Yeongam, Jeonnam: A Comprehensive Guide to Traditional Liquor and Local Breweries

Yeongam does not have a renowned local liquor. There is no distinct lineage remaining, unlike Jindo's Hongju or Haenam's Jinyangju. Instead, there are traces of the roads where liquor once traveled—memories of ports and vanished taverns.

Gurim Village in Gunseo-myeon, Yeongam-gun is the site of the Baekje scholar Wangin (Wang InIt is a village where the legend says that ) was born.

The story of him crossing the sea with the Analects and the Thousand-Character Classic is famous. He is known as the figure who introduced the art of sake brewing to Japan during this period. Inbeon (仁番Renban), also known as SusuboriIt is said that he crossed over to Japan through Sangdaepo in Yeongam together with [the other person].

Additionally, a legend about a tavern run by Lady Deokjin is passed down at Deokjin Port. Lady Deokjin is a legendary figure from the Unified Silla period who operated a tavern near Yeongamcheon Stream and used her personal fortune to build Deokjin Bridge for travelers.

Discussions to restore the tavern have been raised in the region several times, but they have not been realized.

What comes to mind when you think of Yeongam's liquor in modern times? Yeongam is the home of figs. More than half of the nation's total production comes from this small county.

The people of Yeongam have long pondered over this fruit, which turns the fields of Samho-eup dark red in September and spoils after just one day. They made jam, juice, and yokan, and finally brewed liquor.

Samho Brewery (Dogatjip)

In 1945, a distillery opened in Yongang-ri, Samho-eup. It started in the same year as Korea's liberation and has continued for 80 years and three generations to this day.

The brand name is Dogatjip. The word 'house' was added to the 'brewery' where alcohol is brewed.

The brewery's decisive choice was figs. This was because Samho-eup was the center of Yeongam figs.

Brewing alcohol with fruit grown at one's feet is naturally appealing and also serves as an excellent marketing strategy. Since 2023, we have partnered with Yeongam County to jointly produce the region's representative traditional liquor.

Suddenly

Suddenly. The name of the liquor was chosen to reflect the moment when something comes to mind without warning. It is a medicinal liquor brewed exclusively with Yeongam green figs and Yeongam rice.

The first sip comes in clean and crisp, but after swallowing, the characteristic juicy sweetness of figs rises belatedly.

Rather than greasy snacks, light options like boiled white sea snails or white fish sashimi pair well. Wouldn't it be fun to try a combination with Yeongam octopus as well?

Dogatjip fig fresh dongdongju

It is the face of Dogatjip and their best-selling liquor. It is brewed by grinding fresh figs whole.

Lowering the alcohol content to 6% was clearly intentional. The direction was set to preserve the fleshy texture of the fig while making it easy for anyone to drink without feeling overwhelmed.

There is almost no yeast aroma, and the sweetness of the fruit comes first the moment it touches the mouth. It is well-suited to recommend to people who have difficulty drinking alcohol.

Instead, corn syrup and acesulfame potassium support the sweetness. If you are particular about ingredients Suddenly If you are looking for an easy-to-drink alcohol, you should choose this one.

The Dogatjip Saeng Makgeolli from the same house has a similar composition. Using handmade koji is the house's long-standing practice.

It pairs well with fig desserts or light salads, and it tastes best when chilled and enjoyed on a summer evening.

Gichan Brewery

There is a brewery at 41 Gichanland-ro, Yeongam-eup, in Gichan Village, inside Wolchulsan National Park.

‘'Gichan' is the local dialect. The area around the valley at the foot of Mt. Wolchul is called Gichanland because the energy emanating from the mountain is said to be exceptionally strong.

The starting point of this brewery is brewing liquor with water that has passed through the maekbanseok at the foot of Cheonhwangbong Peak. Although not large in scale, it won the Grand Prize at the 6th Korea Fermented Food Contest in 2024.

[Image insertion location — Gichan Brewery or ceramic bottle product]

Wolchulsan Gichan Takju

It is unsweetened makgeolli made with water, glutinous rice, non-glutinous rice, and yeast.

Without using entry It is a brewery that emphasizes brewing alcohol using only yeast.

Driving fermentation solely with koji instead of koji results in lower yields and greater variation in taste. However, this persistence can be considered the unique character of this brewery.

Thanks to the use of both glutinous rice and non-glutinous rice, the texture gains weight. The savory aroma from the yeast takes center stage, and the sweetness remains only as much as comes from the rice.

Wolchulsan Gichan Bora Medicinal Wine

Behold. It was named exactly after the color that purple sweet potatoes produce in alcohol.

Yeongam is the home of figs, and at the same time, the home of sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes harvested from red clay fields were a long-standing cash crop for this county.

The result of transferring that sweet potato into alcohol is purple. I chose the method of grinding the purple sweet potato into powder and adding it.

No sweeteners were used here either. Instead, unlike the previous Takju, both koji and nuruk were added to simultaneously ensure fermentation stability and aroma.

It has a substantial weight because it is filtered as a medicinal liquor and raised to 13% alcohol. A subtle sweetness from the sweet potato underlies the savory flavor of the grains.

Since the liquor displays a beautiful color, choosing a glass is also a fun experience. If you pour it into a glass and let light pass through, you can visually confirm the liquor's reputation.

Bora is available in two varieties: Takju with 8% alcohol content and Yakju with 13% alcohol content. In September 2024, Jeollanam-do selected this liquor as the Traditional Liquor of the Month.

Korean liquor and healing

Yeongam-eup's Korean Liquor and HealingIt is more of a small workshop and experience center than a brewery. The liquor produced here is made from sweet potatoes.

The name of the signature liquor is 'Bora'. The name was taken directly from the beautiful color derived from sweet potatoes. They brew yakju, takju, and makgeolli together.

It goes beyond simply selling alcohol by offering a hands-on brewing program and serving a traditional Namdo drinking table. It has been operating for four years as a resident business entity under the Yeongam County Tourism Dure program.