[Gu Eun-mo's Sake Talk] Kim Eun-seong, CEO of Gayangjujak, "Aiming for Side Drinks to Enjoy with Good Food"

<9> Gunpo, Gyeonggi 'Gayangjujak'②

More Traditional Liquors That Pair Well with Food Needed
Non-Sweet, Dry Drinks Suitable as Refreshing Anju

Eunseong Kim, CEO of Gayangjujak

"Just because traditional liquor used to be sweet in the past doesn't mean today's traditional liquor has to be sweet as well. What matters is making alcohol using traditional methods, not that the taste has to be exactly the same as before. I want to create healthy liquor brewed in the traditional way that is dry and suited to modern tastes."

Kim Eunseong, CEO of Gayangjujak, emphasized in an interview with Asia Economy on the 30th that the ultimate direction our liquor should aim for is to be enjoyed as a side drink (banshu, 飯酒) alongside good food. Since the era of drinking solely to get drunk has passed, there should be more liquors that can be comfortably enjoyed with delicious meals.

The type of liquor he considers suitable as banshu is dry liquor that is not sweet. If the liquor is too sweet, it spoils the taste of the food. CEO Kim said, "To be suitable as a side drink, it should not become tiresome easily. Sweet liquor leaves a sugary taste after just one or two drinks, making it tiresome, but dry liquor has the advantage of not becoming tiresome even when paired with different dishes." He added, "The recent rapid growth of the domestic wine industry centered on dry wines is also because unsweetened wines pair well with various foods."

Another reason CEO Kim aims for dry liquor as a producer is that sweet liquor is not good for health. The rice used as the raw material for alcohol is broken down by enzymes into glucose and fructose. Then, glucose is converted into alcohol by yeast, while fructose remains. He explained, "Excessive intake of fructose burdens the liver and can cause high cholesterol levels and obesity. Sweet liquor means it contains a lot of chemical substances like aspartame or excessive fructose, so naturally, it is not good for the body."

He stressed that instead of simply following the liquor of the past when sugar intake was difficult, liquor should be made to suit modern eating habits and nutritional status. He said, "In the past, there were few foods that provided sugar, so the sweetness of liquor had its utility, but for modern people, excessive sugar intake is the problem, so there is less reason to make liquor sweet than before." The Gayangju of the past as a source of sweetness and the Gayangju of today as a side drink should clearly be different.

He repeatedly emphasized that traditional liquor breweries should focus on making liquor they can proudly call the best, rather than just pushing sales by emphasizing sweetness. CEO Kim said, "While it is impossible to ignore the reality of sales to run a business, considering the growth stage of our market, it is still more important to promote the charm of traditional liquor through good liquor. When many people seek out and trust good liquor, our liquor will be recognized with high value and sustainability, like the liquors of Europe and Japan," he stressed.