Unjeong Makgeolli, made by Unjeong Brewery in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, said on the 20th that it won the grand prize in the Korean rice wine institutional sector at the 2026 Korea Wine & Spirits Awards hosted by ChosunBiz. It received the grand prize for three consecutive years from 2024 through this year.
The Korea Wine & Spirits Awards is a leading domestic liquor competition that ChosunBiz has held annually since 2014 with the goal of discovering good domestic drinks, publicizing them widely, and supporting the formation of a sound drinking culture.
Now in its 13th year, the event saw more than 250 companies submit over 1,000 brands as of last year, marking the largest scale among comprehensive liquor competitions. Because more than 100 professional judges evaluate entries through blind testing, rankings are determined solely by the quality of the drink, regardless of brand recognition or the size of corporations.
Unjeong Makgeolli uses only freshly milled Paju new-crop rice grown inside the DMZ clean Paju Civilian Control Line, and it does not add any additives such as artificial sweeteners. Applying a low-temperature long-term aging method that reinterprets the traditional process in a modern, scientific way, it achieves a rich yet smooth texture without artificial carbonation. Its dense flavors reminiscent of melon, oriental melon, and yogurt have spread by word of mouth among consumers.
Unjeong Brewery is establishing itself as a leading local brewery that promotes Paju's agricultural specialties by showcasing Unjeong Makgeolli, Paju Gaeseong Ginseng Makgeolli, and Gureum-eul Tansan. Gureum-eul Tansan, launched last year, is a 7.2% abv smooth and refreshing naturally carbonated makgeolli that targets a different group of consumers from the existing Unjeong Makgeolli, completing a diversified lineup.
Brand trust built by three consecutive years of awards is also leading to external manufacturing requests. In addition to its own brands, Unjeong Brewery is supplying its proven technology externally by concurrently running traditional liquor OEM production and traditional liquor consulting businesses.
Chief Executive Chae Mina said, "We are pursuing the popularization of premium Korean rice wine," adding, "While we reinterpret the most traditional methods in a modern and scientific way, we have adhered from the beginning to the principle of focusing on the essence of the drink using only natural ingredients."