Sool sommelier offers array of Korean traditional alcohols in Itaewon

A view through the front window of Namsan Sool Club / Courtesy of Dustin Wessa

By Jon Dunbar

As interest in Korea's strong tradition of alcohols ― increasingly referred to as "sool" in English (following the pronunciation of the word for "alcohol" in Korean) ― continues to grow, with more and more breweries, distilleries, bottle shops, sool-specialized restaurants and even sool cocktails emerging, Dustin Wessa considered not just how he could ride this wave, but help direct and develop it.

So the American-Canadian sool sommelier opened Namsan Sool Club (NSC) in Itaewon, right at the Gyeongnidan side of the underpass.

"We're looking at this upswing in sool interest over the last few years and I'm thinking, 'What's next to keep pushing proper sool?'" Wessa told The Korea Times. "What if you have no clue where to begin? We don't fall in love with whiskey or wine without that one glass, so where are the places to pour that glass? Where's the spot to go sipping through the diverse sea of sool? That's Namsan Sool Club. We thought let's do more 'by the glass' options than anywhere, pour those glasses, talk about what's in that glass and lead our guests to their perfect sip."

NSC boasts around 80 by-the-glass options for customers, as of its official opening date of April 9. As the place only has seats for 10 people, it can fill up fast.

Dustin Wessa works behind the bar at Namsan Sool Club. / Courtesy of Namsan Sool Club

"We have a good selection of 'takju,' 'magkeolli,' 'cheongju,' 'soju' and other premium spirits. We have the sweet sippers, some natural wine-esque choices, some dry guys, the high-alcohol-by-volume fire waters to shoot you towards Valhalla and the aromatic infusions," he said. "When building the selection, I look for overall balance so that we have a way to navigate towards every guest's tastes. I sip something new and ask myself, 'Is the shape of this nice?' 'Is it balanced?' 'Is there a story here?' 'Would I order a second glass?'"

Wessa has learned his craft through formal training at sool academies in Korea, as well as through independent experimentation and exploration, in order to build up a vocabulary to describe the tastes provided by the nation's diverse sool selection. He continues to hold daily sool tastings with NSC employees in order to refine their palates.

Dustin Wessa, left, talks with an employee at Namsan Sool Club. / Courtesy of Namsan Sool Club

"Being able to taste isn't exclusive," he said. "I don't believe in natural born 'supertasters;' tasting, sniffing out the details is a 'muscle,' paying attention to what's going on with that sniff, that sip, is hitting the gym, it's your palate's session for your olfactory sense, your ability to taste. Describing sool accurately, sending the message with passion and connecting with the guests is a different skill altogether. We work on that as well, every day."

Wessa also brews and distills his own sool, but due to regulations, he is unable to sell it at NSC. "But that doesn't mean we can't give tastings!" he said. "Recently I bought a small distiller and distilled soju live at NSC during service and gave tastes to the guests that were at the bar. We don't sell it but we do want to share."

He also said he's had several guests bring along their own homebrews and favorites. "We'll pop the bottle, pour everyone here a taster-sized glass, and talk about what it is, how we feel about it," he said. "The brewer sometimes comes with questions or just wants to share, elaborates on the process and we enjoy sipping together."

NSC may not look like a traditional Korean bar on the outside or even on the inside, but tradition is preserved and even amplified in some ways, such as in the choice of the serving glass. "With our glasses, there's a lot of thought that goes into the hows and whys," he said. "When to pour into a red wine glass and when it's overkill depends on the character of the sool, how aromatic it is, its texture/body, how fiery it is. You can drink soju from a wine glass ― it'd be funny, but it won't accentuate the soju experience; that's what those small crystal sippers are for."

Wessa, who is known for having opened restaurants previously, has focused less on a food menu this time, offering basic "anju" (finger foods accompanying alcohol) such as pate, "pyeonyuk" (thinly sliced meat) and chocolate. He plans to offer a pairing exercise on the menu, giving guests a shot to feel their way through several distinct combinations of sool and food.

As NSC serves sool by the glass, Wessa offers a happy hour special on weekends, from opening to 6 p.m., during which the previous day's "lost soldiers" (bottles already opened) are served at half price, and bottles of takju are available at 30-percent discounts.

Wessa has been in the industry for several years and sees clear signs of sool's expansion worldwide.

"The expansion is real. There are breweries popping up in New York, San Fran, LA, Chicago, Vancouver, Paris. We're getting there; we're pushing outward, onward. We'll get there, and soon," he said.

"A word on government programs and investments: the industry needs them, and now, to fuel what is looking to be a growing opportunity to promote sool to the rest of the world: fund those education programs, get them scientists together and let's find out exactly what makes sool so amazing, support those sool documentary pitches, because it's a living culture and the world deserves to know."

Visit instagram.com/namsansoolclub for more information.