[Interview] The Fruit of Tenacity and Perseverance, Toran Makgeolli

Interview with Yang Sookhee, CEO of Sihyangga

Although made from colorless, odorless, scentless, and tasteless ingredients, there is a place where a sweet aroma overflows every day. It is Sihyangga, located in Gokseong, Jeollanam-do, presenting soft and fragrant Taro Makgeolli. Sihyangga’s name is composed of the characters for bestow (施), fragrance (香), and house (家), meaning ‘a house that bestows fragrance.’ We met Yang Sook-hee, the CEO of the brewery Sihyangga.

The representative drinks of Sihyangga include Sihyangga Takju, Mal-iya Makgeolli-ya, and Baeksemiin. Although it is a third-year brewery, its lineup is solid. All these drinks are brewed by CEO Yang Sook-hee’s own hands. She wanted to find her own name, not just as a mother, daughter-in-law, or wife. After searching for something she could happily do for a long time, she jumped into the world of brewing. The decisive moment came when she took a traditional liquor lecture at university and brewed alcohol herself, becoming fascinated by the aesthetics of slowness.

The signature product here, Sihyangga Takju, is made from taro, rice, and nuruk, which are representative crops of Gokseong. The main ingredients, rice and taro, are either farmed directly or purchased and supplied from contract farms affiliated with the Nonghyup Grain Processing Center. No artificial sweeteners are added. When you take a sip, the subtle aroma of green grapes or oriental melon gently lingers, finishing smoothly and cleanly. You can faintly sense the nutty and slightly pungent unique taste of taro.

“Honestly, I didn’t plan to keep brewing alcohol with taro. I intended to brew just once with a small amount, but somehow I ended up with a 40kg sack of taro. I soaked it in rice water to peel the skin, tried frying it, cutting it into cubes and drying it, cooking and mashing it... It was a difficult process. Eventually, I became determined.”

Taro is a very tricky crop for brewing alcohol. It browns easily, spoils quickly, and has a sticky texture. CEO Yang devoted herself day and night to making taro liquor. Finally, she discovered a secret method. Thinly sliced and dried taro is soaked in rice water, rinsed, steamed together with rice, cooled, and then placed in the starter mash, which controls the sticky texture of taro. This manufacturing method is currently patented. After discovering the processing secret, she improved the quality by adjusting the fermentation room temperature to prevent flavor changes.

Sihyangga Takju is CEO Yang’s first creation and Sihyangga’s first product. That is why she poured even more affection into it. However, winning consumers’ hearts was not easy. She faced the wall of marketing but steadily developed sales channels such as online platforms. In August 2020, Sihyangga Takju was selected as a representative liquor of Jeollanam-do, followed by the canned makgeolli ‘Mal-iya Makgeolli-ya’ in June this year, further spreading the name. As word of mouth grew, the production scale expanded to about 12,000 bottles per month based on Sihyangga Takju.

“I wondered if there was a more eco-friendly packaging method than PET bottles. So, we started putting makgeolli in bottles and cans. I thought it was a way to protect the environment while appealing to young sensibilities. I feel glad and thankful when people recognize our environmental concerns.”

The eco-friendly and attractive packaging also played a big role in catching consumers’ eyes. Sihyangga’s products are packaged in glass bottles or cans, not PET bottles. Although a small brewery, CEO Yang’s wish is reflected in wanting to deliver a positive impact on the world through ESG management. New products come in glass bottles wrapped with recyclable shrink film or aluminum cans, and existing products are also being fully replaced with glass bottles using shrink film.

What is the best way to enjoy the visually and palatably delightful Sihyangga Takju? CEO Yang unhesitatingly chose tteokbokki as the perfect pairing. Since it contains taro, it is less burdensome on the stomach, and the clean and smooth throat feel pairs perfectly with the spicy red sauce. According to her, white makgeolli without acidity like Sihyangga Takju and red side dishes are a perfectly harmonious combination that makes your eyes squeeze shut.

With the passion and determination that went into making taro makgeolli, Sihyangga continues research for launching new products. Recently, after three years of research, they introduced the sparkling makgeolli ‘Uju Melonmi’ made with Gokseong musk melon, and are preparing two more products aiming for release before autumn.

CEO Yang, who wants to export Sihyangga’s products abroad and promote the charm of Korean liquor, is currently envisioning achieving 10 billion KRW in sales and going public. After reaching her goals, her dream is to run a small home-brew shop and enjoy a happy retirement. We hope the fragrant aroma of Sihyangga spreads far and wide and that her wishes come true.

Photo = Sihyangga