Baekju Brewery

True Ihwaju

이화주 참

True Ihwaju is a 9% ABV makgeolli from Gyeongsangbuk-do, crafted by Baekju Doga using domestic white rice, ipguk (rice koji), traditional nuruk, and yeast. The dual-starter approach — using both modern ipguk and traditional nuruk — creates a fermentation profile that balances clean, predictable rice sweetness with the complexity of nuruk's wild microbial character. At 150ml, this is a single-serving format that encourages deliberate, attentive drinking. The combination of starters gives the body a dessert-like richness while maintaining enough acidity to prevent heaviness.