[Report] Various Ju-nim Gathered in One Place... 'Insanin-hae' Seoul International Liquor Expo

'2024 Seoul International Liquor & Wine Expo' to be held for three days from July 4
From the trending highball to multinational wines rarely encountered

"It's fascinating how foods that seem to naturally pair well with each type of alcohol come to mind. I want to try pairing the drinks I had today with the matching foods and enjoy them again."

On the 4th, visitors attending the '2024 Seoul International Liquor & Wine Expo' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, are touring the event venue.

The "2024 Seoul International Liquor & Wine Expo," which opened on the 4th at COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, was an event where visitors could experience the latest liquor trends and a variety of beverages that are usually hard to come by. Living up to its reputation as the largest liquor expo in Korea, the event attracted a huge crowd even on a weekday afternoon, demonstrating the public's strong interest in various types of alcohol. The expo will run for three days until the 6th.

Jieun Jeong (21), who is majoring in culinary arts at university, said that visiting the expo made her more seriously interested in food pairing. She said, "I used to think pairing alcohol and food was difficult, but I guess that was because I hadn't tried many different kinds of drinks. After tasting new liquors, foods that would go well with them naturally come to mind." She added, "Compared to cooking, I had relatively little interest in alcohol, but now I want to broaden my experiences with various types of liquor."

On the 4th, visitors attending the '2024 Seoul International Liquor & Wine Expo' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, are touring the event venue.

Reflecting the popularity of 'Mixology,' which involves mixing various liquors and beverages, many exhibitors showcased highballs at this expo. Whiskey companies, whose product is the most commonly used base for highballs, mostly focused on promoting highballs made with their own recipes rather than offering whiskey alone, conducting tasting events accordingly.

Minwook Jeong, Deputy Head of Marketing at Golden Blue, said, "There was an internal consensus that for the brand's long-term growth, the main consumer base, currently aged 40-50, needs to shift to the 20-30 age group. We believe our whiskey quality can appeal to younger consumers, so we participated in a public expo for the first time to provide tasting opportunities."

Seungjun Lee (43), who visits the event every year, said, "At first, us seasoned liquor enthusiasts somewhat looked down on highballs, but now I enjoy them too. It seems that highballs have now established a certain place in our drinking culture." He added, "Even people who don't usually drink alcohol don't tend to reject highballs, so I think they are good for gatherings with people of diverse tastes."

On the 4th, visitors attending the '2024 Seoul International Liquor & Wine Expo' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, are touring the event venue.

One of the charms of the international liquor expo is the opportunity to try various liquors from countries that are usually hard to access. This year’s expo featured not only wines from well-known regions like France and Italy but also wines from relatively unfamiliar producers such as Georgia and Greece. Yujeong Moon, Manager of the HY Platform Sourcing Team, who brought 10 types of Georgian wine to the event, explained, "Georgia is a wine-producing country with an 8,000-year history. It is characterized by brewing and aging wine in traditional vessels called Qveveri."

Companies from relatively familiar countries such as Japan and China also participated with sake and baijiu. A representative from the Japanese National Tax Agency said, "The Japanese National Tax Agency led the booth to support the export of Japanese liquors. Thirteen companies from various regions in Japan, including Osaka, Nagano, Kagoshima, and Saga, participated with popular drinks such as highballs, nihonshu, and shochu. We encourage everyone to come and experience them."