Traditional liquor maker Heukhwa Brewery said on the 28th that at the 2026 Korea Wine & Spirits Awards, its premium makgeolli "Gunju" won the grand prize in the Korean rice wine pasteurized makgeolli·traditional liquor institutional sector.
Now in its 13th year, the Korea Wine & Spirits Awards is Korea's leading liquor evaluation event. With the goal of "discovering and widely promoting good domestic liquors and supporting the formation of a sound drinking culture," ChosunBiz has held it annually since 2014.
This year's event drew entries of a total of 1,118 brands from 260 companies. It is the largest among domestic evaluation events that cover general liquors. Of these, 449 brands won the grand prize.
Heukhwa Brewery is a traditional liquor maker that preserves the locality of Gunsan, North Jeolla, specializing in traditional brewing. Based on the philosophy that "the most local is the most global," it focuses on interpreting the region's heritage and traditional brewing techniques in a modern way.
Gunju, selected for the grand prize this time, is a product that embodies the historical identity of Gunsan, once famous as a producer of refined rice wine. Heukhwa Brewery said it is the result that condenses the brand's direction rooted in tradition.
In particular, it is evaluated as a premium makgeolli that modernly reinterprets Gunsan's traditional brewing culture, applying the "samyangju" technique of brewing three times using rice that has undergone a precise polishing process and handmade rice nuruk. The flavor and balance of rice as a single ingredient are its hallmarks.
A Heukhwa Brewery official said, "We brew with pride that we are making 'our own traditional liquor,'" adding, "Gunju is the result of deeply exploring and obsessing over how to capture the essence of Gunsan in our liquor. We will prove the new competitiveness of our traditional makgeolli in the global market."