[Gu Eun-mo's Sake Story] Dusuldoga, In Search of the Taste of a Balanced Life

<10> Gyeongbuk Mungyeong 'Dusuldoga'①

Silicon Valley Engineer Couple Returns Home Dreaming of Simple Rural Life
Rice Wine Brewed for Community Rice Consumption Leads to Brewery
‘Hiyangsan Makgeolli’ Seeks Flavor Balance by Blending Three Types of Alcohol

"What cannot be grasped by any means is the future. (...) The future is something that cannot be held in the hand; it overwhelms us and captures us. The future is the Other. The relationship with the future is the true relationship with the Other."

For Emmanuel Levinas (1906?1995), a French philosopher of Lithuanian origin, the future was not something to be hit by expectation or prediction. Rather, it was truly the future when it twisted in unexpected directions through encounters with various Others and unfolded in new directions. To him, the Other was a blessing that made new life and time possible, as it intervened in his life by chance, granting new possibilities and opening new paths.

For the couple Kim Dusoo and Lee Jaehee, the future was not something that smoothly flowed according to plans. Rather, it was truly the future when it unfolded in unforeseen directions through encounters with new people and extended along those paths. The path of the brewers, which unfolded through facing and relating with the Other, is where their excited footsteps have reached: 'Dusuldoga.'

Inside the brewery where you can explore the history of Heeyangsan Makgeolli.

A Couple Dreaming of a Simple Life Turns Their Steps Toward Korea

They first met in the United States. Although both were semiconductor engineers working at the same company in Korea, they did not know each other. Then, having crossed to a foreign land with their own dreams, they met and formed a marital bond. As a couple, they began to look toward the same future. The magazine 'Green Review' they happened upon shook their lives. Advocating ecology, Green Review inspired them to dream of a different life: a quiet and simple life in the countryside, approaching self-sufficiency through farming.

Once their thoughts converged, their actions were unstoppable. The unsettled atmosphere in the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks also strengthened their decision to return to Korea. The couple gave up stable jobs, income, and even permanent residency in Silicon Valley and returned to Korea in 2004. After returning, they attended a farming school and interacted with Kim Jongcheol, the publisher of Green Review who had drawn them to Korea, while searching for a place to settle.

After nearly a year of deliberation, they settled in Mungyeong, Gyeongbuk Province. There was no particular reason it had to be Mungyeong. At that time, the number of people returning to farming was not as large as it is now, and one could not just settle anywhere in the countryside. Among places where senior returnees had already settled, Mungyeong was the place that appealed to them.

The couple said they had tried every kind of farming. Farming was not always easy for them, lacking capital and technology. Although they chose to spend less rather than earn more, adjusting to an income less than half of what they had before was not easy. Their lifestyle was very different from before. Their house had no phone or internet, and they heated by burning wood from the mountain in a stove. It was a voluntary choice, but everything from A to Z was inconvenient. Still, they did not regret putting down roots in Mungyeong. Life in the city was no longer an option for them.

Inside the fermentation room of Dusuldo Island.

Seeking Sales Channels for Local Organic Rice... Leading to a Brewery

The couple never experienced discrimination from the locals after returning to farming. Mungyeong, once a mining area, had relatively frequent visits from outsiders, so there was less suspicion or discrimination against them. However, interaction with only a dozen villagers in the mountain village was insufficient. What opened a breath of fresh air for them was the 'Heiyangsan Village Agricultural Cooperative Corporation.' Meetings with cooperative members revitalized their rural life and, above all, laid the foundation for the birth of the brewery called Dusuldoga.

Established in 2017, Heiyangsan Village Agricultural Cooperative originated from a group of returnees and native residents in Wonbuk-ri and Sanggoeri of Gaeun-eup, producing 'Heiyangsan Ureong Rice' cultivated with eco-friendly farming methods without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Although it was high-quality organic rice grown using the snail farming method, the relatively higher price and lack of sales channels caused difficulties in selling the rice.

Watching cooperative members struggle with sales issues, Kim Dusoo suddenly thought about processing the rice himself. When he first started brewing alcohol, he never imagined becoming a full-time brewer. He only thought of making alcohol 'brewed for the love of it' to share with people around him. So he began brewing alone, studying various books, experimenting with different brews, and tasting them. As his experience grew, so did the positive evaluations from those around him. Kim Dusoo, CEO of Dusuldoga, said, "After brewing several times, I felt the desire to make it better next time. Since brewing liquor requires a license, I wanted to legally obtain one and do it properly."

Thus, in 2018, he obtained a license to manufacture takju (unfiltered rice wine), rented an empty building at Gaeun Ajagae Market, set up a brewery, and opened it in January 2019. This was the beginning of Dusuldoga. The name Dusuldoga combines 'Mal Du (斗),' meaning a measure of alcohol, with 'Sul Doga,' meaning brewery, and also derives from Kim's name 'Dusoo.'

Dusuldo's 'Heeyangsan Makgeolli 15·9'

Balance of Sour, Sweet, and Bitter Flavors, ‘Heiyangsan Makgeolli’

The alcohol brewed at Dusuldoga, nestled at the foot of Heiyangsan, naturally became known as 'Heiyangsan Makgeolli.' Dusuldoga produces three types of takju: 'Heiyangsan Makgeolli 15' and 'Heiyangsan Makgeolli 9,' which differ in alcohol content, and 'Oh! Mijassi,' made with Mungyeong's specialty omija berries, available only in spring and summer. Though simple, the lineup is solid. Heiyangsan Makgeolli is a two-stage brewed liquor made from Heiyangsan Ureong Rice and Korean wheat nuruk (fermentation starter). The initial fermentation takes about five days, followed by a secondary fermentation lasting three to four weeks. Then, the 9% alcohol version is aged in a cold storage for about a month, and the 15% version for about three months before bottling and releasing to the market.

Heiyangsan Makgeolli focuses on the 'balance' of flavors, and the method to achieve this balance is quite unique. In typical commercial brewing, manufacturers brew the same liquor in multiple fermentation tanks and blend them to reduce flavor variation and produce a consistent taste. However, Dusuldoga brews three separate types of liquor emphasizing different tastes?dry (not sweet), sweet, and sour?and blends these three to create the intended optimal flavor.

Kim explained, "It is difficult to achieve the rich flavor we want with liquor made from a single batch, so we blend three different types to create a more diverse and complex taste and aroma." He added, "We especially focus on balancing sourness, sweetness, and bitterness. When you first taste it, you feel a refreshing sourness; holding it in your mouth brings out sweetness; and after swallowing, the bitterness cleans up the lingering sour and sweet flavors, putting a full stop on the taste."

Dusuldoga's liquor is also famous for its impressive labels reminiscent of traditional folktales. The change from the early days, when Heiyangsan Makgeolli was sold with only the product name simply printed below the neck of the bottle, was led by his wife, Lee Jaehee. When the product size was increased from 500mL to 750mL, a new label was needed, and at that time, Lee thought of the paintings by artist Jeon Mihwa, who belongs to the Heiyangsan community.

Jeon readily agreed to collaborate on Lee's proposal, and Heiyangsan Makgeolli acquired its now eye-catching appearance. Lee said, "There were so many interesting paintings that I couldn't choose just one or two," explaining, "We took the concept of an exhibition and applied various paintings to the labels." She added, "There are quite a few people who remember the liquor by the paintings even if they don't recall the name." Thus, Jeon Mihwa's unique paintings became another flavor of Heiyangsan Makgeolli.

'Manse! Horangi' by artist Jeon Mi-hwa used in 'Heeyangsan Makgeolli 9'

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