Uiseong-gun in North Gyeongsang Province announced Tuesday that a locally established traditional liquor brewery, Palette Brewery, took the top prize in the low-alcohol takju category at the 2026 Korea Our Liquor Competition for its tomato basil makgeolli.
The Korea Our Liquor Competition is the country's only government-run traditional liquor contest, organized annually by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs since 2010 to discover outstanding Korean liquors and strengthen their quality and competitiveness.
This year, 472 products from 294 companies nationwide were entered, and 18 products were selected as winners across six categories — low-alcohol takju, high-alcohol takju, yakju and cheongju, fruit wine, distilled spirits and other liquors.
The award-winning tomato basil makgeolli is a 6-percent-alcohol brew made with rice grown in Uiseong, roasted tomatoes and fresh basil.
The drink combines the savory, tangy notes of tomato with the fresh, crisp flavor of basil, balanced by the smooth texture that comes from the rice.
It was developed as a gourmet-style traditional liquor that not only offers a flavor and aroma distinct from conventional makgeolli but also takes food pairing into account — qualities that earned it high marks from judges.
Palette Brewery, founded in 2022, is a youth-led brewing company that won first place in the takju category at the 2023 Chosun Biz Korea Liquor Awards.
In 2024, the company placed 13,000 bottles of its products in GS25 convenience stores and expanded into 20 CJ Olive Young liquor specialty stores nationwide, building a track record in both product quality and retail competitiveness.
Uiseong-gun plans to expand the development of specialty liquors using a variety of local agricultural products, including rice, while activating brewing, culinary and experiential programs tied to its rural tourism brand, Sullaegil.
"We will systematically nurture the rural convergence industry so that Uiseong's outstanding agricultural products can be reborn as competitive traditional liquors and lead to experiential tourism and local consumption," said Uiseong County Governor Choi Yu-cheol.
kbj7653@heraldcorp.com
