Korea's soju exports topped $200 million 4th, hitting an all-time high. While the K-pop and Korean drama waves helped, the hidden efforts of those who actively promoted the unique appeal of Korean liquor on the global stage early on also played a big role. ChosunBiz captured the voices of those leading the globalization of Korean liquor as "K-liquor evangelists." [Editor's note]
In the United Kingdom, it is common to see office workers gather in small groups after work to drink beer and chat, a scene so uniquely British that it is called "pub" culture. Based on this culture, a variety of beers such as ale and stout were born in the U.K., and brands like the globally famous London Pride and the well-known Guinness in Korea were created.
In the U.K., which has such deep-rooted domestic drinking culture, there is a place betting on Korean liquor. "Sooldoga," opened by CEO Kim Tae-yeol, a former bartender at a five-star hotel, in Southwark in south London in 2024. True to its name, which means "a house that brews liquor," Sooldoga brews makgeolli in the traditional Korean way using rice, nuruk, and water. To make it easy for Britons unfamiliar with makgeolli to enjoy, corn, sweet potato, peach, and more are added. ChosunBiz conducted a written interview with Kim 4th.
◇Why a bartender competition winner brews makgeolli
Sooldoga is a brewery founded by Kim, who has worked with cocktails for more than 10 years, out of affection for Korean liquor. He began his career as a bartender in 2008 and won the 10th International Korean Cup cocktail competition in 2015. In the same year, at an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) dinner in Paris, he presented cocktails using Korean traditional liquor, and said that this allowed him to directly experience the unique European style of beverage service that is hard to encounter in Korea.
Kim said, "In Europe, alcoholic beverages were more than simply evaluating taste or taking a technical approach; they made shared moments enjoyable," and "as I came to grasp this value deeply, I reached an important turning point in my career." At the time, he was working as head bartender at the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Bar, but gave up a position that everyone coveted and began touring Hong Kong, Beijing, and Belgium to present cocktails using our liquor. In some countries, such as Taiwan, he also taught how to brew makgeolli. After experiencing the drinking cultures of several countries, he judged that the center of the global alcohol market was the U.K., and settled there in 2019.
He took his first step into the British alcohol market by founding an importer of Korean traditional liquor and serving as head of the U.K. branch of Jeonju Igangju. Seeking a breakthrough in the U.K., where beer and wine consumption culture is deeply rooted, Kim worked to promote traditional liquor, and in 2020 opened the Ogam tapas bar, serving Korean food in tapas style and presenting traditional liquor pairings. Although the COVID-19 pandemic hit restaurants worldwide, for Kim, the pandemic became a new opportunity.
At the time, he took on the challenge of brewing makgeolli, which he had studied since 2013. Kim said, "When the pandemic made it impossible to sell the makgeolli I had brewed directly to the public, I wore a mask and gave it away for free to existing customers and acquaintances," and "as makgeolli received an unexpectedly strong response, I was able to start a new challenge even during the pandemic, when business was contracting." He then proceeded in earnest with licensing and related procedures for makgeolli in the U.K. and opened the makgeolli-focused restaurant "Gamnamujip" along with Sooldoga.
Starting from a small shipping container, Sooldoga now sells more than 2,000 bottles of liquor across London every month. Sooldoga produces various types of makgeolli as well as higher-end lines such as Farmers (Korean rice wine) and Hwanggeumpan (clear rice wine). 13th, it newly unveiled Mang-golli, a makgeolli made with mango. Kim said, "The higher-end line is also supplied to the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair bar in London, proving the potential of traditional liquor on the global stage."
◇Sooldoga, beyond a brewery to a multi-purpose cultural space
Aiming to be an open brewery, Sooldoga runs regular courses that allow visitors to brew and age liquor themselves using traditional Korean methods. This class is conducted in cohorts. Graduates are connected in a single network to interact and are developing into a community that explores Korean drinking culture together, Kim said. He said, "Liquor is not just a beverage, but a 'medium' that connects people and shares culture."
To help locals more easily approach Korean traditional liquor, Sooldoga operates not only makgeolli classes but also a variety of programs such as traditional liquor tasting classes and cocktail-making classes. Kim explained that questions such as why makgeolli is cloudy and what differentiates Korean traditional liquor from sake can only be resolved by tasting and experiencing the liquor directly at the brewery. In addition, a private party room is provided so that locals can enjoy Korean liquor freely. Sooldoga has been reborn as a kind of "multi-purpose cultural space."
As these efforts accumulated, Sooldoga spread by word of mouth and established itself as a local "hot place." Kim said, "As with many food and beverage establishments run in the Korean style, at first it was mostly Koreans who visited," adding, "as we ran the brewery in an almost perfectionist, traditional Korean way, at some point more than 90% of the shop was filled with local, non-Korean patrons." As YouTubers such as "Korean Englishman," who has 6 million subscribers, introduced Sooldoga, the nationalities of visitors diversified beyond the U.K. to the United States, South America, and Africa.
Even Kim, who calls himself an ambassador for Korean liquor, has regrets. It is difficult for foreigners to easily purchase Korean liquor locally. He said, "Diluted soju in green bottles is inexpensive and easy to find anywhere, but traditional distilled soju or brewed liquor, which show the true taste and value of Korean liquor, still have few importers, making them less accessible overseas." He added that he hopes many video producers and content creators will introduce Korean traditional liquor more often.
Sooldoga is currently focused on making makgeolli, but Kim's ultimate goal is to make Sooldoga the only Korean traditional liquor classroom in Europe run by a Korean. He plans to brew Korean distilled soju himself in London next year. Kim said, "I hope the day comes when you can encounter Korean liquor and enjoy Korean-style cocktails at any bar in the world," and "until that day comes, we will prepare the soil in London for Korean liquor to take root, watch its growth together, and reap the fruits."