Baekgyeong Distillery is a place I have a slight connection to, since someone I know works there. They make their spirits seriously and properly, so part of this is me cheering them on, but setting that aside, they make genuinely delicious spirits, and for anyone who cares about good food and drink it’s a place well worth knowing.

Baekgyeong Yukgok

It turned out to be a light spirit with restrained sweetness. A good one for enjoying the flavor of the spirit itself. So spirits of this level are coming out of Korea too. I hear they even grow the crops themselves to make it. I doubt there are many distilleries in Korea that pay this much attention to ingredients and process. The price is on the high side, but it’s a spirit that’s worth the premium.

Spirits like this

If you want to taste traditional Korean liquor taken to its limit, I recommend giving it a try.

Baekgyeong Soju

The reason Baekgyeong is a distillery rather than a brewery is that they make spirits like soju themselves, and the sweet aroma of the nuruk (traditional fermentation starter) is truly captivating. I’d always felt it was a shame that Korea had no spirit that could truly represent it, but something at this level would be a hit as a very Korean gift to take abroad. A spirit with this much class can’t help but do well.

They seem likely to keep releasing different models, and I plan to check which ones are tasty every time a new one comes out. I think it’s when good distilleries like this thrive that Korea’s drinking culture takes a leap forward.

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