Alcohol still has a place at the table and in social gatherings, but people are becoming more selective about what and how much they drink.
The range of choices is expanding, from low-alcohol products to alcohol-free and non-alcoholic products, as well as traditional liquors from local breweries.
It is worth examining why taste, experience, and local identity are becoming more prominent than the size of the drinking gathering.
3-Line Summary
1. Alcohol is not chosen solely for the purpose of getting drunk
2. Shipments of diluted soju have declined for 3 consecutive years
3. The choices of low-alcohol drinks and local liquors are expanding
From 30-Degree Soju to 15.7-Degree Products
According to a KBS News report, soju’s alcohol content has declined over a long period. Soju, which was 30 degrees in 1965, fell to 25 degrees in 1973. This level continued for more than 20 years, but with the appearance of 23-degree products in the mid-1990s, the familiar standard that “soju is 25 degrees” began to change. In 2006, it fell to 20 degrees, and products at 15.7 degrees later appeared.
This does not mean that low-alcohol drinks are new. What stands out is that the alcohol content of soju, a representative Korean liquor, changed in one direction over a long period, and that this change continued in different forms in makgeolli and beer as well. Products at around 4.5 degrees appeared one after another in the makgeolli market, while the beer market is also broadening its range of choices with products containing less alcohol or none at all.
KBS News identified the structural contraction of South Korea’s alcohol market as the backdrop to this change. Last year, shipments of diluted soju totaled 79 man 3 thousand ㎘ and declined for the 3rd consecutive year. The report attributed this to a reduction in both the frequency and quantity of drinking as the population ages and declines, company-dining culture changes, and interest in health grows.
For that reason, it is difficult to view low-alcohol drinks simply as “drinks that are not strong.” The trend featured in the report is closer to seeking taste and aroma, time spent with food, and choices that place less burden on everyday life than to seeking the experience of getting drunk quickly. Consumers looking for non-alcoholic beer because they like the taste and mouthfeel of beer were also mentioned in the same context. In other words, the standard of checking only the alcohol content when choosing a drink is changing.
Chuncheon Brings 16 Breweries Together in One Place
Events are also being held to connect locally made liquors with local food and culture. The city of Chuncheon in Gangwon Province announced that it would hold the “2026 Chuncheon Liquor Festa” from the 11th to the 12th, in and around KT&G Sangsangmadang. The festival, now in its 6th year, uses the slogan “Chuncheon’s liquor, deepened by brewing it slowly.” The opening ceremony is scheduled for 7 p.m. on the 11th.
This year’s event will feature 16 local breweries, one more than last year, presenting traditional liquors and craft alcoholic beverages. Visitors will be able to taste and purchase drinks from each brewery. Local food and beverage businesses, including Potato Island and Gom Hotdog, as well as food trucks, will also participate. It is designed as a culinary event paired with local food, rather than a venue for consuming alcohol separately.
The program goes beyond tastings. Busking, a DJing party, craft activities, cultural exchanges with foreigners, and beer pong, “janp̄ong,” and roulette events are scheduled. The newly prepared liquor-brewing experience will be conducted by advance reservation. Chuncheon said it integrated several pre-events under the name “Mini Liquor Festa” and connected them with the main event. At an event last June, 10 local breweries participated, and more than 2 thousand 400 people attended the Fermentation Yoga, Brewing Salon, and Drunken Bookshelf programs.
According to an announcement by Chuncheon City, the number of local breweries increased from 12 in 2022 to 18 this year. At last year’s Liquor Festa, 15 breweries participated, drawing approximately 1 ten-thousand 5 thousand visitors and recording sales of 1 hundred million 1500 ten-thousand won. By contrast, whether the expanded participation this year will lead to revitalization of the local commercial district is not yet a result. The connection among local liquor, agricultural products and food, culture, and tourism promoted by Chuncheon City needs to be distinguished as the purpose and plan of this event.
A Rice Fermented Beverage First Introduced in Japan
According to a Korea Economic Daily report, liquor manufacturer Genie’s Lamp announced that it would officially launch On the Lamp, a wine brand made from rice, in Japan. The company explained that the product is a 12.4-degree, 375㎖ traditional liquor made with domestic rice, traditional wheat nuruk, and water. It is naturally fermented, after which the solids are filtered out to leave only clear liquor, and pear and acacia honey are added to enhance its flavor, the company said.
The Japanese official online store presold a limited quantity on the 21st of last month, and the company announced that the 3 thousand bottles in the 1st sale sold out. Genie’s Lamp plans to collaborate with major offline distribution channels in Japan and hold a pop-up in Tokyo’s Ginza from the 18th to the 19th. The company’s announcement also included a plan for online customers to receive the product at locations including Isetan Shinjuku, Shibuya Tokyu Food Show, and Aeon Liquor.
However, the sellout of the presale and future distribution plans cannot be immediately interpreted as establishment in the local market. The confirmed facts are that the limited-sale quantity sold out and that plans for the official Japanese launch and pop-up were announced. Changes in the alcohol market cannot be captured by the single question of “whether people drink a lot.” Alcohol content, taste, local breweries, food, and purchasing methods are becoming selection criteria together.
References
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