[Gu Eun-mo's Sake Story] Village Community 'Gayangjujak' Brewing Alcohol at the Foot of Surisan Mountain

<9> Gunpo, Gyeonggi 'Gayangjujak'①

From Cooperative Protecting the Village to Brewery
Launched with a Dream to Restore Unique Gayangju Culture in Each Village
Yakju ‘Suam’ Clear and Deep Flavor from 6-Month Low-Temperature Fermentation in Ochre Room

In October 1904, based on the First Korea-Japan Agreement, Japan dispatched Megata Tanetaro (目賀田種太郞·1853~1926) as a financial advisor to the Korean Empire. Immediately after his appointment, Megata began the process of financial and economic subjugation of the Korean Empire. In 1905, he implemented a currency reform that replaced the Korean Empire's currency, Baekdonghwa, with the Bank of Japan's currency, allowing only three days for the exchange period. This sudden and unilateral currency reform caused countless merchants, national capitalists, and the majority of the population?many of whom were unaware they even needed to exchange their money?to lose their wealth and fall into ruin overnight.

Megata, who led the invasion policy, also contributed to the downfall of Korea's traditional liquor culture. After the Japan-Korea Annexation, the Governor-General of Korea changed the production of alcoholic beverages to a licensing system through the Liquor Tax Act to secure tax revenue, cracking down on unreported alcohol as illicit liquor. Even homemade liquor (gayangju) brewed in every household was required to obtain a personal manufacturing license, and higher tax rates were imposed on homemade liquor than on commercially sold liquor to encourage the purchase of alcohol from breweries managed by the Governor-General's office.

Furthermore, when a license holder for homemade liquor died, the heir was prohibited from inheriting the license, and as a result, the number of personal manufacturing license holders, which exceeded 300,000 at the beginning of the licensing system, dropped to zero after 1934. This marked the moment when Korea's unique village homemade liquor culture, which had flourished with secret recipes in every village, effectively disappeared. Although liberation was achieved later, military regimes continued to control brewing citing food supply issues, and most of Korea's homemade liquor culture and brewing methods were lost.

Korea's traditional liquor culture and brewing methods, which had gone underground as illicit liquor or disappeared due to broken lineage, began to reemerge in the 1980s as regulations and restrictions related to alcoholic beverages gradually eased. In the 1990s, the restoration of traditional culture was actively pursued, and although slow, it began to take root again. Recently, based on this foundation, new brewing techniques have been added, and meaningful achievements have been made by breweries in various regions.

Gayangju Brewery Fermentation Room

The Village Community Reborn as a Village Brewery

‘Gayangjujak (家釀酒作)’, located south of Surisan in Gunpo City, Gyeonggi Province, began brewing with the dream of restoring Korea’s homemade liquor culture, where each village brewed distinctive alcohol. Gayangjujak’s origins trace back to 2009 when Daeya Elementary School opened in the area, putting nearby Dundae Elementary School at risk of closure.

Although it was a small school, the community was reluctant to simply wait for its closure. More importantly, there was a consensus that a school offering creative and autonomous education, different from the standardized curriculum of mainstream public education, was needed, and it was agreed that Dundae Elementary could fulfill that role. Residents who shared this vision formed the village cooperative ‘Daeyami Village Cooperative’ to keep the school open, and Dundae Elementary was later designated as an innovative school, continuing its legacy to this day.

After Dundae Elementary was designated an innovative school, Daeyami Village Cooperative actively operated various educational projects and clubs. Gayangjujak was one of about 20 clubs within the cooperative, specifically a traditional liquor club. Kim Eunseong, the representative of Gayangjujak, explained, “Children don’t live the way adults tell them to; they live by seeing adults enjoy life happily. So, the adults’ clubs also became active.”

As demand for a sustainable village community grew, voices emerged emphasizing the need to secure self-sufficiency through independent projects. The idea to develop the traditional liquor club into a pub and brewery gained traction. Coincidentally, in February 2016, the Liquor Tax Act was revised to institutionalize ‘house Makgeolli’.

Kim said, “At first, we gathered in a corner of my nearby office to make and share liquor, but we felt limited by the space. Then, to enhance the community’s self-reliance and create a base, we agreed to make liquor and pushed for commercialization.” Thus, led by Kim, the traditional liquor club held a business briefing in February of that year, recruited investors, obtained licenses for brewing Takju and Yakju, and established the agricultural corporation ‘Gayangjujak.’

Gayangju Brewery 'Surisan Makgeolli'

Ten Years of Brewing Alone... The Foundation for Establishing a Brewery

The rebirth of the traditional liquor club as Gayangjujak was largely due to Kim’s pivotal role. Kim, who majored in biology at university, ran a sleep-related medical device business for nearly 20 years after graduation. His interest in brewing began after tasting sake in Kyoto during a business trip to Japan. It was a small-scale brew from a tiny restaurant, but the taste was so excellent that he couldn’t forget it after returning to Korea and spent some time trying all kinds of cheongju (clear rice wine).

Kim said, “At first, it felt as smooth as water, then the alcohol gradually rose, which was very attractive. Since we have a gayangju culture, I thought, why not try making it myself?” So, he began brewing independently. That solo brewing period lasted ten years. Although the initial brews were not perfect, the quality improved over time, and the response from those around him was positive. The decade of experience became the foundation for establishing the brewery through the traditional liquor club. He recalled, “I went through countless trials and errors, but ultimately, I learned better through failure and gained confidence.”

Gayangjujak, which opened in 2016, took its current form after Kim wrapped up his medical device business and fully joined the brewery in 2019. Until then, Gayangjujak brewed only enough liquor for consumption within its own pub. Although it was a pub and brewery, it was essentially more of a pub. However, with Kim’s full-time involvement, it developed into a true brewery. Beyond house Makgeolli, it established a regular product lineup and began external sales in earnest.

Gayangju Brewery 'Suam'

Suam, a Clear Yakju Brewed and Aged with Long-Time Dedication

‘Suam (水?)’ Yakju, named after Suambong Peak of Surisan, is the flagship liquor of Gayangjujak, accounting for 80% of its sales. Suam is brewed using rice from nearby regions and Korean wheat nuruk (fermentation starter), fermented for seven days, then aged for 3 to 6 months in an earthenware aging room maintained at 5°C year-round. Only the clear top layer of the liquor is carefully filtered and bottled.

Kim emphasizes that aging is the key factor determining the taste of Yakju and traditional liquors. He explained, “Historically, the best Yakju was made by brewing rice harvested in autumn and burying the liquor underground to endure the winter. Suam is presented after long-term aging in an earthenware aging room built by cooperative members who carried bricks themselves to recreate the low-temperature underground winter environment.”

Suam is a precious liquor, with only about 10 liters carefully drawn from a 50-liter mash, and it offers a variety of aromas to enjoy. Kim said, “Aged Yakju emits various fruit aromas and has a dry taste. Suam produces a wide range of aromas from esters created by natural yeast in the nuruk, making it difficult to even write a tasting note.”

Maintaining a similar texture to Suam, ‘Surisan Makgeolli’ is made as a Takju. Surisan Makgeolli is fermented for seven days, hand-pressed, diluted with only half the amount of water, and contains no additives. Its alcohol content is relatively high at 10%, compared to typical Makgeolli. Notably, it is aged for about six months. Kim explained, “Short-term aged Makgeolli was too sweet and carbonated, which was far from the taste we wanted. Through long-term aging, the sweetness and carbonation are almost gone, making it ideal as a companion drink with food.”