James Kim was handling pieces of nuruk, the wheat cake starter used in soju fermentation, as he explained a beautiful Korean phrase that epitomizes his distillery, the recently opened Minhwa Spirits in Doraville.
“Sohn maht” translates to “hand taste,” he said. “It’s the idea of thinking about family recipes and connection to heritage. It’s the personal expression of your recipe and your methods, and all the tradition you are putting into it.”
Minhwa Spirits has a lot of sohn maht. “We wanted to be a part of that conversation, to show people the amazing history and flavors that come from Korean alcohol,” Kim said.
“If you look at the history of Korean alcohol, it was pretty much decimated because of wars, colonization and the aftermath of wars,” said Ming Han Chung, Kim’s business partner. “Not many people have made a push to get back into craft soju. We’re still one of the few in the world.”
Credit: Colette Collins
Credit: Colette Collins
“To make soju, you need to first make makgeolli,” Kim said. Makgeolli is a traditional alcoholic beverage fermented from rice, with a unique flavor. Kim’s paternal uncle had a makeshift home brewery on a small island off the coast of South Korea. Kim and Chung used the family recipe and techniques as a starting point to craft their soju.
Dating to the 13th century, soju is a distilled liquor typically made from rice, water and nuruk, which is a cake of wheat containing the fungus aspergillus oryzae and yeast. The fungus produces enzymes that convert the starches in rice into sugar, which feeds the yeast and produces alcohol.
Soju is clear, mild and slightly sweet. Its crispness complements the spice of such Korean dishes as kimchi, and its clean profile matches the richness of grilled meats.
Minhwa Spirits serves cocktails using the two soju distillates, Yong and Dokkaebi, as well as a craft gin.
Yong doesn’t get lost in a cocktail; the 80-proof expression is about double the strength of most other sojus. Dokkaebi, on the other hand, is low alcohol by volume and 34-proof.
Queen Huh, Minhwa’s chai-infused gin, was named for a Korean legend involving an Indian princess. Botanicals from the Chai Box bring flavors of cardamom, ginger, clove and pepper that make it pleasantly sippable alone, or in a cocktail.
Guests can taste small pours of each spirit at Minhwa, and makgeolli soon will be available.
Credit: Colette Collins
Credit: Colette Collins
However, Kim and Chung want to create more than a distillery with Minhwa. “We want to be a place where people gather, talk and learn about each other and break bread,” Kim said.
They liken the space to a traditional Korean tavern called a jumak, “It’s like a rest stop with alcohol and drinking food for travelers to stop and tell stories,” Kim said.
On a recent Saturday afternoon, the seats at Minhwa were filled by coffee drinkers, people eating lunch and friends having cocktails.
And since they want to support Asian American-owned pop-ups, the partners invited Postern Coffee and Korean fusion pop-up Ganji to operate in the space as well.
Postern roasts fresh coffee and serves pastries daily. The menu includes seasonal coffee based beverages like the S(e)oul chai with a malty/nutty roasted grain foam and a Korean Palmer-lemonade with lavender and vanilla infused barley tea.
Ganji chefs Jess Kim and Jun Park serve a menu of daring starters, and “sandos” that merge world cuisines in fun ways. Quesotacos coreanos wrap the spicy, sweet flavors of Korean braised pork, with hints of soy, in tortillas, along with mozzarella, onion and cilantro, and a savory consommé for dipping. And yuzu pepper wet wings put a spin to an Atlanta classic.
Credit: Colette Collins
Credit: Colette Collins
On an outside wall of the building, there also is a stunning mural by Korean American artist Julia Chon, inspired by a Korean folk story of a bear woman.
The woman depicted in the mural is like a Korean spirit coming to the U.S., “wearing red, white and blue and there are Asian peaches that are a call out to Georgia peaches,” Chung said.
Minhwa Spirits. 2421 Van Fleet Circle, Doraville. 470-391-2840, minhwaspirits.com
Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on X and @ajcdining on Instagram.
About the Author
