INTERVIEW Minhwa Spirits melds Korean heritage with craft distilling in Georgia
Minhwa Spirits founders Ming Han Chung, left, and James Kim / Courtesy of Minhwa Spirits
Minhwa Spirits' logo, inspired by Korean folk art / Courtesy of Minhwa Spirits
At Minhwa Spirits, every bottle tells a story — a story of heritage, innovation and a deep-rooted love for Korean culture. Founded by childhood friends James Kim and Ming Han Chung, this grain-to-glass distillery in Georgia not only preserves traditional Korean brewing methods but also adapts them to American tastes.
Kim is a second-generation Korean American and Chung is a 1.5-generation Taiwanese American. Both grew up in Atlanta, witnessing the growth of the local Asian — especially Korean — population and culture in the area.
Their venture into the spirits industry was inspired by Kim’s family ties to traditional brewing as Kim’s uncle used to make makgeolli, a Korean rice wine, in a makeshift brewery at the family home on an island off the coast of Korea.
“I remember going to the childhood home that my dad was born in when I was younger. On the side of the house, they built a little shed, where my keunappa (uncle) used to make makgeolli,” Kim said during a recent interview with The Korea Times. "The more you look into and learn about Korean alcohols and ‘sool’ (spirit), it almost felt like it was a calling to us to go back to a more traditional route of making soju.”
The founders of Minhwa Spirits see their work as more than just producing spirits, but about bridging cultures and generations.
"We wanted to create a company that could leave a legacy, maybe something our children can grow into, thinking very big picture-wise,” Kim said.
Kim also touched on the cultural expectations placed on Korean Americans, where the push towards traditional elite professions is strong. "If everyone became a doctor, a lawyer or an architect, who's going to carry on the thousands of years of Korean alcohol and sool and food, that legacy and that tradition?” Kim said.
The name of the brand is derived from the Korean word "minhwa," which means folk painting.
"Minhwa is a genre of Korean art created by everyday, untrained artists who painted scenes of daily life," Kim said. "We’re not backed by heavy investors. We’re just two guys making good products for everyday people, much like those artists."
Despite this modest self-description, the founders' efforts are far from ordinary. Chung passionately detailed their meticulous approach to sourcing ingredients.
"It was all part of making sure we honor the history, along with honoring us as Asian Americans here," he said.
The journey to find the right ingredients was not straightforward, especially since Georgia does not grow rice. They turned their search to nearby states and found a producer specializing in Asian varieties in Arkansas, one of the main rice producers in the U.S.
"We tried many types of rice before settling on one," Chung said. “Water is the spring water from here in Georgia. So we try to keep as much tradition as possible but also integrate our home here in the final product.”
Understanding the importance of traditional components such as “nuruk,” a fermentation starter, they embarked on more extensive testing.
"We imported nuruk from Korea and experimented with different types to understand which would best suit our production needs," Chung explained, adding it also helped them understand and replicate traditional brewing equipment and techniques.
Yong is a 40 percent ABV artisanal soju made by Minhwa Spirits in Georgia. Courtesy of Minhwa Spirits
Yong and Dokkaebi
Minhwa Spirits currently offers three types of liquor, with plans to expand further, drawing from Korean cultural themes for their unique product names.
"We have a line of soju currently featuring two distinct types. The first, at 17 percent ABV (alcohol by volume), is called Dokkaebi (goblin)," Chung said.
This lower-alcohol variant caters to the preferences of the current generation, offering a smooth, easy-to-drink experience that serves as an entryway to the richer, more aromatic possibilities of soju.
"It still retains much of the rice aroma, making it an excellent introduction to what soju can offer.”
The other, a 40 percent ABV soju named Yong, which means dragon in Korean, aligns more closely with traditional soju, which historically ranges from 35 to 50 percent ABV.
“We chose 40 percent as it's a standard worldwide and good for cocktails. Our hope is that we can get enough people to try soju, enjoy it and understand the aromas and flavors that they will be able to integrate it into cocktails in the U.S. It's not a very common cocktail ingredient, probably even in Korea, but we want that to happen,” Chung said.
"Yong recently won a double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, a prestigious recognition that places us in the esteemed company of long-standing soju makers like Jinmaek Soju from Korea. It's an honor to be regarded in the same category as them."
Minhwa Spirits' Queen Huh craft chai gin is created in collaboration with Georgia-based tea brand The Chai Box. Courtesy of Minhwa Spirits
The distinct names invite curiosity and learning among American consumers.
"Our tiger logo is based off of the prevalent tiger that you see in minhwa art. And we thought, 'What if we name our products from Korean folklore?' So, Dokkaebi for our 17 percent, Yong for our 40 percent and Haetae (a mythical Korean guardian creature) for our upcoming 25 or 20 percent release," Kim explained.
Chung added, "We want people to see our logos and wonder, 'What is a dokkaebi?' or 'Why is this dragon called Yong?' and start looking it up, learning about the stories of Korean legend."
The spirit of collaboration and cultural storytelling continues in the Queen Huh, a craft gin created using botanicals with chai spices from The Chai Box, a Georgia-based tea brand, and inspired by the legendary Princess Heo Hwang-ok, said to be a princess of Ayodhya in India, who married an ancient Korean king in the first century.
"We're also partnering with other Asian and minority-owned companies in Georgia to create crossover products that represent our cultural heritage," Chung said.
Korean American artist and muralist Kimchi Juice created the mural "Morning Calm" for Minhwa Spirits' upcoming tasting room in Georgia. Courtesy of Minhwa Spirits
Korean culture lives on
Up next on Minhwa Spirits’ expansion is makgeolli, continuing Kim's family tradition.
"We learned from a teacher in Korea, along with experimenting a lot and getting the recipe from James' family. So we've done probably hundreds of batches of makgeolli in the last few years. All my friends who never tried makgeolli before said it was amazing and their eyes just lit up,” Chung said.
Currently, Minhwa Spirits products are available at liquor stores and bars mostly in the greater Atlanta area, but the distillery aims to introduce freshly made makgeolli at their tasting room, scheduled to open later this year, to offer a distinct alternative to the pasteurized versions typically found in Korean grocery stores in the U.S.
The tasting room is set to transform their business, blending Korean food, drink and culture into a vibrant communal space. This new venue will feature fusion cuisine prepared by young Korean American chefs, specifically designed to complement Minhwa’s liquors.
"Unlike soju and makgeolli that you might find on local shelves, which are mass-produced and shipped from overseas, we aim to showcase what raw makgeolli truly is — the fizziness, the yogurt-like body, the sour, the sweet and the probiotics,” Kim said.
Adding a cultural touch to the tasting room is a vivid mural created by Korean American artist Julia Chon, also known as Kimchi Juice.
"When I approached the mural for Minhwa Spirits, I knew that I wanted to honor the longstanding Korean American community in the Atlanta area. I incorporated elements of minhwa, Korean folk art, to create the landscape and paired it with a woman in a red, white and blue hanbok to represent the Korean American journey," Chon said.
"Overall, I wanted the mural to convey the resilience of our diasporic community and the pride of carrying our heritage, history and culture with us as we navigate life as first, second, third, fourth and fifth-generation Korean Americans."
Born and growing up in Georgia, Kim reflected on the experiences of newer generations of Korean Americans and their roots.
"I think for many of us born here, there's a bit of a journey back to our roots. Having grown up in the U.S., I've felt that disconnection from my heritage," he said. "This disconnect isn’t unique to Koreans in Atlanta or even just Koreans. It's something many Asian Americans can relate to … For us, Minhwa Spirits is more than just a business. It's about reconnecting with and holding onto our heritage.”
The influence of hallyu, or the Korean wave, extends far beyond just Korean Americans and impacts the success of their business as well.
"One of the reasons we thought this business would work is because of the Korean wave that's hit the U.S. It's incredibly popular," Chung said, noting that the African American population of Georgia has embraced K-pop and K-dramas, fueling further interest in Korean culture.
"This popularity gives us an easier way to introduce our alcohol. People here have seen soju featured in K-dramas and heard about it in K-pop songs, which makes our job easier," Chung said. “Korean food is the next big cultural wave, which could be significant for us.”