Choi Young-soo, CEO of ChosunBiz, said at the Korea Wine & Spirits Awards held on the 24th at the Westin Josun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, "The Korea Wine & Spirits Awards has established itself as a unique indicator that reads the trends of the domestic liquor market and as a strong bridge linking producers and consumers," adding, "ChosunBiz will continue to be a reliable partner to the liquor industry so we can widely promote the best drinks and help Korea's liquor industry shine in the global market."
The Korea Wine & Spirits Awards is an annual event organized by ChosunBiz since 2014 to discover and widely promote good drinks and to support the formation of a sound drinking culture. For the 13th year, it has selected the best drinks each year and introduced them to consumers.
Kim said, "To all the distinguished guests who attended the 2026 Korea Wine & Spirits Awards, and to the more than 100 judges who evaluated with an impartial yardstick so the Korea Wine & Spirits Awards could become the most trusted awards in the industry, I extend my gratitude," adding, "In particular, I also offer my congratulations to this year's award recipients."
A total of 260 companies submitted 1,118 brands to this year's event. It is the largest among domestic tastings that cover all categories of liquor. Of these, 449 brands received grand prizes. Among the grand-prize winners, 24 brands that earned the highest scores by category were selected for the top honor, "Best of 2026."
Attendees at the event included "Micheál Winthrop," ambassador of Ireland to Korea; "Dawn Elizabeth Bennet," ambassador of New Zealand to Korea; "Dario Cesar Zelaya Alvarez," ambassador of Argentina to Korea; "Matthias Franke," ambassador of Chile to Korea; and "Emilia Gatto," ambassador of Italy to Korea; as well as "Susana Vaz Patto," ambassador of Portugal to Korea.