Match Gold Chosen as Official Liquor of OECD
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Bohae Brewery Co.'s ``Match Gold 10 Year'' has become the official liquor of the OECD ministerial dinner.
This year's OECD Ministerial Meeting ― the first to be held in Asia since the organization's launch in 1961 ― started yesterday and will continue until today at COEX, southern Seoul Seoul. This year's theme is ``The Future of the Internet Economy.''
The ``Match Gold 10 Year'' is based on pure plum brandy that has matured for ten years. Bohae has also blended in gold dust of 99.9 percent purity to heighten the quality in both taste and appearance. The golden liquor has become a favorite among liquor lovers and collectors worldwide.
Bohae public relations officials said that the success of `Match Gold' was guaranteed by following the current trend of health-oriented liquor drinks. It contains 25 percent alcohol. The 500-millilieter transparent bottle also contributed by showing the golden rich color with sparkling gold dusts.
According to the ``Dongui bogam,'' a Korean traditional medicine book, pure gold dust is supposedly effective in relieving stress, neutralizing toxins, and purifying the skin. The dust goes well with the plums, which are good for the stomach and digestion.
The plum drinks from Bohae, namely ``Matchsoon,'' ``Match Gold 10 Year'' and ``Match Baekja,'' are all based on traditional Korean plum brandy, or maeshilju. Made with fresh plums, Koreans of old enjoyed the drink for its natural sweetness and delicate texture and scent.
Bohae uses freshly picked plums that grow only in Haenam, South Jeolla Province. Haenam is where Bohae Plum Orchard, one of the biggest plum farms in the nation, is located. The plums are preserved for a minimum of five years ― in the case of the Match Gold 10 Year for 10 years ― producing a rich and tasty brandy.
Matchsoon has already proven its quality overseas, by winning the bronze medal in the fruit wines division at the American Wine Society (AWS) Wine Competition in 2004. It was also chosen as the official liquor at the 2006 Gwangju Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates.