[Insta Walk] Casual Traditional Liquor Brewery DØK Brewery

In a Simple Nordic-Style Space, Reservation-Only Visitors Witness the 'Makgeolli Brewing Process' Directly
Young CEO Who Learned Brewing Techniques in Denmark Dreams of 'Young Makgeolli' as Much as Beer

The DØK Brewery's recently developed tap Makgeolli 'Newtro' poured into a glass. It closely resembles beer. Photo by Heeyoon Kim

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] “If Makgeolli were to be compared to luxury brands, the Makgeolli here would definitely be Gucci.”

While browsing social media for visit reviews, a unique evaluation caught my eye. It was also unusual that the company making Makgeolli was named a brewery. Their first release was Makgeolli bottled in beer bottles, coining the new term ‘byeongmak’ (bottle Makgeolli). Moreover, these young people created a space where they openly share the brewing process, allowing visits and tastings by reservation. I had to hurry before they became more famous. This is the story of DØK Brewery, a casual traditional liquor brewery hidden in Suyu-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul.

DØK Brewery is located a 3-minute walk from Gaori Station on the Ui-Sinseol Line, nestled in a quiet residential area at the foot of Bukhansan Mountain, between a traditional market and a hospital, in a somewhat unfamiliar location. “At first, securing a space to make Makgeolli was the priority, and since we planned to develop the brand mainly through distribution, we deliberately moved to the outskirts of Seoul, but the atmosphere wasn’t bad at all.” When asked how they ended up opening a brewery and pub here, CEO Lee Gyumin smiled sheepishly and continued, “I liked this neighborhood. It’s Seoul, but it doesn’t feel like Seoul?there’s a peacefulness and leisure here, and I thought this was the place.”

Contrary to the typical image of a Makgeolli brewery, the scene of young people steaming rice and brewing liquor in a simple Nordic-style space offers a fresh and unfamiliar experience. When asked about the story behind the name, CEO Lee explained that DØK comes from the traditional ‘dok’ used for fermenting liquor and sauces, combined with ‘brewery’ meaning a beer factory, expressing their intention to make Makgeolli as diverse and unique as beer. The use of the Danish letter ‘Ø’ instead of the English alphabet ‘O’ in the company name reflects CEO Lee’s brewing training in Denmark.

The DØK Brewery's store space is decorated with a modern atmosphere, so many customers sometimes mistake it for a cafe and come in. Photo by Kim Hyun-woo PD

Lee’s two-year stay in Denmark influenced not only the company name but also the brewing methods and the space itself. On the day of my visit, it was rice steaming day; the savory aroma and the hot steam touching the windows were clearly noticeable even from outside. Following CEO Lee’s guidance inside the brewery, freshly steamed rice was steaming inside the steamer. DØK’s Makgeolli, fermented by mixing traditional nuruk with beer yeast, produces a rich aroma. The timing of adding supplementary ingredients is after the complete fermentation of the liquor, during the low-temperature fermentation process, allowing the liquor and the natural flavors and aromas of the ingredients to blend evenly. Although it is a small-scale brewery producing 800 bottles per batch by processing 30kg of rice twice, totaling 60kg, industry insiders agree that the taste is by no means small.

Sitting at the bar in front of the brewery, I could see the Makgeolli production area through the lattice window. CEO Lee, who said he even did the welding himself because he couldn’t find lattice frames with the desired spacing, showed deep affection for the space. “Several times a day, people come in thinking it’s a cafe. I take that as a compliment to the beauty of the space.” His humble response carried pride as well. The space, originally used as a hospital, was divided into a brewery and a business area. The half-removed floor tiles, peeled concrete walls, and fully exposed open ceiling pipes give the impression of intentionally recreated exposed concrete construction rather than an unfinished work. Up close, you can see traces of reverse work where the floor and walls were finished first, then bricks were attached to the columns.

CEO Lee Gyumin and an employee taking out freshly steamed rice to cool. It is said that visitors can watch the manufacturing process firsthand by making a reservation in advance. Photo by PD Kim Hyunwoo

CEO Lee majored in Korean cuisine cooking at university and, after graduation, went to Denmark to work as a chef, where he discovered beer brewing. His experience working at To Øl Brewery, a world-renowned ‘gypsy brewery’ (a brewery that outsources brewing to different breweries without its own facilities), fueled his desire to create Makgeolli as youthful and fresh as beer. Having built a small but solid brewing system, CEO Lee is realizing that dream through his startup.

Inspired by European brewing styles, this place experiments with various ingredients and unique methods, serving as a brewery, pub, and laboratory. Recently, they have been testing tap Makgeolli, which lightly serves the clear upper part of Makgeolli with carbonation in kegs, the containers used for draft beer. Among DØK’s three main lineup products, ‘Gyangjilgeo,’ based on hibiscus and pomegranate, and ‘Newtro,’ enhanced with English Breakfast tea for a distinctive aroma, are served directly from the tap into Teku glasses (beer-specific glasses).

Three signature products of DOK Brewery. From the left, Dooyuno, Newtro, and Gyangjeulgyeo. Photo by PD Kim Hyun-woo

After enjoying the light tap Makgeolli, you can also try the bottled Makgeolli. CEO Lee explains the main ingredients and brewing process of Makgeolli and adds one request: “Please savor the clear upper part first, then shake the bottle and drink it as takju (cloudy Makgeolli) to enjoy two different tastes.” Near the end of the two tastings, he introduced the newly released Makgeolli ‘Do You Know.’ “It’s Makgeolli made with sourdough instead of yeast.” When he took out the sourdough starter he’s cultivating and opened the lid, a sharp and earthy aroma rose. It created a unique flavor by harmonizing the refreshing and sour notes, comparable to the recently popular ‘sour ale’ in the liquor market, with the heavy rice base.

Although the location is not bad for a brewery, it might be somewhat inconvenient as a pub. CEO Lee shook his head and said, “We need to make delicious and attractive Makgeolli so that customers come to us. Currently, our main customers are limited to enthusiasts, but I firmly believe that if we expand distribution and capture many people’s tastes, this will become a sought-after space.” CEO Lee and DØK Brewery, pioneering ‘new wave Makgeolli’ in their own way, continue to sweat over research and experiments to create new Makgeolli every day.

*Instagram introductions

@jae_beom_2 Is this wine or Makgeolli? This liquor is really fascinating!

@sswon_b The atmosphere created by young people gathering together and their unique designs make Makgeolli even more special.

@mirrorball_korean_bistro A brewery truly making new Korean liquor!

@chunsootagram DØK exudes presence right from the building entrance! The liquor is also super delicious~

@euljilogig If Makgeolli were to be compared to luxury brands, the Makgeolli here is definitely Gucci. Makgeolli Gucci!

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.