‘6.3 Bottles Per Second’ 25 Years No.1 ‘Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli’... The Secret to Longevity Following Its Name

No.1 Domestic Takju Industry, Annual Production of 200 Million Bottles·6.3 Bottles Sold Per Second
Targeting 2030 Generation with Low-Alcohol Makgeolli... Established Same-Day Production and Delivery System
10-Day Distribution Rule to Maintain Fresh Makgeolli's 'Tingling' Natural Carbonation Taste

(From left) Changes in product packaging including transparent bottles in 1996, 1997, 2000, 2010, 2011, and 2020 (current).

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] Brands that are universally recognized or whose value is indisputable are often labeled as "national." In the Makgeolli industry, if you look for such a brand, the answer is Seoul Jangsu's "Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli." With an average annual sales of about 200 million bottles, selling more than 6.3 bottles per second, it is undoubtedly the "national Makgeolli." Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli, which has monopolized the love of the nation for 25 years, has designated this year as the first year of its brand leap. The strategy is to lead the revival of the Makgeolli market through new campaign planning and aggressive marketing.

The early brewery appearance.

◆ Freshness with ‘10-day distribution’... ‘Same-day production, same-day delivery’ = According to industry sources on the 20th, Seoul Jangsu plans to start a large-scale campaign in the first half of the year while renewing its packaging to revitalize the Makgeolli market. The goal of this campaign is to inject new vitality into not only the company but also the Makgeolli market by emphasizing the freshness of Saeng Makgeolli with keywords such as ‘10-day shelf life’ and ‘10-day distribution Jangsu Saeng (生) persistence.’

Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli, born in 1996, has never lost its number one position in sales in the domestic Takju industry since its launch. As the old saying goes, "the name follows the reality," Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli has been "long-lasting." What is the reason for its longevity?

The origin of Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli dates back to 1909 with Mugyo Brewery. About 120 years ago, the era of commercially producing and selling Makgeolli at breweries began. At that time, there were 51 breweries in Seoul alone. Among the 51 domestic breweries, the longest-standing brewery is Mugyo Brewery, which opened in 1909. The privately owned breweries scattered throughout Seoul were integrated in 1962 with the establishment of the Seoul Brewing Association (now Seoul Takju Manufacturing Association). In 1963, the 51 manufacturing sites in the Seoul area were reorganized into a joint manufacturing site, and in 1980, the name was changed to the "Seoul Takju Manufacturing Association." In 2009, the Seoul Takju Manufacturing Association established its subsidiary corporation, Seoul Jangsu Co., Ltd. Seoul Jangsu officially launched the brand "Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli" in 1996. Looking at the history of Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli, which has held the number one spot for 25 years, it actually spans over 100 years.

Makgeolli, a traditional fermented food made from clean water, steamed rice, and natural fermentation agent nuruk, containing proteins and vitamins, was a popular alcoholic beverage loved for a long time, accounting for 80% of total alcohol consumption in Korea during the 1960s. It is no exaggeration to say that Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli has been part of this history.

Longevity alone does not guarantee love. A Seoul Jangsu official explained, "The secret to Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli’s longevity lies in the ‘fresh taste’ of live yeast and naturally generated sparkling carbonation that can only be obtained from ‘saeng’ (fresh) Makgeolli," adding, "People who like Makgeolli know that the unique tangy freshness of Saeng Makgeolli and the standard of that taste is Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli."

Seoul Jangsu Raw Makgeolli Brewery.

Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli is sold only during the ‘10-day’ period when the yeast is most healthily alive. Considering that typical Makgeolli is sold with a shelf life of about 14 to 30 days, the ‘10-day distribution’ is a very short period, which inevitably places a heavy burden on inventory for the company. The secret lies in the nationwide production and logistics system of ‘same-day production and same-day delivery.’ Saeng Makgeolli is the only alcoholic beverage that undergoes fermentation and allows the intake of beneficial yeast strains for the human body. Compared to other alcoholic beverages such as soju or beer, it has a shorter storage period, making a logistics and distribution network that can maintain freshness crucial. In the case of Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli, the degree of yeast activation is even greater, so the company has focused on establishing a stable and systematic system to maintain this.

Accordingly, the daily routine of Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli, which operates on the principle of same-day production and same-day delivery, is as follows: orders are received by 5 p.m. every day through major distribution points such as large supermarkets, convenience stores, and intermediate wholesalers nationwide. Production starts at the breweries (factories) in Seoul and Jincheon from midnight, and delivery to various order locations nationwide begins around 4 a.m. The system, which allows customers to find the Makgeolli they ordered the previous afternoon at their local supermarket the next morning, resembles what is nowadays called ‘early morning delivery.’ The industry regards this as an astonishing system because it includes production as well as delivery.

◆ Development of low-alcohol Saeng Makgeolli products targeting the 2030 generation = Seoul Jangsu is also revitalizing the domestic Makgeolli market with low-alcohol Makgeolli products besides Saeng Makgeolli. The protagonist is the new Saeng Makgeolli product "Insaeng Makgeolli," newly launched in 2018 after 22 years. As the 2030 generation leads the low-alcohol trend by enjoying ‘hon-sul’ (drinking alone) and ‘home-sul’ (drinking at home), Seoul Jangsu introduced a low-alcohol Makgeolli with 5% alcohol content, one degree lower than the existing 6%. It features a harmony of wheat and rice with a soft and clean taste. Since its launch, it has surpassed 4 million bottles in cumulative sales within 1 year and 5 months (as of the end of February), establishing itself as a soft and easy-to-drink low-alcohol Makgeolli among young consumers.

Last year, Seoul Jangsu attracted attention by opening a Makgeolli experience center at its Mangwon-dong headquarters, offering hands-on programs where visitors can brew Makgeolli themselves. Through monthly one-day classes called ‘Making Our Alcohol,’ participants engaged in on-site Makgeolli brewing activities using rice and yeast, and also had opportunities to learn more deeply about the history of Makgeolli and traditional Korean alcohol, receiving positive responses.

Seoul Jangsu plans various promotions and marketing activities to ensure that Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli continues to be loved as a national brand. They are focusing on launching new menus using Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli to allow consumers to experience Makgeolli in new ways, and are exploring various strategies to continuously attract interest by providing Makgeolli in places frequently visited by younger generations.

Accordingly, Seoul Jangsu’s performance this year is also highly anticipated. Last year, Seoul Jangsu’s sales (reflecting only production from the Jincheon factory) reached 33.6 billion KRW, a 7% increase compared to the previous year. Including sales from the Seoul and metropolitan area breweries, the total approaches 200 billion KRW. Compared to the total domestic Makgeolli market size of about 300 billion KRW, this secures tremendous market competitiveness. Competitors’ sales last year were recorded as follows: Kooksoondang at 48 billion KRW, Jipyeong Brewery at 20.1 billion KRW, and Baesangmyun Brewery at 19.6 billion KRW.

Kim Jong-seung, Director of Sales at Seoul Jangsu, said, “We plan to carry out various promotions and marketing campaigns in the future,” adding, “We will continue to strive so that Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli is loved not only by the existing Makgeolli consumer base of the 50s and 60s but also by the younger 2030 generation.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.