Samhae Soju-ga Brewery

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Samhae Soju-ga Brewery (375 ml) Soju, Seoul (90 proof)

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The story of Samhae Soju dates to Korea’s Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392), making it one of the country’s most historic traditional spirits. The tradition has been designated the 8th Intangible Cultural Heritage of Seoul, a rare distinction recognizing the cultural importance of this centuries-old brewing and distilling practice.

For generations, the method was preserved by the family of 10th generation Master Brewer and Distiller Taek-sang Kim. Taek-sang learned the craft from his mother and dedicated his life not only to making Samhae Soju, but also to preserving and teaching its traditional methods. At his studio, Samhae Sojuga, he produced soju according to his family’s inherited recipes and shared his knowledge through workshops with a new generation of brewers.

Following Taek-sang’s sudden passing in 2021, his longtime student Hyun-jong Kim (no relation) took on the responsibility of carrying his mentor’s legacy forward. Hyun-jong had spent 8 years studying and making soju alongside Taek-sang, learning both the techniques and philosophy behind the tradition. Today, he continues to produce Samhae Soju and operates an academy at the distillery, ensuring that this knowledge continues to be passed on.

While deeply rooted in one of Korea’s oldest brewing and distilling traditions, Samhae Sojuga is not frozen in the past. Alongside its classic expressions made from rice, nuruk, and water, Hyun-jong has explored other ingredients rooted in Korean food and drink culture, including chrysanthemum and buckwheat.

The Process & The Name
The name Samhae comes directly from its unusual production method and brewing calendar. “Sam” means three, referring to its three-stage brewing process, while “hae” refers to the pig in the traditional zodiac calendar. Together, the name reflects a process in which three successive brews are traditionally begun on Days of the Pig.

Samhae begins simply, with rice, nuruk, and water fermented in a traditional clay vessel. What makes it extraordinary is time. Rather than completing the fermentation in a single stage, the brew is built through three additions approximately 36 days apart, each corresponding with the first Day of the Pig of each month.

The first stage begins with non-glutinous cooked rice, nuruk, and water, which are left to ferment slowly at cool temperatures. Approximately 36 days later, on the next designated Day of the Pig, glutinous rice, nuruk, and water are added for the second stage. Another 36 days later, the process is repeated for the third and final addition. The fermentation takes approximately 108 days in total, with the complete process of making the soju extending to around 120 days.

Historically, the timing carried symbolic significance. According to traditional belief, the pig was associated with particularly clear blood and brewing on a Day of the Pig was thought to encourage an equally pure and crystal-clear sool. Similarly, sauces such as soy sauce and soybean paste are made on the Day of the Horse because horses have thick blood, hence the belief that sauce will be as thick and well mixed. Whether the calendar itself has any effect on the finished drink is beside the point: adhering to it creates an exceptionally long fermentation that allows layers of flavor, depth, and complexity to develop naturally.

From a single fermentation vessel, three forms of traditional Korean sool emerge. The clear liquid that separates at the top is drawn off as yakju, which can then be distilled to produce soju. The remaining rice sediment is combined with water to become makgeolli. In this way, makgeolli, yakju, and soju are interconnected expressions of the same brew.

Today, Hyun-jong Kim is one of the only known distillers to produce sool according to this traditional zodiac calendar. The painstaking process connects each bottle not only to an ancient recipe, but to a rhythm of brewing that has been practiced for centuries.