Damyang-gun Accelerates Development of Unique Alcoholic Beverages

Development of Bamboo Makgeolli and Strawberry Wine... Tasting Event Held

Tasting Event for Tourists During the '2023 New Bamboo Festival'

Damyang County is developing alcoholic beverages that appeal to all age groups using its representative specialty products, bamboo and strawberries.

According to the county on the 24th, since December last year, they have been developing alcoholic beverages using organic agricultural products produced locally, with bamboo and strawberries, symbols of Damyang County, as the main ingredients.

The county is continuing efforts to commercialize four types of alcohol: bamboo Makgeolli, strawberry wine, strawberry sparkling wine, and Gwaha-ju.

Strawberry wine and bamboo Makgeolli.
[Photo by Damyang-gun]

In addition, the project is diversifying with the goal of increasing local residents' income by producing alcohol souvenirs, developing food menus that pair well with the alcohol using local agricultural products (collaborative side dishes), and discovering business models linked to youth entrepreneurship in the region.

Recently, to evaluate the achievements of the alcohol development project, the first tasting event was held at Haedong Culture and Arts Village, attended by County Governor Lee Byeong-no, Damyang County Council Chairman Choi Yong-man and council members, and about 100 young people.

As a result of the tasting evaluation, strawberry wine and strawberry sparkling wine based on bamboo received favorable reviews from the younger generation, while bamboo Makgeolli was well received by the middle-aged and older generations.

Also, Gwaha-ju, traditionally consumed to endure the summer, received generally positive feedback.

The county plans to hold a second tasting event for tourists on May 5 and 6 during the ‘2023 new bamboo festival’ to collect and reflect various opinions.

Governor Lee Byeong-no said, “In foreign countries, the alcoholic beverage industry is actively promoted to encourage co-growth with agriculture, the food service industry, and tourism,” adding, “We will do our best to contribute to the local economy through the development of traditional liquor using Damyang’s representative bamboo and strawberries.”

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