere in the town we lived in and there wasn’t [anything like] a recipe, as everything was done by hunch,” said Park Hung-sun, the master of a fermented yakju called Solsongu. In the days during Japanese colonial rule, her mother-in-law told Park that family members had to hide containers filled with alcohol so there was not so much sense in making drinks according to any specific recipe.

“Nowadays, we realize that we need to make the taste modern so that the drink can be representative of the current generation,” she said, adding that the flavor profile of the drink can continuously be updated slightly with the use of the same ingredient: pine leaves.

This begs the question: Where did soju come from and how did it become such a well-known drink? As it was illegal to use rice to make alcohol, local companies decided to distill other types of grains or root vegetables, such as potatoes and sweet potatoes. However, the fermented drinks made from the ingredients didn’t taste good, and liquor makers decided to distill the liquid more and more until they got almost pure alcohol with no particular taste or flavor, then dilute the liquid down to the alcohol concentration level of the soju that Koreans often drink at restaurants. Since the main ingredients used to make the particular type of drink is not expensive, the prices of soju stayed very affordable and soon took over the dinner tables in Korea.

To show there are more options rather than the typical green bottles, many brewing masters with decades and centuries of history decided to make their products sexier with design. One examples of this was Moonbaeju, one of the most famous distilled liquors. The family that makes the liquor decided to put its alcohol in a clear bottle instead of porcelain to make it look more modern and clean to appeal to young people.

“After we changed the bottle, sales at restaurants jumped by 30 percent, and not only the restaurants that serve traditional style Korean food, but also places that serve western-style food wanted to have our drinks,” said Lee Seung-yong, a fifth generation Moonbaeju maker.

Those curious about the taste of Moonbaeju and the design of their bottles can head to The Sool Gallery in Gangnam, southern Seoul. Away from the hustle and bustle of the streets close to Gangnam station, the gallery, which moved from its Insa-dong location in central Seoul, opened their doors last month. Here, one can book a tour in English, Korean or Japanese, which explains the different types of available drinks and the history behind them for about 30 minutes. After the tour, four or five types of drinks are prepared for a tasting session.

“Considering that Gangnam is where young people gather, not to mention many foreigners wanting to see trendy Seoul, we decided to move our gallery here to appeal to a wider ranger of visitors,” said Annie Lee, the director of the gallery, operated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The tour is free, but if you want to have a more extensive tasting of different liquors, you can set up an appointment and have a private tasting for a cost. For more information, call (02) 555-2283. The gallery is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

It is also possible to buy drinks from the gallery.

If you are looking for places to drink alcoholic beverages with food, the restaurants listed below are good options to try out, as they are known for their collections of Korean liquors. Other places that have large selections of Korean liquors include Wine and More in Hannam, central Seoul and Cheongdam, southern Seoul, and at Shinsegae Department Store’s Korean liquor section alongside duty free shops at Incheon International Airport.

BY LEE SUN-MIN [summerlee@joongang.co.kr]



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Korean Bistro / 21st Century Seoul

The question of why western-style pubs selling beer and Japanese-style bars called izakaya selling Japanese drinks do so well in Korea, but not Korean bars that sell Korean liquor, had been bugging Ahn Sang-hyun for a long time. After much consideration, Ahn decided to gather funds from 100 investors and take on the challenge of opening an authentically Korean bar.

Ahn opened a bar called Korean Bistro - Mr. Ahn’s Craft Makgeolli in Gyeongridan-gil, near Itaewon in Yongsan District in 2014, and started to recruit young talented chefs and alcohol managers who could contribute to making a space for diners eager to enjoy quality Korean food and drinks.

After his first restaurant saw a large number of returning customers, he opened another one right down the street, Korean Bistro - 21st Century Seoul, which is a bit more modern than his first location featuring a DJ booth and a long, curved bar with open kitchen.

While the first location is open everyday, the second is usually only open Fridays and Saturdays, and holds many private events to promote Korean liquor as well. The bar often holds tasting session with representatives from local distilleries across the country. The companies frequently use the opportunity to test their products.

The owner of the two bars takes all reservation calls on his personal cell phones so that he can have closer contact with his guests.

Address: Itaewon-dong 255-42, Yongsan District

Phone: 010-9965-5112



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Zac

Most spaces that sell Korean liquor look more like restaurants than a typical bar with a wall filled with bottles of alcohol. Zac, which opened in October last year, decorated its interior a lot like a trendy whisky bar, but when you take a closer look at the bottles on the wall, they are all made in Korea.

The bar is especially good for those new to the world of Korean liquor, as many of the drinks are available to be sold by the glass, instead of a full bottle. The bar has many distilled liquors that have over 40 percent alcohol concentration, but has a variety of weaker drinks as well.

All of the distilled alcohols can be served by the glass, as well as through a sampler put together by owner bartender Kang Byung-koo, who decided to open a bar stocked with Korean liquors after brewing his own drinks at home. A sampler of three liquors famous from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and of five different types of distilled soju from Andong in North Gyeongsang, are recommended for those wanting to delve into the world of Korean liquor.

The owner also makes a cocktail with Korean liquors for those who want to taste more flavors in one drink, and see how Korean hard liquor makes a good harmony with other ingredients, just like many go for vodka or gin to make their cocktails.

This bar is also suitable to come alone and enjoy a drink or two.

Address: Nonhyun-ro 95-gil, Gangnam District

Phone: (02) 501-2342



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White Bear Makgeolli Bar & Brewery

This restaurant and bar has the largest collection of Korean liquors in Korea. There are over 200 types of different liquors listed on its menu, and the owners are always tasting more to discover the hidden gems across the country to add to their list.

Husband and wife duo Lee Seung-hoon and Yu Yi-jin decided to open a bar specialized in introducing drinks made in Korea, and opened the restaurant in the heart of Sinsa-dong, in the area known as Apgujeong Rodeo street, alongside streets crowded with western-style restaurants and beer pubs and cheap soju bars.

The couple trains service people at the restaurants to become “Korean liquor” sommeliers, and invite any aspiring talents who want to study Korean drinks and history with them. They also study a lot about food as they sometimes go out to regions outside of Seoul to look for ingredients to be highlighted when paired with local drinks.

The restaurant also tries to be a communication channel between consumers and Korean liquor brew masters across the country. It hosts tasting events for foreigners and other food industry experts so that they can be exposed to the ideas behind making Korean liquor.

Besides introducing what’s made by other brewery masters, the couple also makes their own alcoholic beverages as well.

For those wanting to bring drinks home, the restaurant also sells liquor at discounted prices.

Address: 39 Apgujeong-ro 48-gil, Gangnam District

Phone: (02) 540-7644



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Sanullim 1992

While others have opened to be ambassadors of Korean liquor, Sanullim 1992 had a different start. It first opened as an ordinary restaurant and bar in 1992. The space was renovated and re-opened in November to become an outlet where people can be introduced to the world of Korean-made drinks.

Owner Hong Hak-gi said he thought a lot about how to make the restaurant trendier with the scene in the hip Hongdae area changing so rapidly.

Then he decided to give his business a major facelift and brand his restaurant as the original place for Korean food and liquor.

The restaurant now has an open kitchen with bar seats. Both a course menu and a la carte menu are available, and about 120 different types of Korean liquors are listed. The response from customers was more positive than he thought and the restaurant’s sales have stabilized much faster than he expected.

“Although it may sound tacky, I think many Korean liquors are too undervalued so I wanted to take the lead and promote local drinks much more because I believe the quality makes the liquors [appealing],” Hong said.

“After I had a taste of them, I thought it was worth trying out as there are more good quality drinks out there than I thought,” said Hong, who was a regular customer of the bar back for eight years and ended up acquiring the bar and doing renovations himself.

Address: Seogang-ro 9-gil, Mapo District

Phone: (02) 334-0118
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