Getting tipsy in Andong: Korea's centuries-old soju capital

Soju in its green glass bottles may be Korea’s most famous drink today, but its roots trace back to traditional liquors once brewed at home. At the heart of that legacy is Andong Soju.

Andong Soju bottles and cocktails made with Andong Soju [KORAIL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT]

ANDONG, North Gyeongsang — Soju in its green glass bottles may be Korea’s most famous drink today, but its roots trace back to traditional liquors once brewed at home.

At the heart of that legacy is Andong Soju, one of Korea's oldest distilled spirits made by time-honored methods.

Its preservation over centuries owes much to the city it comes from.

Andong City in North Gyeongsang is widely regarded as a cradle of Confucian culture, which emphasizes respect for elders as well as proper manners and rites. The city was home to renowned Confucian scholars of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), including Toegye Yi Hwang, and still preserves historic seowon (neo-Confucian academies) such as Dosan Seowon and Byeongsan Seowon.

This Confucian tradition also fostered strong clan structures and aristocratic households in the city, creating the cultural environment for Andong Soju to be handed down through generations. Today, Andong is internationally recognized for its heritage, with Dosan Seowon, Byeongsan Seowon as well as Hahoe Village all inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage list.

Numerous soju products sold in the past are displayed at the Myeongin Andong Soju exhibition in Andong, North Gyeongsang. [WOO JI-WON]

Most soju consumed today is diluted soju — water and sweeteners mixed with jujeong, a neutral spirit distilled to about 95 percent. Introduced during the Japanese colonial period (1910–1945), when resources in Korea were scarce, this method stuck, and now distilled soju with 14 to 17 percent alcohol dominates the market.

Traditional liquors, however, go back centuries.

Particulary during the Joseon Dynasty, families made gayangju, homebrewed drinks made from grains, fruits or herbs, with thousands of recipes passed down through generations. This culture was nearly wiped out under Japanese rule through rice taxes and licensing laws, and in 1964, Park Chung-hee’s government even banned the use of rice in alcohol altogether.

But Andong soju endured. With over 700 years of history, it was secretly distilled even during prohibition. In the 1980s, heritage pride and the 1988 Seoul Olympics sparked revival movements, and today nine breweries keep the tradition alive.

Traditional soju glasses [KORAIL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT]

“Visitors from around the world praise Andong soju as exceptional,” says Bae Kyung-hwa, who succeeded Jo Ok-hwa, holder of Intangible Cultural Asset No. 12 in North Gyeongsang, and crafts Andong Soju. “Their admiration motivates us to keep making it with even more care.”

Because of such legacy, Andong City in collaboration with Korail Tourism Development, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korean Food Promotion Institute launched the "K-Gourmet Traditional Liquor Belt."

The two-day “Andong the Dining” itinerary, part of the project, allows visitors to explore distilleries, local food spots and historic sites to experience the heritage of Andong and its soju, accompanied by a commentator who has received official training. Below are some of the main cultural spots included in the tour.

Menge Village and Jinmaek Soju

After a winding 40-minute drive from downtown Andong, the Nakdong River opens onto a scene backed by lush Mount Cheongyang — a scene that looks straight out of a drama. And it literally is.

A tractor crosses a river on its way to Menge Village in Andong, North Gyeongsang. [KORAIL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT]

Menge Village has been used as the filming location for "Mr. Sunshine" (2018) and more recently as one of the sites for Amazon Prime Video’s "Butterfly" starring Kim Tae-hee. Visitors must cross the shallow river by stepping stones or by tractor ride to reach the village.

Once home to a few households, the village is now inhabited only by Park Sung-ho and his wife, who bought the entire 99,170-square-meter (1,067,450-square-foot) site 18 years ago.

Park and his wife revitalized the village, registering it as a rural experience site, and have since been hosting visitors. Then while considering how to make use of his abundant wheat fields, Park came across "Suunjapbang," a 16th-century cookbook that recorded Jinmaek Soju — the earliest recorded Andong soju, made not from rice but from wheat.

Menge Village's operator Park Sung-ho in his wheat field [WOO JI-WON]

Liquors from Menge Craft Distillery line up on a table. [KORAIL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT]

“Since I farm wheat, I realized we could faithfully recreate that,” Park said. So he began making traditional liquor with wheat, producing Jinmaek Soju as the founder and master distiller of Menge Craft Distillery.

Here, visitors can stroll through wheat fields, explore the brewhouse and step into an aging cellar under Park’s guidance, as he explains the history of Andong soju in detail — he has even published an English-language book on Andong Soju.

At his underground cellar, earthenware jars as well as oak barrels line the walls. To meet younger tastes, he also ages some in oak, launching “Poet’s Rock.”

Park at his aging cellar [WOO JI-WON]

Kim Sun-young hosts Jinamek soju tasting. [KORAIL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT]

“Wheat soju’s charm is its aroma and flavor,” said Park. “It’s smooth, warmly lingering, pleasantly nutty and with a subtle spicy kick.” He is also developing a buckwheat soju.

After the tour, his wife Kim Sun-young hosts Jinmaek soju tastings paired with small dishes served on a plate shaped like an inverted gat, the traditional Korean hat.

Myeongin Andong Soju

A key figure in preserving the legacy of Andong soju is Master Park Jae-seo. As the 25th-generation descendant of the Park family that has produced original Andong soju, he carries forward more than 500 years of history at Myeongin Andong Soju brewery, which opened in 1992.

Master Park Jae-Seo, center, poses with his son Park Chan-kwan, left, and his grandson Park Chun-woo. [KORAIL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT]

Due to health reasons, Master Park does not participate in the program, but the distillery's tour is led by his son, Myeongin Andong Soju CEO Park Chan-kwan, and his grandson.

The program begins with an outdoor exhibition showing how Andong soju was once made at home, featuring earthenware jars and traditional tools. Inside, the exhibition displays hundreds of historic soju bottles, including past Myeongin Andong Soju bottles.

Inside the factory, massive stills produce soju at 19, 22, 35 and 45 percent alcohol level, with each turning out between 2,000 and 6,000 bottles a day. Workers can be seen hand-packing the bottles into boxes. Their soju is made with rice, nuruk (traditional Korean fermentation starter) and water.

An outdoor exhibition at Myeongin Andong Soju [WOO JI-WON]

Myeongin Andong Soju and cocktails made with the soju [KORAIL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT][KORAIL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT]

Park's grandson, Director Park Chun-woo, also demonstrates a modern twist by offering an experience to make highballs mixed with 45 percent Andong Soju and bright blue mixers.

“We want to keep tradition while I am also experimenting with new things,” Park said, explaining his trials with yeast and oak barrels that may become available years later.

Geumso Village Geumso Village in Imha-myeon, Andong, is a serene and friendly community that was refurbished to welcome visitors. Though it recently endured partial fire damage, it quickly recovered through the remarkable cooperation of its residents and staffs.

Hemp seed tea served at the commun ity center. [WOO JI-WON]

Guests are welcomed at the community center with hemp seed tea before strolling through the village, past golden rice fields once used for independence movement activities and streams that once served as communal baths.

Previously home to some 300 households, the village now has only about 200 people. The village is best known for cultivating hemp and making Andongpo, cloth that uses hemp as the raw material. In the past, nearly a thousand households were engaged in weaving, but today only a handful of licensed producers are permitted to continue the craft.

The hmep field in Geumseo village [WOO JI-WON]

Participants can step into the hemp fields — a rare experience in Korea, where cultivation is otherwise illegal — under strict supervision. At a pavilion, licensed elders demonstrate some of the 18 painstaking steps involved in making Andongpo, from splitting fibers by hand to spinning threads on their thighs. Visitors can also hear the Baetteulga, the traditional loom song sung during the process.

“This song is actually quite sad,” recalls elder Ko Gab-yeon, who sang it with her colleague Im Neung-boo. “We had to weave Andongpo in order to sustain our families.”

Im Neung-boo, left, and Ko Gab-yeon demonstrate how to make andongpo. [WOO JI-WON]

Jjimdak and gayangju prepared by Chef Kim Jeom-hee [WOO JI-WON]

As part of the program, Chef Kim Jeom-hee serves jjimdak (braised chicken) paired with gayangju like Hwanggeumju, along with side dishes such as stir-fried anchovies and handmade tofu.

Brewer Yoon Kang-ho, who inherited over 110-year-old Imha makgeolli (Korean rice wine) brewery before it was destroyed in a recent fire, leads a session where participants can craft their own makgeolli using nuruk and can also taste Andong’s representative varieties.

Kim Yeon-bak at Andong soju meseum[KORAIL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT]

Visitors make Andong soju with Kim Yeon-bak and his wife Bae Kyung-hwa at the Andong Soju Museum.[WOO JI-WON]

There is also an Andong Tour Taxi program, run in collaboration with local taxi drivers. It offers two courses, one featuring the Andong Soju museum and another including a cocktail bar. The museum is operated by Kim Yeon-bak and his wife, Bae Kyung-hwa, the son and daughter-in-law of Master Jo Ok-hwa, who revived her family’s Andong soju recipe. Visitors can experience making Andong soju alongside the masters who inherited Jo’s legacy — mixing grain with water, wrapping it in cloth and stomping it with their feet.

Zanzan Cocktail bar Zanzan showcases how a new generation is reimagining Andong soju through innovative cocktails and storytelling.

Park Min-jae who runs Zanzan [KORAIL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT]

“I am a storyteller who uses Andong soju as a medium to share the city’s many stories,” said 27-year-old Park Min-jae, who co-runs the space with his two university friends.

The place was provided rent-free by Master Park Jae-seo to nurture young talent.

On weekends, long lines often form, with foreign tourists among the patrons.

A mixologist at Zanzan creates a cocktail using Andong soju. [WOO JI-WON]

Mixologists use fire, pots and even soy milk in cocktail making. Visitors can try creative cocktails and also take home a personalized bottle of 19-degree Andong soju with a custom photo label printed on-site.

Reservations for the “K-Gourmet Traditional Liquor Belt” can be made at korailtravel.com, while bookings for the Andong Tour Taxi program are available at andongtourtaxi.com.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]