[Traditional Liquor] Taking 13 months just to produce—the strategy chosen by this traditional liquor with a story behind it is

#9

From Jeong Gyeong-rok, the maker at Naebyeonsan Brewery
"Food (Traditional Liquor) Funding Campaign a Success"

Profile of the Maker, “Naebyeonsan Brewery”

3-Line Summary

• Naebyeonsan Brewery, a second-generation brewery operating in Buan, North Jeolla Province, achieved the No. 1 spot in real-time rankings, raised approximately 40 million won, and earned a satisfaction rating of 5.0 following its first funding campaign on wadiz.
• They chose wadiz over other platforms as the place to share the detailed story behind “Baekje Soju,”a distilled spirit crafted with care over a 13-month production period.
• Through an engaging funding story created in collaboration with wadiz’s Partner Service, they were able to sell the highest-value Rewards in the greatest numbers and set a new standard for brand presentation. 

  
  

Combining the Naebyeonsan Brewery, which has been passed down through two generations,
Baekje Soju, infused with traditional techniques

Q. Hello, could you please introduce Naebyeonsan Brewery?  

Hello, we are “Naebyeonsan Brewery,” a second-generation brewery operating in Buan, North Jeolla Province. Buan is home to Byeonsan Peninsula National Park; based on the park, the outer area is called Oebyeonsan, and the inner area is called Naebyeonsan. We named our brewery “Naebyeonsan Brewery” after the Naebyeonsan area where we are located.

It’s been about eight years since I took over the business from my parents, who have been making makgeolli for 40 years.Having watched the brewery up close from a veryyoung age, it was only natural that I wanted to work there once I became an adult. I majored in business administration in college and studied traditional liquors, wine, and other alcoholic beverages at related institutions before starting work immediately after graduation. 

Pure copper stills used by famous distilleries (left) The process of making Baekje Soju (right)

Q. You launched a limited edition of your premium distilled spirit, “Baekje Soju,” through wadiz. Could you tell us more about Baekje Soju?  

Baekje Soju is a *distilled spirit produced using the atmospheric distillation method*, crafted through our unique traditional fermentation techniques—passed down through two generations—and a long aging period of one year. We brew the liquor using rice from North Jeolla Province, Grade 1 water from Buan County, and traditional nuruk (fermentation starter), without adding any other additives. Since we use 99.9% pure copper stills—the same type used by world-renowned whiskey distilleries—its taste and aroma are in a completely different league from the diluted soju commonly found at convenience stores. Given the complex and lengthy process involved in crafting Baekje Soju, we’ve decided to offer it in limited quantities on wadiz.    

No. 1 on wadiz’s real-time rankings,
Confident in the value of premium traditional soju  

Q. The Baekje Soju funding campaign reached No. 1 on the real-time rankings when it launched. Was this a result you expected?  

I wasn’t entirely confident. (Laughs) Looking back, I think it’s because the premium traditional liquor market—which we’d been preparing for a long time—took off much faster than we expected. As seen in the popularity of “Won Soju,” a distilled soju, and the recent trend toward whiskey ,a culture of enjoying alcohol for its aroma and tasteis emerging—it’s no longer just about getting drunk. I felt that traditional liquors, carefully crafted by master brewers, were beginning to be perceived as gourmet foods that people want to savor. I believe we were able to share the value of traditional liquor at just the right time, which is why so many people sought it out. 

Q. I’ve heard that even now, after the funding campaign has ended, Baekje Soju continues to be loved by many people. How do you feel about that?

Baekje Soju takes 13 months just to complete. It requires one year of aging in special jars, followed by a one-month fermentation period. Since it’s a liquor that takes so long to produce, I used to worry that sales wouldn’t meet expectations. But these days, it’s already sold out, and there are so many people waiting for it that I almost feel bad.I’m truly happy and proud.

From the very beginning of this venture, I wanted to change the perception among the general public that traditional Korean liquor—typically represented by makgeolli—is simply “cheap alcohol.” It’s been rewarding to see the results of our bold investments in taste and quality, such as using pure copper stills—the same type used by famous German whiskey distilleries—and brewing the liquor using *bonryu, which involves double fermentation of the original mash. Thanks to the support of so many supporters, we’re also preparing a limited-edition encore release. 

Seeking a platform where
a platform where the brand’s story takes center stage

Q. What prompted you to try a wadiz funding campaign instead of a general e-commerce platform? 

We felt that wadizwas a place where people who would truly listen to the detailed story behind our brand and products would gather.Ongenerale-commerce platforms, the vast majority of customers make purchasing decisions based on thumbnail images or reviews. In such environments, trying to introduce ourselves in detail on the product page felt like a burden. As I mentioned earlier, it was disappointing that many people weren’t familiar with the story behind Baekje Soju—a product crafted with great care over a long period of time—so I decided to take on this challenge because I thought wadiz could be a good solution.  

Q. In fact, 740 wadiz supporters showed great interest in the project. The satisfaction rating is also very high at 5.0. 

After all, distilled spirits like Baekje Soju might still be unfamiliar to some. I was worried we might receive negative feedback, but I was so proud that everyone liked it . I thinkit’s because we were able to vividly convey our unique story through the wadiz funding campaign—from the story of how my parents started the distillery to the detailed process of making Baekje Soju . 

The most popular reward option was the three-bottle bundle. I naturally assumed the single-bottle reward would be the most popular during funding , but the result was the exact opposite. It made me realize that wadiz supporters are not only very adventurous when it comes to new experiences but also have strong purchasing power.

wadiz Partner Service, 
Setting a New Standard for Storytelling

Excerpt from the wadiz Partner Service Brochure

Q. I understand you also used the wadiz Partner Service.Could you tell usspecificallywhat kind of assistance you received? 

Since this was a product with so much to share during funding, the Story page was created with expert help. 'wadiz Partner Service', where an expert helped us createthe funding story ( product detail page). Thanks to that, we were able to achieve the best result we’ve ever had for a product detail page.wadiz handled many aspects for us, such as productphotography and crafting the story through preliminary interviews .Many people also reached out to us after seeing this funding story, expressing a desire to work with us. I believe this Story has become a great reference for how we’ll introduce ourselves moving forward. That’s why we were so satisfied with the service internally as well.

A portion of the funding story, which captures the clean taste of Baekje Soju and the philosophy of the Naebyeonsan Brewery, was produced in collaboration with the wadiz Partner Service.

Q. What aspect of the product detail page created with wadiz Partner Services were you most satisfied with? 

We’d used outsourced services to create product detail pages before, but none of them captured our brand, product, and values as thoroughlyas thewadiz Partner Service did.We added authenticity to the Story with a photo of my father, who first founded Naebyeonsan Brewery, and I was particularly pleased with the design work that powerfully highlighted our brewing philosophy and 40-year history.

Thanks to the support that allowed us to communicate with our partner freely throughout the production process, I feel our dedication to crafting the liquor with care was fully captured on that single page.People who were introduced to Baekje Soju for the first time through the wadiz funding campaign left comments saying, “Just reading the Story made me feel like the liquor would taste good.”This made me realize once again how important theproduct detailpage is,and I believe choosing the Partner Service was the right decision.  

A platform where stories of traditional liquor are welcomed—
Start your funding campaign with wadiz

Q. Since Baekje Soju has sparked so much interest in traditional liquor, I’m curious about your future business plans.  

Moving forward, we plan to introduce not only Baekje Soju but also higher-proof distilled spirits. We also plan to launch spirits aged in various types of oak barrels. Similar to how whiskey is made, we’re developing unique-tasting distilled spirits aged in different oak barrels—some with wine-like aromas and others with woody notes. We’d like to take on another wadiz funding campaign with these new products.

Q. Finally, please share a few words with aspiring traditional liquor makers. 

As I mentioned in my funding story, Korea has brewers who have dedicated their lives to alcohol just as much as those in other countries.These are people who already have well-established brands and products, but they haven’t yet found the right way to showcase their authentic stories. That’s whyI’d like to actively recommend wadiz crowdfunding to them. From my experience, this is a platform where our unique traditional liquor stories become a differentiation strategy. 

If you work with the wadiz Partner Service that we used, you’ll be able to prepare your project smoothly. Since wadiz was a new challenge for me as well, I was a bit nervous at first and worried about whether I’d have enough time—but I want to assure you that there’s absolutely no need for that. I believe you’ll create great synergy with the trust and brand recognition that wadiz already possesses. 

Interviewee Jeong Gyeong-rok CEO Written by Jeong So-jeong Editor Han Ji-hye