THE JOINING
Two countries, one word
이음
[ee-oom]
In Korean, 이음 [ee-oom] simply means to join two different things together. It was the very first name we chose for this brewery, and the one word we have never needed to translate. The rice we selected, the way we brew, and the table our drink is poured at all trace back to this same idea: connection.
Korean brewing traditions travelled to Vietnam and met a grain we had never worked with before. We never set out to replace or imitate Korean rice. Vietnam's four rice varieties each ripen in their own way, and together they create a depth of flavour that neither country could have reached alone.
In Joseon-era Korean folk paintings, the magpie and the tiger almost always share the same frame, a scene known as hojakdo. The tiger, a guardian spirit meant to ward off misfortune, was often drawn in folklore as a good-natured fool, happily outwitted by the magpie's clever schemes. That is why the tiger in these paintings wears something closer to a warm, comic grin than a fearsome scowl. A clever magpie bringing good news, and a steady tiger keeping watch beside it: IIUM's bottles carry forward that same joyful, harmonious pairing.
Our sparkling makgeolli fills the mouth with bright, clean bubbles and a lively acidity, like the magpie's own little celebration, always arriving with good news.
Our still makgeolli finishes clean and quiet, with no carbonation at all, like the secret sip the tiger once saved only for itself, deep in the forest.
At IIUM's table, where Korea's oldest folklore meets a modern sensibility, fill your glass with the unexpected good fortune waiting for you today.
A good drink never seeks the spotlight. It simply makes the dish and the mood around it shine a little brighter.
Which is why IIUM is made to be poured quietly at tables we did not set, beside dishes we did not choose, in gatherings someone else prepared.