Most of the makgeolli sold on the market these days is made with rice. However, makgeolli made with rice was not allowed to be made for 14 years, from 1963 to 1977. It was banned under the pretext of saving grain consumption. So during that period, makgeolli was made with wheat flour and mixed grains. For those who lived through that time, wheat makgeolli was the only makgeolli. From 1977 to 1979, they say that wheat makgeolli was banned to promote rice consumption.

One of the breweries that made wheat makgeolli near Seoul was Jipyeong Brewery. Until recently, it was only sold in the area near the brewery, but recently it has released wheat makgeolli in 750mL packages and started its expansion into the metropolitan area. They say that many people are looking for wheat makgeolli because of its unique texture.

Iwon Brewery also released wheat makgeolli last year under the name "Nostalgia," but it didn't get a good response. They emphasized the use of Korean wheat, but they couldn't differentiate it from other makgeolli. But recently, Iwon Brewery's "Nostalgia" makgeolli has been frequently posted on Facebook and Instagram as the best value-for-money makgeolli.

The "Nostalgia" I met last year wasn't in a glass bottle, but it seems like something has changed. So I visited Iwon Brewery directly. It was a day when I could see a clear sky for the first time in a long time. Iwon Brewery is located in Iwon-myeon, Okcheon-gun, North Chungcheong Province. As with most breweries in local areas, the name of the brewery is the name of the town.

Iwon Brewery was started in the 1930s and was located on the banks of the Geum River, but it moved to its current location in 1949 due to frequent floods. This means that it is a space that has retained its history for over 70 years. For this reason, some of the brewery facilities are maintained as much as possible in their original state. Some are repaired and used, some are used as exhibition spaces, and some are left in their original state. As a result, you can feel the passage of time at Iwon Brewery.

In the case of Jipyeong Brewery, they say that they have plans to build a large-scale factory in Chuncheon and its surrounding area and make the existing brewery an exhibition space. That's not bad either, but the characteristic of a brewing space, just by retaining the passage of time, could be a charming space.

Iwon Brewery uses large jars (380-430 liters). When there are many people working at the brewery, they can handle the jars with human power, but nowadays, most breweries operate only with family members or hire a small number of people. Therefore, it is difficult to move large jars with human power. Iwon Brewery says that they are making and using their own equipment that fits the jars. Because it is handmade, it is difficult to say what the name of the equipment is, but it seems to be optimized for the purpose of handling the jars with a small idea.

If you just see this picture without any explanation, you might think it's a robot manufacturing company. They say that thanks to such facilities, it is very easy to disinfect the wine tanks.

Now let's meet Nostalgia makgeolli. 100% Korean wheat. It uses Geumgang wheat. Geumgang wheat was developed starting in 1986 and selected as a promoted variety in 1997. It is not easy to find makgeolli made with Korean wheat on the market. First of all, the self-sufficiency rate of Korean wheat itself is as low as 0.7%, and the price is not cheap either. The use of Korean wheat is a great feat in itself, but the wheat content of Iwon Brewery's Nostalgia is 23.18%. In the case of general rice makgeolli, the rice content is about 10%. Compared to "Flowers Bloom in Dareng Village" by Darengi Farm Agricultural Cooperative, which is classified as premium makgeolli and has a rice content of 25%, Iwon Brewery's "Nostalgia" has specs that are by no means inferior to premium makgeolli.

The same applies to the nuruk. It uses Korean wheat nuruk. At this point, you might worry about the price of the makgeolli. But when you hear the price of "Nostalgia," you'll be surprised. That's why people talk about value for money. It's somewhere in between the price of mass-produced makgeolli and premium makgeolli.

Iwon Brewery is one of the designated breweries that actively develops experience programs. They have seven experience programs prepared, one of which is the "Doribanbang Tour." Looking at the contents of the experience, it says "... Experience a tour of the brewery with a Korean alcohol artisan with a 90-year tradition and enjoy a Doribanbang cooking class together, an experience that everyone can enjoy..." Doribanbang and makgeolli are a truly satisfying combination. Due to Lee Young-ja's Doribanbang at Geumgang Rest Stop, which aired on a TV program, Geumgang Rest Stop became a holy site, but nowadays you can easily find it at restaurants around the Geum River. It's a little burdensome to do at home, but if you have the ingredients ready, it wouldn't be difficult to enjoy it with a cooking class.

CEO Kang Hyeon-jun posted on Facebook that he started growing Geumgang wheat. He plans to use some of it for brewing and use it as part of the "Master Tour" program.

One of the products Iwon Brewery is preparing for next year is distilled liquor. Most of the products on the market are based on rice, but Iwon Brewery plans to release a soju distilled from wheat makgeolli. There is a product called "Memilo" distilled from buckwheat produced by Hongcheon Duruyangjo Brewery, but it doesn't use only buckwheat, it uses buckwheat and rice together, so distilled liquor using only Korean wheat is a product that would be difficult to find anywhere else. Although development is not yet complete, so the taste is not yet finalized, around this time next year, you'll be able to meet a distilled liquor that is perfect for a winter night.

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