Lately in the liquor industry, "customized liquor," in which entertainers or YouTubers directly take part in developing alcohol, has taken hold as a new trend. G-Dragon's "PEACEMINUSONE Highball" and Park Jae-beom's "Wonsoju" are representative examples.
Amid this trend, a Start - Up has emerged that develops and produces the liquor a brand wants. Son Jong-chan, head of Maeweolmaeju, said, "For customers who want to make their own liquor, we customize the recipe and design and release it."
Maeweolmaeju was founded in Feb. 2021 by CEO Son Jong-chan. It began as a "traditional liquor subscription service" in which, by paying a subscription fee, subscribers could receive a sampler of traditional liquors from a different brewery each month along with a pairing guide.
Son, who studied wine in Napa Valley, California, said, "Overseas, alcohol is consumed not as a consumer good but as culture and a lifestyle product," and noted, "Based on my experience studying abroad, I wanted to create a culture that makes it easier and more diverse to enjoy Korea's traditional liquor."
As the business grew, Son expanded the service to brand-customized liquor production. Son said, "Wherever alcohol is consumed—such as restaurants, bars, hotels, and golf courses—there are customers who want to customize their own liquor," and added, "We help them turn liquor into a revenue business."
Representative cases include FC Anyang's customized liquor "Drunk on the Sunset" and traditional liquor made in collaboration with the virtual girl group "V-LUP."
When a customer orders a customized product, Maeweolmaeju either produces it directly at its own brewery or outsources production to about 150 partner breweries nationwide.
Son said, "Each industry has different requirements," and emphasized, "Our competitiveness lies in meticulously managing the entire process—from production to design to delivery—tailored to the customer's characteristics."
In particular, Son cited "a platformized service structure" as Maeweolmaeju's strength. Son emphasized, "Some marketing agencies are facilitating consolidation between entertainers and breweries to launch customized products, but Maeweolmaeju is the only company operating as a platform service that anyone can easily access."
As of 2023, the domestic private brand (PB) liquor market is valued at 500 billion won. It is expected to grow to 1 trillion won by 2030. Maeweolmaeju's current annual sales are 500 million won, with a profit margin of 14–15%. Son expressed ambition, saying, "By achieving 2,000 annual contracts, we will grow into a company worth 50 billion won by 2030."
To that end, the company plans to expand beyond focusing on the B2B (business-to-business) market into the B2C (business-to-consumer) market as well. Son said, "We want to be a company that not only develops customized liquor for entertainers or corporations but also customizes and provides liquor to individuals who want their own."