Jeongeup 'Baeksuhwandongju' Rises as Korea's Best Yakju and Cheongju

Grand Prize Winner in Yakju and Cheongju Categories at Traditional Korean Liquor Competition

'Hanyeongseok Baeksuhwandongju' from Hanyeongseok Fermentation Research Institute in Jeongeup-si, Jeonbuk, won the grand prize in the Yak·Cheongju category at the 2024 Korea Traditional Liquor Competition.

According to Jeongeup-si on the 30th, the Korea Traditional Liquor Competition is the only government-sponsored traditional liquor contest in Korea, launched in 2010 with the aim of improving the quality and competitiveness of Korean traditional liquors.

The competition is hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. Every year, master brewers from across the country participate, establishing it as a prestigious event.

'Baeksuhwandongju' awarded Grand Prize in the Medicinal and Cheongju category at the 2024 Korea Traditional Liquor Competition.
[Photo by Jeongeup City]

This year, 395 products from 246 breweries nationwide were submitted. After rigorous evaluation by liquor experts and a professional judging panel, 18 award-winning products were selected across six categories.

Among them, 'Baeksuhwandongju' submitted by Hanyeongseok Fermentation Research Institute won the grand prize in the Yak·Cheongju category, gaining recognition for its taste and quality. The liquor, crafted by a master’s hand, boasts a deep and rich flavor that is almost too precious to swallow once sipped. It is regarded as a work that modernly inherits tradition.

Master Hanyeongseok explained, "'Baeksuhwandongju' is a premium medicinal liquor brewed with clear water, glutinous rice, and homemade nuruk (fermentation starter)." He added, "Its characteristic lies in respecting historical documents while reinterpreting them."

Meanwhile, as the grand prize winner, 'Baeksuhwandongju' will receive various benefits including prize money, buyer invitation tastings, and online promotions. The awards ceremony is scheduled to be held in November in conjunction with the '2024 Korea Traditional Liquor Grand Festival' and will be conducted in a grand manner.

A Jeongeup-si official stated, "We will do our best to ensure that excellent quality Korean liquor products and agricultural foods using local agricultural products, like Baeksuhwandongju which won the grand prize at this competition, receive much love."