Villa Records gives Korean twist to classic cocktails
Villa Records CEO Jo Yeong-jun speaks during a press conference to unveil new cocktails for its bar in Gangnam District, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Villa Records.
A well-known bar in Seoul’s popular Gangnam District has introduced a new lineup of cocktails for 2026, featuring authentic Korean flavors in a twist on popular classics.
Villa Records furniture and lifestyle company CEO Jo Yeong-jun unveiled 25 new cocktails for the brand's bar during a press conference Monday. He crafted the drinks using molecular gastronomy techniques to uncover the unique qualities of ingredients commonly used in Korea and turn them into his signature creations.
The Busan-born bartender’s new cocktails are his own unique variations of some of the most globally popular drinks today. Drawing inspiration from the flavor of grilled tangerines, he came up with his own version of a Negroni. Rather than a classic mojito, his version includes the beloved condensed milk featured in Korean desserts like bingsu, a kind of shaved ice. The prohibition-era bee's knees cocktail gets a new lift from honey, drawing from Jo's memories of dipping slices of Gorgonzola pizza in the sweet syrup.
Villa Records' rendition of a bee’s knees, left, and margarita. Courtesy of Villa Records.
Jo also draws on history, including a molecular variation on "somaek" — an iconic Korean boilermaker consisting of a shot of soju in beer that is supposed to have been invented when a forced media merger under President Chun Doo-hwan pushed some frustrated journalists to drink their troubles away — on his new cocktail menu starting in August.
“Ferran Adria once told me in person that popularizing Korean foods means more than just making bigger sales. Ingredients with stories can intrigue foreigners to explore the foods — and Korea, with its wealth of quality ingredients, certainly has great potential,” Jo said, referring to the renowned Spanish chef.
“Gastronomy is both food and culture. Inspired by that idea, I established a brand called Barstronomy, which reimagines familiar Korean ingredients using molecular techniques. For example, nurungji, or scorched rice, is usually known as a solid, but I only use its aroma. Tomatoes are red, but with these techniques, I can extract their transparent juice while retaining the same taste.”
Villa Records was selected last year for Tatler’s 100 Best Bars Asia Pacific, and Jo won the Stella Artois' Global Draught Master competition in July 2025, the first Korean to win the event.