Sool Company aims to globalize Korean alcohol traditions
Julia Mellor, right, teaches two participants how to make makgeolli from scratch at an event run by The Sool Company. Courtesy of The Sool Company
By Emma Sparkes
Tucked away in a pocket of Seoul's Gwangjang Market is Hosunseng, an eye-catching business that departs from the more traditional food carts and restaurants surrounding it. This place, with bright orange signage, neon lighting, and a window-fronted walk-in refrigerator, is a trendy establishment dedicated to traditional Korean alcohol. It is here that The Sool Company is holding its work dinner.
Dedicated to fostering knowledge and appreciation of traditional Korean alcohol, or sool, the members of The Sool Company have a passion that is palpable, even in casual conversation.
The Sool Company runs hands-on makgeolli brewing classes. Courtesy of The Sool Company
“This is a precious bottle ― they only do one batch a year,” said The Sool Company Managing Partner Valentin Janiaut, holding up a bottle of Oh! Mija-ssi makgeolli, which is flavored with omija berries.
Among the incredibly extensive selection of makgeolli, soju, yakju and even Korean gins available at Hosunseng, Janiaut, founder Julia Mellor and Managing Partner Bona Kim are able to pick up a bottle at random and talk at length about the origins of each type of alcohol, the brewery it originates from and its flavors.
The Sool Company has come a long way since it started in 2012. Originally dedicated to bringing people together to sample makgeolli in different Seoul establishments, the company has since expanded to include tours to remote Korean breweries, one-day makgeolli brewing classes and even a new branch in the Netherlands. But the essential goal is the same: to maintain traditions, promote the charms of Korean alcohol and foster a community of like-minded sool enthusiasts.
Speaking to Mellor about the company, it is impossible not to notice her enthusiasm. “It's about educating customers in the world about quality Korean alcohol, the cultural traditions behind sool and helping people understand that there's a difference between what they have been drinking up until now and a whole world of artisanal, historical and cultural treasures that is the sool industry,” she said later during a phone interview.
The Netherlands branch is a logical extension of this mission. Mellor explained, “We do classes, obviously tours, and have done that for the last decade. We just realized that it still requires people to come to Korea for those experiences. So we wanted to take it to them.”
She's certainly been busy with this goal. There's the consulting side of things, which recently has seen Mellor traveling back and forth between Rotterdam and London. This project, by Korea Foods UK, is to help set up Gomi Sool, which will be London's first large-scale makgeolli brewery, set to launch later this year. There's also the pop-up tasting and dining experience in Amsterdam that The Sool Company held in collaboration with Roch Shin, a Korean chef working with two-star Michelin restaurant Jordnaer in Denmark. The event, which was organized along with Hallie Bradley, The Sool Company's Netherlands-based marketing manager, was sponsored by breweries in Korea including Joeun Sool, J&J Brewery and Sulsaem. The company even made an appearance in Amsterdam's Carnivale Brettanomyces, a wild beer festival that this year expanded to include other fermented products such as makgeolli and kimchi.
Lee Ok-joo of Hwayang Brewery talks at The Sool Company's dining and tasting experience in Amsterdam. Courtesy of The Sool Company
Despite these international activities, The Sool Company hasn't abandoned its roots in Korea ― quite the opposite. It opened a microbrewery last year in Seoul's vibrant Hyehwa neighborhood, a youthful district full of independent theaters, modern cafes and small boutiques. The bright, airy space serves as a location for its events and community meetings such as the monthly homebrewers club, an open event in which sool lovers gather and share their own home-brewed makgeolli. The company has also launched a number of new one-day classes, including a craft soju bomb, or somaek, experience. “[It] takes something that is so iconic and well known, and just gives it our craft mission spin by introducing people to different kinds of sojus that are incredible in their own right, and also different kinds of craft beers and how they compare together,” Mellor remarked.
The Fermentation Adventures tours, focused on fermentation culture in Korean food and drink, have also been relaunched. The company recently took a group to Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, to visit the multi-award-winning brewery Janghee Doga, during which participants were able to sample a selection of alcohols made with Cheongju's naturally sparkling mineral water.
Going forward there is a lot in the works, but Mellor wants to make sure The Sool Company sticks to its origins. “I got started in the community and this company has been a huge part of connecting people. Longtime friendships have been made over makgeolli in our classes and on our tours. And that is something I never want to lose,” she said.
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