Hana Makgeolli, April’s Client of the Month, is an artisanal Korean rice wine producer created by business partners Alice Jun and John Limb. Their Tasting Room, located at 201 Dupont Street in Brooklyn, NY, carries the company’s sool (the Korean word for alcohol) by the glass or carafe, as well as house made anju (Korean for food consumed with alcohol).
Hana Makgeolli started as a passion project to deepen the discipline of home brewing handed down to Alice from her father. Alice and John set their sights on being the first domestic producer of traditionally made, artisanal makgeolli (rice wine), and brought Hana Makgeolli to market in September 2020. The pair are champions for Korean drink and food and are continually working to further establish and expand the Korean sool category here in the US.
According to their website, Hana Makgeolli’s products “celebrate heritage and the labor of love. By using only organic rice, nuruk, and traditional brewing methodologies, we are able to achieve complex flavor profiles that show the breadth and depth of the entire sool category. Our brews strike an intricate balance between deep grain flavors and naturally occurring lactic acid with stronger alcohol by volume that is characteristic of jeongtongju that can only be found in Korea. The experience is like the warm embrace of home.”
If you’re able to make it to Hana Makgeolli’s Tasting Room in Brooklyn, they are open Thursday and Friday from 5pm-10pm and Saturday and Sunday from 2pm-10pm. Their full beverage and food menu can be viewed here, and they’re on Resy should you wish to reserve a table. For those unable to make the trip, Hana Makgeolli is also available for local delivery and pickup, nationwide shipping (orders can be placed here), and available for retail in 21 states—including right here in the Hudson Valley! Just plug your zip code into their store finder to see where you can purchase some of their delicious sool in the area.
Hana Makgeolli has been insured by Ryan & Ryan Insurance Brokers since December 2022. When asked why they chose R&R as their insurance agency, Sales and Operations manager Amelia Daube responded by stating:
“We first met [agent] Jeff at Brooklyn Cider House’s Fermentation Festival, so it was clear to us that he had a lot of experience working with breweries. He was also able to get us the best quote for our commercial general liability policy, so the rest is history!”“
Amelia went on to say:
“Working with R&R has been great. They have always been responsive to our needs, whether it’s getting us a COI or answering a question about our coverage.”
Hana Makgeolli is the first sool producer in the United States, and they hope to educate others on the principle that traditionally made Korean sool has the depth—in its history, methodologies, and flavor—to be a loved and respected category.
Whether you’re a rice wine aficionado or just looking to try something new, stop by one of our area wine stores that carry Hana Makgeolli products, or better yet, if you find yourself in Brooklyn, stop by their Tasting Room! To learn more about our April Client of the Month, you can visit www.hanamakgeolli.com.
