Agricultural corporation Soolbitneunhorangi Co. said on the 21st that its flagship product "Hophyhop" won the grand prize in the Korean traditional liquor other institutional sector at the 2026 Korea Wine & Spirits Awards.
The Korea Wine & Spirits Awards is Korea's representative liquor evaluation event, now in its 13th year. With the goal of "discovering and widely promoting good domestic liquor and supporting the formation of a sound drinking culture," ChosunBiz has held it annually since 2014.
This year's event drew 260 companies submitting a total of 1,118 brands. It is the largest among domestic evaluation events that cover comprehensive liquor. Of these, 449 brands won the grand prize.
Soolbitneunhorangi is a mead-focused brewery that opened in 2021. Using domestically produced honey, it presents a Korean-style honey wine and also runs series made with seasonally harvested honey and a product lineup reflecting original ideas.
Hophyhop is a mead with 10.5% alcohol by volume, made with 21% honey from Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, 12% brown sugar, and 1% hops from the United States, among other ingredients. Its sweetness is medium, featuring a sweet yet refreshing taste and aroma.
The product does not contain fruit, yet it offers a fruity aroma. Soolbitneunhorangi blended three types of U.S. hops with wildflower honey harvested in summer, then fermented and aged the blend to create fruit-like flavors and aromas. Through a dry hopping process, it was designed to harmonize the characteristic fragrant grassy notes of hops with the bright scent of honey.