Guksundang Ihwaju
A 12.5% makgeolli brewed with ihwa nuruk.
About this drink
Ihwaju is the second traditional Korean liquor restored by Kooksoondang. A top-grade takju that revives the rich flavor of Goryeo-era ihwaju, its name "ihwa" (pear blossom) is said either to come from its being brewed around the time pear trees bloom, or from its color being as white as pear blossoms. Thick enough to eat with a spoon, it charms with a balance of sweetness and acidity you can't taste anywhere else.
Description source: Traditional Liquor Information, Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (Public Data Portal of Korea)
Flavor profile
How it's made
Fermented from ihwa nuruk, Korean rice (per government open data)
The brewer
Guksundang released Baekseju in 1992 and built a plant in Hoengseong, Gangwon, in 2004. Since 2008 it has run a project to revive old liquors found in historical texts, naming the results Beopgo Changsin (法古創新). Ihwaju, revived from the 1500s text Suun Japbang, is a takju brewed with rice nuruk, white like pear blossoms and eaten with a spoon. The Hoengseong Brewery was selected as a Visiting Brewery in 2019 and runs tours at its experience space, Juhyangro.
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