Fairy Play wins top prize in other liquors category and popularity award in non-makgeolli category
Dalgalim takes popularity award in makgeolli category as Naju's young brewers draw attention
Two young brewing companies based in Naju, South Jeolla Province, have demonstrated the competitiveness of the region's traditional liquors by winning top honors at the 2026 Namdo Woori-sul Competition.
Naju city announced Thursday that local liquor manufacturers Fairy Play Co. and Dalgalim each received awards at the competition, held recently at the Gwangju MBC Public Hall.
This year's competition was hosted by the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City and organized by the South Jeolla Traditional Liquor Producers Association. A total of 43 products from 25 companies competed for recognition of quality and competitiveness.
At the competition, Fairy Play's "Ije: Baero Mandeurda" took both the grand prize in the other liquors category and the popularity award in the non-makgeolli category, making it a double winner. Dalgalim's signature product "Wolhaju" also claimed the popularity award in the makgeolli category, meaning Naju-based breweries swept both popularity award categories — makgeolli and non-makgeolli — this year.
"Ije: Baero Mandeurda" has now won the grand prize for three consecutive years, from 2024 through this year, consistently earning recognition for the quality and competitiveness of a locally distinctive liquor made with Naju pears.
Fairy Play is a liquor manufacturing company run by Lee Song-mi, a young entrepreneur in her 30s. Operating from a brewing facility on Namgomun-ro in Naju, the company produces a Korean-style perry — a pear-based sparkling drink — using locally grown Naju pears.
Its flagship product, "Ije: Baero Mandeurda," is a 5-percent alcohol sparkling fruit wine made through pure pear juice fermentation. The drink has been expanding its profile as a representative local liquor of Naju, having been served as the dinner wine at a reception this year welcoming the Maitres Cuisiniers de France, hosted by Naju city.
Dalgalim, which won the makgeolli category popularity award, is also run by a young brewer, Lee Seul-gi. The brewery opened in March 2023 on Bitgaram-ro in Naju and produces the traditional makgeolli "Wolhaju" as its signature product, focusing on local liquor manufacturing and brand development.
"Wolhaju" has also served as a cultural ambassador for Naju's traditional liquors, having been featured as the dinner wine at a reception last year welcoming a delegation from Clermont-Ferrand, France.
"It is deeply meaningful that Naju's liquors, crafted by young brewers with passion and skill, have received such strong recognition at the region's premier competition," Naju Mayor Yun Byeong-tae said. "We will actively support market expansion and promotion so that local traditional and specialty liquors can drive greater consumption of Naju's agricultural products and boost farmers' incomes, and we will work to build a stable foundation for young brewing companies to grow."
kkm9971@heraldcorp.com
