Cheongju Leeutsachon said on the 9th that its flagship product, "Leeutsachon 12 Korean rice wine," won the grand prize in the our liquor Korean rice wine institutional sector at the 2026 Korea Wine & Spirits Awards.
Leeutsachon 12 Korean rice wine is a two-stage brew based on "Seoktanhyang (惜呑香)" introduced in the Jeongjo section of the old text Imwon Sip Yuk Ji. It is completed through about 100 days of fermentation and aging using the brewery's own nuruk, Hyangon-gok, and, the company said, secures both flavor stability and depth through a process carried out at low temperatures over a long period.
The product is characterized by a balance of sweet flavor and crisp acidity. Subtle floral and fruity aromas blend, with a gentle sweetness in the fruit family such as maesil (green plum), plum, and apple, and a nutty nuance from nuts. It has also been receiving good feedback when paired with Korean full-course appetizers or meats such as bossam.
Cheongju Leeutsachon in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, is a brewery run by CEO Kim Mi-jung. After obtaining a liquor manufacturing license in 2019, it made a full-fledged entry into the traditional liquor market by launching the yakju Leeutsachon and the distilled soju Leeutsachon 41 in Oct. 2023. In 2025, it continued steady product development by launching the Korean rice wine Leeutsachon 12 and Leeutsachon 15.
Cheongju Leeutsachon won the grand prize in the yakju/cheongju traditional liquor institutional sector with its Leeutsachon yakju at the Korea Wine & Spirits Awards hosted by ChosunBiz in 2024, and continued to post steady results, with its Leeutsachon 12 Korean rice wine being selected for the "Top 20" in the Korean rice wine (high proof) institutional sector at the Korea Sool Awards jointly hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) in 2025.
A Cheongju Leeutsachon official said, "We are pleased that our efforts to recreate, with a modern sensibility, the liquors described in texts that contain the wisdom of our ancestors led to this award," adding, "We will continue to promote the value of our country's liquor and present high-quality traditional liquors that anyone can enjoy."