It is time to explore the world and history beyond South Korea's famous "green bottle"! Head to OMG Farm Market for a diverse and extensive K-Lifestyle soju tasting where not a single of the eighteen tastings comes from a green bottle. Soju expert, farmer, and restaurateur Leen Choi hosts two-hour soju tastings for up to six attendees on Friday and Saturday evenings. According to Choi, soju, with origins dating to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), was a drink fit for the upper class because rice, an essential commodity, is the primary ingredient in the distilling process. Soju is a distilled liquor using a base starch such as rice, wheat, sweet potato, barley, etc. Conflict and deprivation, for more than half of the 1900s, forced the soju home-brew tradition into the ubiquitous little green bottle.
The Japanese occupation shut down most of the home-brewing of soju in Korea and forced the use of Japanese ingredients. In 1945, Koreans were able to resume traditional soju making, but the Korean War in the 1950s and subsequent rice shortages led to bans on rice-based alcohol. The soju industry turned to other ingredients, and Korean industrialization led to the boom in green bottle soju as an affordable but lower-quality alcohol. During the soju tasting, Mr. Choi will guide you through the extensive traditional world of soju, yakju, and chungju.
To reserve your soju tasting experience, contact Mr. Choi via his Instagram or Facebook page, phone, or even stop by his location just outside of Tongbok Market. OMG Farm Market is a quirky and fun location that serves wonderful salads daily and offers soju tastings for up to six people on Friday and Saturday evenings. The traditional soju tasting for 50,000 Korean Won per person includes eighteen different samples, but he can also tailor the soju tasting to one's interests and time. Choi provides various banchan (side dishes) prepared by his mother using vegetables grown on his farm. The banchan is a perfect complement to the soju tastings. Following the tasting, Mr. Choi will escort you across the way from his restaurant counter to his store, where you can purchase take-home specialty soju, ciders, and more! Once you taste this K-lifestyle experience, you may enjoy, and possibly even prefer, what is beyond the "green bottle.“
OMG Farm Market (#오엠지팜마켓)
📍 8, Tongboksijang-ro 13beon-gil, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do
경기도 평택시 통복시장로13번길 8
⏰ Monday - Saturday 11am-8pm (Break 2pm-3pm), Last order: 7:30pm
🅿️ Available (Tongbok Market Parking Lot)
📸 & ✏️ Brittany Conlin, Pyeongtaek Insight Content Creators
*Soju Tastings are reserved in advance for 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays*
OMG Farm Market's Mr. Choi's Instagram: www.instagram.com/leenchoi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leenchoi82?mibextid=ZbWKwL
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