[Interview] The Sweet Freshness of Gimpo Geumsal, Palpal Makgeolli

Interview with Jeong Deok-yeong, CEO of Palpal Brewery

There are those who have settled in Gimpo, the hometown of rice, and brew Makgeolli. This liquor, made from the famous Gimpo Geumsal rice known for its great taste, boasts a fresh and vibrant, truly 'lively' flavor. We spoke with Jung Deok-young, CEO of Palpal Brewery, a place where the 'lively' passion to brew Makgeolli with the heartfelt respect of our ancestors?who valued rice as "a grain that passes through the hands of farmers eighty-eight times before reaching the table"?is deeply embedded.

Palpal Brewery was founded in 2021 by three young brewers who joined forces. The brewery’s signature drink is Palpal Makgeolli, named after the brewery itself. It features a balanced sweetness and acidity, a texture that is not overly heavy, and a clean finish. The flavor and texture derived from well-fermented ingredients are fully captured inside the Makgeolli bottle, making it very appealing. You can also taste the sweet and fragrant notes of fruits like Korean melon, green grapes, and citrus.

Palpal Makgeolli embodies not only the natural taste of its ingredients but also the value of the region. This is because it is made exclusively with premium-grade Gimpo Geumsal rice from Gimpo, one of Korea’s representative granaries. After deciding to start the brewery, CEO Jung Deok-young tried brewing with rice from all over the country, but after visiting a rice mill in Gimpo, he decided to select this rice as the main ingredient for Makgeolli.

Using rice from the Shin Gimpo Nonghyup RPC (Rice Processing Complex), which first created the 'Gimpo Geumsal' brand and continues to maintain its milling quality, he said, “There is no greater fortune for a brewer than receiving the highest quality raw materials you can trust. Quality degradation due to crop conditions or storage issues can be fatal for Makgeolli, which captures the unique taste of its ingredients. The rice from Shin Gimpo Nonghyup RPC has excellent quality uniformity. The entire process?from rice purchasing, storage, milling, to delivery?is strictly managed. The best quality is consistently maintained here,” he praised highly.

So, how does Makgeolli brewed with Gimpo Geumsal differ from that made with other rice? CEO Jung pointed to sweetness as the key difference. He explained, “Unlike Chucheong rice from other regions, Gimpo’s Chucheong produces an elegant sweetness when brewed into alcohol. It’s a subtle difference, but Makgeolli made with Gimpo’s Chucheong doesn’t deliver sweetness immediately upon the first sip; rather, the sweetness rises slowly and spreads gently.”

Palpal Makgeolli contains no artificial sweeteners. Yet, a pleasantly sweet taste lingers in the mouth. The secret to this sweetness is also the rice. During the production of the raw wine, more rice is used than water to generate sufficient sweetness. Because the rice content exceeds that of water, the sweetness of the rice is naturally deep and rich. The subtle fruit aroma accompanying the rice’s sweetness is the result of replicating the balance of sweetness and acidity found in fruits within the Makgeolli.

Raw Makgeolli tends to experience significant flavor changes during distribution or home storage. However, Palpal Makgeolli shows almost no flavor change within its shelf life. This is because it is fermented in a way that minimizes flavor variation through numerous experiments and research. The fact that its taste does not change drastically and always remains fresh is another unique charm of Palpal Makgeolli.

When making Palpal Makgeolli, the brewery pays the most attention to ‘speed.’ This is because Palpal Makgeolli must reach an appropriate level of fermentation quickly during the early stage when enzymes and yeast are most active. From March, when Palpal Makgeolli was first released, until October of the same year, CEO Jung stayed up all night checking the fermentation status every 30 minutes during the first two days of fermentation to find the best way to produce the finest taste. He said, “Now that we have identified the causes and effects of good and bad flavors, we can make delicious Palpal Makgeolli with relatively less effort. Though I still get home late,” he laughed.

This Makgeolli, filled with the passion of Palpal Brewery, begs the question: how should it be enjoyed, and what should be paired with it for the best taste? CEO Jung recommended a cocktail called ‘88 Tonic & lime.’ It was created as a welcome drink when inviting guests to the brewery, and its popularity even led to it being featured on the brewery’s social media. The simple recipe involves filling a cup with ice, mixing Palpal Makgeolli and tonic water in a 1:1 ratio, stirring, then squeezing fresh lime pieces and garnishing. The taste is excellent?a summer flavor combining the refreshing acidity of Palpal Makgeolli, the sparkling carbonation of tonic water, and the crisp aroma of lime. When asked about side dishes, he gave a firm answer.

“Side dishes only fill your stomach when drinking alcohol.”

Brewers of Palpal Brewery. (From the top left clockwise) CEO Jeong Deok-yeong, Director Park Young-du, Director Lee Han-sun.

When asked about the goal of Palpal Brewery, CEO Jung, who said, “While planning Palpal Makgeolli, I felt the pressure to create a better product than those previously made, but I think what’s important is that we put our soul and body into the effort and research to produce meaningful results,” shared that their aim is to become a wonderful brewery that brews liquor using rice cultivated by Palpal Brewery and yeast they have cultured themselves, and further, to create liquor that embodies the value of the ingredients and the region. His answer was filled with love, passion, and pride for Makgeolli, the brewery, and the Gimpo region.

Photo = Palpal Brewery

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