ⓒ Boksoon

The company we’re going to introduce today is Boksoondoga 복순도가 Brewery, a producer of premium, homemade makgeolli or Korean rice liquor. Let’s hear from Kim Min-kyu(김민규), a representative from the brewery. 

We brew liquor using our own traditional recipe that has been passed down from our grandmother. When I was little, villagers often visited our house. I remember my grandmother or mother treated the guests with liquor they made themselves. In return, the guests would give fruit or home-made food before leaving. So I thought people were very fond of our home-style rice wine and my parents enjoyed brewing the liquor.

Boksoondoga 복순도가 started from humble, home-brewed liquor. A married couple, Kim Jung-sik(김정식) and Park Boksoon(박복순), living in the southeastern county of Ulju(울주) in Ulsan, learned how to brew rice liquor from Kim’s mother. They would treat guests with makgeolli made from the old recipe. The special makgeolli with a uniquely traditional taste spread through word-of-mouth and attracted visitors, even from Seoul. In 2010, Boksoondoga Brewery was set up, named after the wife, Park Boksoon. The brewery continued to use the same traditional recipe. 

ⓒ Boksoon

Not many makgeolli brands use nuruk(누룩), which is traditional Korean yeast. But my parents believed that nuruk was very important in brewing liquor. Another important part is the pot that keeps the rice drink inside for fermentation. We use traditional, large clay pots that have been used for 50, 60 and even 70 years. Visitors can actually tour the fermentation cellar at our brewery in Ulju. They are very curious about the jars and, often, impressed by them. My parents said that liquor is not fermented properly without using these old jars. 

Boksoondoga 복순도가 rice wine uses newly-harvested Korean rice in the region and the traditional fermenting agent, nuruk 누룩, without adding any preservatives or artificial fermentation starters. First, rice is cooked in a steamer with clean well water. The steamed rice is called godubap(고두밥). A mixture of godubap, nuruk, and water is put inside an old clay jar that protects its contents but still retains a porous quality to allow it to “breathe.” The dual effect of protection and air circulation makes it an ideal container for fermentation. Fermentation takes three weeks in summer and four weeks in winter. In the process, Boksoondoga 복순도가 rice wine produces a unique flavor. 

We try to ferment nuruk at the most natural temperatures possible, and makgeolli made in this way produces different tastes, depending on the season. While the liquor is brewing, we can hear sparkling, like the sound of the falling rain, inside the jar. It shows how active the fermentation is. When the brewing is done, we filter makgeolli for bottling. We repeat this process every day, trying to produce the rice liquor as naturally and traditionally as possible. We highlight this part when promoting our makgeolli, which is definitely different from other rice wine brands. 

The natural carbonation produced in the process of fermenting nuruk provides a refreshing sensation, similar to champagne, and this rice drink mixes well upon opening, without having to shake the bottle. Mr. Kim, the first son of the family, studied at the Cooper Union School of Architecture in the U.S. He designed a sophisticated makgeolli bottle and made use of his expertise to design a brewery as well, using traditional materials like soil, rice straws, and charcoal. 

Visitors can see and experience the fermentation process at this distinctive brewery, which has now become a tourist attraction. The second son, Kim Min-kook, who majored in mathematics at UC Berkeley, joined the family business and formulated a traditional fermentation method in a systematic way. Boksoondoga 복순도가 makgeolli was chosen as the official alcoholic beverage for the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul in 2012, just two years after the brewery’s foundation. 

ⓒ Boksoon

Our rice wine became famous after it was selected to be served at the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit, where leaders from some 60 countries congregated on the peninsula, including then-U.S. President Barack Obama, gathered. Afterwards, it was used as the official wine at international events, such as the Expo Milano and the Venice Biennale. Our brand has won various prizes like the K-Design Award and the Good Design Award, and also received awards at wine events in LA and London. 

Boksoondoga 복순도가 makgeolli has won the Gold Medal Award at the San Francisco International Wine Competition, silver at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in the U.K., and bronze at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition. Indeed, it is a top player in the premium makgeolli market. 

Our makgeolli products are available at a number of department stores in Korea, including those in Seoul, as well as golf clubs and resorts nationwide. We also export them to Japan and Hong Kong. Many Japanese are well aware of Korean makgeolli, but few people know about the raw, traditional home-brewed rice liquor. We see great potential in the premium makgeolli market and continue to increase outbound shipments, especially to Hong Kong, where world-famous wine brands and hotels are found. 

A bottle of Boksoondoga makgeolli costs 12-thousand won or about 11 US dollars, roughly ten times the cost of mass-produced alternatives. Since all of the rice wine is still hand-brewed, daily sales are limited to 200 to 300 bottles. With orders pouring in, though, the brewery’s sales have increased 30 percent per annum. This year, the British magazine Monocle described the brewery as a small but promising enterprise. Boksoondoga employs modern marketing strategies, while still sticking to its traditional recipe, to elevate the profile of the Korean fermented rice drink and promote the traditional liquor the world over.