“100 years of technology packed into 5,000 oak barrels… “We are creating a new 100 years.”
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Maturation room where distilled soju liquor is stored
Launch of ‘Ilpoom Jinro’ to mark 100th anniversary of founding
Establishment of Korea’s first mainstream research center in 1974
Establishment of integrated beer and soju research center in 2025
Preparation of comprehensive research on Cheongju, whiskey, etc.
As an ‘outpost’ for targeting the global market
On the 11th, when I went down the steel stairs in Jeungje-dong of Hite Jinro’s Icheon factory, the strong scent of wood and alcohol mixed together and spread in all directions in the cold air. Inside the warehouse, which was kept cool at 10.2 degrees Celsius and 79.5% humidity, eight tiers of tall steel shelves were spread out on both sides. About 5,000 oak barrels with a capacity of 200 liters were tightly stacked, and the information they contained, such as inspection date, capacity, first injection date, and re-injection date, was attached and managed with a QR code.
This is the maturation room where the raw material for Hite Jinro’s distilled soju is stored. Hite Jinro’s distilled soju is based on ‘Jinro’, which was created in 1924 by Jincheon Brewing Company, the predecessor of Jinro Soju.
On the 11th, distilled liquor was aged in oak barrels in the wooden barrel aging room at Hite Jinro’s Icheon factory. Provided by Hite Jinro
From 1965 to 1999, when it was prohibited to make alcohol made from grain, distilled soju could not be made, but since 2007, it has been continuing its 100-year history by making Ilpoom Jinro.
Hite Jinro’s premium distilled soju products, such as ‘Ilpoom Jinro’, which is released on a limited basis every year, and ‘Ilpoom Jinro Oak 43’, which is made with concentrate aged for more than 12 years, are aged here and reach consumers.
In the maturation room, oak barrels containing bourbon whiskey are imported from the United States and France, and the distilled liquor is stored there. The distilled liquor stored in the barrel matures over time, and reacts with the cellulose of the wood, turning golden yellow like whiskey and becoming richer in color and aroma.
Lee Young-gyu, head of the distillery manufacturing division of the Icheon Brewing Team, who is in charge of management, said, “In order to prevent the oak barrels from spoiling and to prevent the alcohol inside the barrels from escaping, we ensure that the internal temperature does not exceed 20 degrees even in the middle of summer.” He added, “Wooden barrels are checked periodically for repair and disposal. “We are working on replacement,” he said.
Currently, the liquor that has been stored the longest in the maturation room is the liquor injected in 1999. This concentrate is scheduled to be released as ‘Ilpoom Jinro 24 Years Old’ this year, when Hite Jinro celebrates its 100th anniversary.
On this day, Hite Jinro held a Media Friendship Day event commemorating its 100th anniversary and introduced its major product brands, including the manufacturing process, including beer, soju, and distilled soju.
Jeong Se-young, executive director of the communications team, explained, “Hite Jinro is the 9th listed company in Korea and the first in the food industry to celebrate its 100th anniversary.”
Hite Jinro is a combination of Jincheon Brewing Company (predecessor of Jinro), established in 1924, and Chosun Beer Co., Ltd. (predecessor of Hite Beer), established in 1933.
Over the past 100 years, we have introduced numerous ‘hit products’ such as Chamisul, Hite, and Terra.
Hite Jinro emphasized that challenging research was behind the development of these products. Liquor Research Institute, first established in Korea in 1974, evolved into Hite Jinro Research Institute in 2011 after the launch of an integrated corporation. Currently, it has more than 500 types of yeast for various types of liquor and is equipped with fermentation and distillation technology for each type of liquor.
Hite Jinro announced that it is preparing for the next 100 years by further strengthening its ‘100 years of technological prowess’ and diversifying its research areas. A representative example is the establishment of an integrated research center. Hite Jinro plans to build an integrated research center with two basement levels and four above-ground levels in Dongbaek District, Yongin, around 2025. By integrating the dual research centers into Hongcheon, Gangwon (beer) and Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province (soju), it is expected that comprehensive research will be possible on not only soju and beer, but also Cheongju and whiskey.
We plan to accelerate our efforts to target the global market. With the spread of K-content such as Korean dramas and movies, the demand for our soju from all over the world has increased, and we decided to establish our first overseas factory in Vietnam, which will serve as an ‘export outpost’.
Icheon = Reporter Kwon Yi-sun [email protected]
[ⓒ 세계일보 & Segye.com, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]
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