The transformation of makgeolli is scary. Makgeolli with a new concept with various ingredients captured the tastes and tastes of the MZ generation (millennials born in the early 1980s to early 2000s and Generation Z born in the mid 1990s to early 2000s) at once. The Korean makgeolli market is growing every year with the addition of sparkling makgeolli with added refreshing taste, premium makgeolli without artificial sweeteners, and makgeolli with added fun through ‘fun marketing’. There are more than 1.28 million makgeolli hashtags on Instagram. What is the secret to the popularity of makgeolli among young people? We looked into the world of colorful makgeolli that breaks the form and frame. The first protagonist is Makgeolli C, which promotes the diversity of makgeolli culture.
Makgeolli for alcoholics
All creations contain the tendencies and lifestyles of the creators. Choi Young-eun, a self proclaimed alcoholic, CEO of C Makgeolli, brews makgeolli for 'judang'. It all started when she lived in Thailand. As he made his own food that could not be obtained locally, he naturally became interested in making makgeolli. After self-taught makgeolli, he decided to establish a brewery. He initially thought he would open a brewery in Thailand. However, it was difficult for him to get a microbrewery license, so he changed his mind to start in Korea. CEO Choi focused on recipe development for over two years. He made a variety of drinks using over 100 different ingredients. After opening a brewery in Gangnam, Seoul in April 2020, it launched its first product in July of that year.
Most makgeolli is made with local specialties, so what is the reason for opening a brewery in the middle of the city? C Makgeolli puts Gangnam's urban energy, soul, diversity, and creative attempt into the concept of alcohol. C makgeolli is the city's alcoholic beverage made with the traditional brewing method. Seasonal makgeolli made with seasonal ingredients, as well as anniversary makgeolli for special occasions, will be introduced as the alcohol of the month. Makgeolli, which changes every month, adds to the pleasure of looking at a fashion collection. A total of 16 products have been made so far.
C Makgeolli uses a variety of natural color foods, herbs, and medicinal herbs that were not used in traditional brewing to express creative and whimsical taste. Like the meaning of the names Creative, Colorful, and Cosmopolitan, we pursue the meeting of tradition and the present and create diversity in makgeolli culture. The differentiating point of C Makgeolli lies in the sub materials that give it a unique color and flavor, not rice and yeast.
CEO Choi said, “How about combining these materials? I start with that idea and try to make it experimentally.” “Sometimes I get inspiration while drinking creative tea or cocktails, and sometimes I get inspiration from the combinations in dessert cakes.”
With the concept of romanticism, C Purple Makgeolli is inspired by French desserts and made with blueberries and lavender, and the scent of fruit and flowers spreads throughout your mouth. C Gold Makgeolli with the concept of the sun blends harmoniously with the flavors of tropical fruits, mango and jujube.
Signature Cuvée, which represents C makgeolli, insists on smothered sake, creating a soft texture and subtle scent. Bumped bottom wine is a technique for making sake by kneading the dough. It is a special manufacturing method unique to C makgeolli by adding hot water to rice flour and kneading it by hand. Since rice is made with unripe rice, it is very sensitive to temperature, humidity, and environment. Despite the difficulties, the reason for insisting on the marinade is because of its unique flavor and texture.
If you think that C makgeolli has a sweet taste because of its colorful color, you are mistaken. C makgeolli has an alcohol content of 9 to 15%, much higher than that of regular makgeolli 6%. Makgeolli is diluted by adding water to Wonju, but CEO Choi thinks that it should not contain more water than the essence of alcohol. Most premium takju with no artificial sweeteners are thick and thick for their original taste, but C makgeolli removes the stickiness of rice wine and creates a rich flavor.
C Makgeolli is for alcoholics who want a new drink they have never tasted before. In fact, yellow makgeolli made from carrots and lemongrass was popular among gourmets and alcoholics because of its dry taste. CEO Choi says he recognizes those who ask when the yellow makgeolli will be served as 'steamed fans'.
C makgeolli can be found in traditional liquor bottle shops, pubs and restaurants. If you want to taste the alcohol that was previously released, you can send a direct mail (DM) on Instagram. It takes about 5 weeks to make the product you requested, so please wait patiently.
Interview with CEO Eun-Young Choi
I am curious about the brewing philosophy contained in the package.
She emphasized the hybrid by designing a serif font on top of the Gothic letter C. A hybrid is also pursued in the manufacturing method of brewing alcohol in a traditional way, but using ingredients that have not been used in traditional alcoholic beverages, or starting fermented sake in a jar and transferring it to a stainless steel tank.”
Package rebranding is also in progress.
“Last semester, we conducted the C Makgeolli rebranding project with the students through the information interaction design class at Seoul National University’s Design Department. New logos and labels will be launched sequentially from the second half of the year. In addition to that, we are also planning to introduce new glasses, coasters, package boxes, recipe cards, table mats, etc., so please look forward to it.”
I am also curious about the scale of production.
“The final product is about 1,000 bottles per month. Since I run a brewery by myself, I can't make more than that. We are thinking of expanding our business to expand our production scale. We are trying to move the manufacturing plant to a bigger place.”
When do you expect to relocate the manufacturing plant? What are your future plans?
“Next year, we plan to move to Gyeonggido, which is rich in various premium agricultural products. While retaining the brand image it has created so far, it plans to convert it into a local specialty and start selling it online. We plan to introduce a seasonal collection by changing the lineup for the first time in a local specialty. After that, our mid- to long-term goal is to establish a local brewery overseas, which was originally planned by increasing our market share and recognition.”
It is considered to be the favorite makgeolli of the MZ generation.
“When launching the brand, we are actively communicating through social network services (SNS) instead of being unable to sell online. Because of its colorful color and design, the modifier “makgeolli that snipers the MZ generation’s taste” always follows. Of course, it's something to be thankful for, but in fact, if you look at the taste of alcohol, even among the MZ generation, people with a good taste like it. The target for making alcohol is a drinker who enjoys a variety of drinks like me. I hope it will be a drink not only for 2030, but also for those in their 40s and 50s.”
