Forget the typical juniper-heavy gin. In the vibrant South Korea, where ancient traditions meet contemporary innovations, South Korea's first craft gin Buja Gin has emerged as a symbol of the country’s evolving craft beverage scene. It is the creation of a father-son duo, PY Cho and Tom Cho, whose passion for their craft and commitment to excellence have produced a gin that is both a tribute to their heritage and a beacon of innovation.
For fans of Korean dramas, “Buja” might conjure images of wealth and luxury. While that's one interpretation, the name actually has a special meaning in the context of Buja Gin. Buja also translates to “father and son”, reflecting the heartwarming partnership between PY and his son.
Funnily enough, the idea for a South Korean gin was actually birthed in Singapore: Before embarking on this boozy journey, Tom used to work for Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs in The Garden City from 2010 to 2018. “We had a lot of meetings outside, especially in the evenings. Bars like Cin Cin in Tanjong Pagar and Atlas have a huge variety of gin, but I always felt that it was a shame I didn’t have a chance to introduce Korean gin to my customers since there weren’t any.
So it was something that I always had in my mind.” Buja Gin was founded in 2019 and they launched their very first handcrafted bottle in South Korea in 2020. Botanicals are what give gin its flavour and identity, and luckily for Tom, his idea would then be backed by his father’s.