"I came to find baijiu and wine to pair at the restaurant."
Chef Jo Gwang-ho, who appeared on Netflix's Culinary Class Wars with the nickname "manjjitnam" (a man who rips out recipes from a comic book), said this at a tasting for the Korea Wine & Spirits Awards hosted by ChosunBiz. Jo runs a Chinese restaurant in Songpa District, Seoul, called "Jogwang 201."
◇ From buyers to manufacturers... About 280 people attend
ChosunBiz held a private tasting for the Korea Wine & Spirits Awards on the afternoon of Mar. 24 at the Westin Josun Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul. At the tasting that followed the awards ceremony and the meetup zone, attendees sampled a variety of drinks centered on the winners, including traditional Korean liquor (jeontongju), wine, whisky, and baijiu.
Not only buyers like Jo but also about 280 people, from members of the public interested in alcohol to manufacturers, importers, and other industry officials, attended the tasting. Jo said, "We limit dining time to 100 minutes, so we recommend drinks in a reasonable price range and volume, and there is a fair amount of demand for baijiu."
Yoo Seong-un, Secretary-General of the Korea Spirits Association, said, "Following whisky, I'm watching the trending baijiu and tequila with interest," adding, "As local food cultures from China and Mexico come in, their liquors are also drawing attention." Yoo said, "If you go to Euljiro, young people pair tequila at street taco spots, and at Chinese restaurants they look for premium baijiu rather than Yantai baijiu."
As drinking culture shifts among younger generations, demand is growing for rare bottles. Consumption of nonalcoholic and low-alcohol drinks continues to rise, while consumers are also clearly choosing based on taste, ingredients, and story, even at higher price points.
Nam Geon-woo, head of the beverage and liquor team in the product division at Korea Seven, said, "The categories sold at convenience stores are gradually expanding from basic beer and soju to traditional liquors," adding, "We plan to focus on traditional liquors such as makgeolli, yakju, and distilled soju."
A college student who only recently got into alcohol also stood out. Lee Su-min, 22, said, "Since I'm a student, the types of drinks I can usually have are limited, but it's nice to be able to taste a variety at an event like this," adding, "The most memorable drink was a 72-degree distilled spirit from Daegu Jeontongju. As soon as it hit my mouth, I could feel the alcohol vaporize, which was fascinating."
Many attendees also had ties to the event. Kang Hyeon-ho, a professor in the department of alcohol manufacturing and entrepreneurship at Daekyeung University, said, "I came back to the event for the first time in 10 years, and the scale is much bigger than before, and the attendees are more diverse," adding, "Back then it was mostly industry officials, but now university traditional liquor clubs also attend, and the overall age range has clearly gotten younger."
Seo Won-gyeong, who runs the YouTube channel "Introduction to Alcohol Studies" with 380,000 subscribers, said, "I took part as a judge in the whisky and spirits categories," adding, "Because we judged blind, I came to taste the products I evaluated one more time." Seo added, "Since everything is covered so the drinks can't be identified, even the judges only learn the results later, so you can't help but be curious about the products."
The Korea Wine & Spirits Awards marks its 13th year. With the goal of "discovering and promoting good domestic drinks and supporting the formation of a sound drinking culture," ChosunBiz has hosted it annually since 2014. This year, 260 companies submitted a total of 1,118 brands. It is the largest domestic tasting competition that covers comprehensive alcoholic beverages. Among them, 449 brands won grand prizes by category, including traditional Korean liquor, soju, sake, beer, and whisky. Park Jae-beom, CEO of One Spirits Co., an agricultural corporation, also attended to receive an award. Park, famous as a rapper, won the grand prize in the traditional Korean liquor category with "Hwanyeong 30."
◇ Business meetup zone held before the tasting
The meetup zone held before the tasting was operated for the first time this year. It was set up as an official event reflecting participant demand, where manufacturers met buyers and others directly to introduce their products. Some ran their own aroma and tasting sessions.
Lim Jae-hyeon, brand director at Arine, said, "It's a good opportunity to promote products from the perspective of a new brand," adding, "I've experienced a few meetups, but this is the first time it's been so systematized." Lim added, "Having working-level staff come in person was a real help, and we hope it leads to purchase contracts or long-term partnerships."
A representative of Choi Jun-seon, chief buyer sommelier for the wine and liquor team in the F&B division at Lotte Department Store, said, "There aren't many opportunities to meet liquor companies from various regions like Ulsan and Daegu all at once," adding, "One of Lotte Department Store's strengths is its presence across the provinces, and we should be able to create many ongoing collaboration opportunities."
Noh Yoon-su, head sommelier at Shinsegae Gangnam, said, "It's rare for working-level staff to come out like this," adding, "I'm focused on white spirits and sake, and it's a big gain to meet many good liquor companies and head back."