Lee Gyeongyeon
Traditional Alcohol Sommelier & Tea Sommelier
Introduction
Hello. I am both a tea sommelier and a traditional alcohol sommelier. I blend serene anticipation in teacups with passionate excitement in alcohol glasses.
The process of turning ingredients, nurtured by nature and human sincerity, into tea and alcohol embodies the essence of Korean culture. I share the story of these deep flavors with Koreans. I also share it with international visitors, spreading the value of our traditions.
I feel great pride as a sommelier when my guests marvel at a glass of our alcohol. They also find peace in a sip of our tea. I believe that what is truly Korean resonates globally. Today, I continue to serve our culture on every glass.
Highlights
Traditional Alcohol Sommelier
Tea Sommelier
2023 Korea Tourism Organization Seoul Food Week
Host Rakkojae Hotel Tea Ceremony Leader
Now Cooking Korean Food Instructor
What I Feel While Doing This Work
While running many programs for international guests, I've noticed many people consider me someone who 'teaches' Korean culture. However, I often feel I receive more from my guests than I give.
As I serve our alcohol and tea to guests from various places, they, in return, share stories of their hometowns, their life journeys, and the cultures of their regions. Through these sincere conversations shared over a cup of tea or a glass of alcohol, I learn about the wider world and its people. For me, this work is not merely a profession of imparting knowledge. It is a lifelong lesson, learning about the world through people.
Interview
Q. What does nature mean to you?
If you ask me what nature is, I would answer that it is the flow of natural order, just like water.
I have spent a long time brewing tea and making traditional alcohol. Both tasks involve working with water. When tea leaves meet hot water to release their aroma, and when rice and yeast mix with water to ferment into alcohol in a jar, I learn one truth. Water never contends.
Water becomes square when poured into a square cup. It becomes round when contained in a round jar. If a stone blocks its path, it doesn't forcibly break it. Instead, it gently embraces and flows around it.
In my younger days, I also tried to control nature. I attempted to adjust tea water to my liking. I even rushed the fermentation of alcohol. However, over the years, I realized this. The most fragrant tea and the deepest tasting alcohol are born when one lets go of desire and completely entrusts them to the flow of water and time.
Therefore, for me, nature is a teacher that instructs on 'the art of non-resistance'.
Life is similar. I learn this daily from nature as I pour tea and make alcohol. When joyful things happen, I accept them as they are. When difficulties arise, I understand that they will eventually flow away after a brief pause.
Thus, I wish to continue flowing flexibly and clearly, like water, following nature's order. This is my attitude toward nature. It is also the direction of my life.
Q. What motivated you to decide to introduce Korean food at Solhyangjae, the Korean Culture Atelier?
I found Solhyangjae, nestled in the wonderful backdrop of Eunpyeong Hanok Village, to be like a work of art in itself.
I also currently work in a hanok. I daily experience the overwhelming emotion and change in atmosphere that guests feel when they enter the hanok space. Even a single cup of alcohol or a sip of tea, when presented in the vessel of a hanok, completely changes the depth of the experience. I was confident that Solhyangjae could offer visitors an unforgettable and unique experience.
Most importantly, I decided on this collaboration after meeting the representative. The representative's mindset and working style, dedicated to genuinely promoting our culture, filled me with anticipation. We were looking in the same direction, aiming to introduce the most Korean beauty to the world, whether through alcohol, tea, or food. I am confident that together, we can create even more wonderful results.
Q. Do you have anything you would like to say to the people you will meet at Solhyangjae?
Do not fear tradition, Because it is far more hip and enjoyable than you think. In fact, many Koreans themselves are not very familiar with our own culture. However, what is interesting is that as K-Culture gains global popularity, interest in our own heritage is intensifying domestically.
I do not believe tradition is an outdated relic preserved in a museum. Tradition is the living root of all modern culture I enjoy today. Just as new leaves sprout daily from that root, tradition is evolving into its most contemporary form even at this very moment.
Sometimes, the oldest things are the most trendy and sophisticated. At Solhyangjae, I want to show how modern and sensuous traditional alcohol and tea can be. Please do not try to study them hard. Just come with an open mind and enjoy the most refined taste of Korea.
What is old is not outdated; It is a classic, proven by time. Through the tea and alcohol offered at Solhyangjae, I hope you experience how well old traditions harmonize with modern lifestyles. I also hope you discover what wonderful tastes they can become.
Just as alcohol and tea absorb time to develop deep flavors, Experience here that our traditions do not decay with time. Instead, they mature more deeply and exquisitely.
Inquire About Custom Courses
Lee Gyeongyeon
Traditional Alcohol Sommelier & Tea Sommelier
Introduction
Hello. I am both a tea sommelier and a traditional alcohol sommelier. I blend serene anticipation in teacups with passionate excitement in alcohol glasses.
The process of turning ingredients, nurtured by nature and human sincerity, into tea and alcohol embodies the essence of Korean culture. I share the story of these deep flavors with Koreans. I also share it with international visitors, spreading the value of our traditions.
I feel great pride as a sommelier when my guests marvel at a glass of our alcohol. They also find peace in a sip of our tea. I believe that what is truly Korean resonates globally. Today, I continue to serve our culture on every glass.
Highlights
Traditional Alcohol Sommelier
Tea Sommelier
2023 Korea Tourism Organization Seoul Food Week
Host Rakkojae Hotel Tea Ceremony Leader
Now Cooking Korean Food Instructor
What I Feel While Doing This Work
While running many programs for international guests, I've noticed many people consider me someone who 'teaches' Korean culture. However, I often feel I receive more from my guests than I give.
As I serve our alcohol and tea to guests from various places, they, in return, share stories of their hometowns, their life journeys, and the cultures of their regions. Through these sincere conversations shared over a cup of tea or a glass of alcohol, I learn about the wider world and its people. For me, this work is not merely a profession of imparting knowledge. It is a lifelong lesson, learning about the world through people.
Interview
Q. What does nature mean to you?
If you ask me what nature is, I would answer that it is the flow of natural order, just like water.
I have spent a long time brewing tea and making traditional alcohol. Both tasks involve working with water. When tea leaves meet hot water to release their aroma, and when rice and yeast mix with water to ferment into alcohol in a jar, I learn one truth. Water never contends.
Water becomes square when poured into a square cup. It becomes round when contained in a round jar. If a stone blocks its path, it doesn't forcibly break it. Instead, it gently embraces and flows around it.
In my younger days, I also tried to control nature. I attempted to adjust tea water to my liking. I even rushed the fermentation of alcohol. However, over the years, I realized this. The most fragrant tea and the deepest tasting alcohol are born when one lets go of desire and completely entrusts them to the flow of water and time.
Therefore, for me, nature is a teacher that instructs on 'the art of non-resistance'.
Life is similar. I learn this daily from nature as I pour tea and make alcohol. When joyful things happen, I accept them as they are. When difficulties arise, I understand that they will eventually flow away after a brief pause.
Thus, I wish to continue flowing flexibly and clearly, like water, following nature's order. This is my attitude toward nature. It is also the direction of my life.
Q. What motivated you to decide to introduce Korean food at Solhyangjae, the Korean Culture Atelier?
I found Solhyangjae, nestled in the wonderful backdrop of Eunpyeong Hanok Village, to be like a work of art in itself.
I also currently work in a hanok. I daily experience the overwhelming emotion and change in atmosphere that guests feel when they enter the hanok space. Even a single cup of alcohol or a sip of tea, when presented in the vessel of a hanok, completely changes the depth of the experience. I was confident that Solhyangjae could offer visitors an unforgettable and unique experience.
Most importantly, I decided on this collaboration after meeting the representative. The representative's mindset and working style, dedicated to genuinely promoting our culture, filled me with anticipation. We were looking in the same direction, aiming to introduce the most Korean beauty to the world, whether through alcohol, tea, or food. I am confident that together, we can create even more wonderful results.
Q. Do you have anything you would like to say to the people you will meet at Solhyangjae?
Do not fear tradition, Because it is far more hip and enjoyable than you think. In fact, many Koreans themselves are not very familiar with our own culture. However, what is interesting is that as K-Culture gains global popularity, interest in our own heritage is intensifying domestically.
I do not believe tradition is an outdated relic preserved in a museum. Tradition is the living root of all modern culture I enjoy today. Just as new leaves sprout daily from that root, tradition is evolving into its most contemporary form even at this very moment.
Sometimes, the oldest things are the most trendy and sophisticated. At Solhyangjae, I want to show how modern and sensuous traditional alcohol and tea can be. Please do not try to study them hard. Just come with an open mind and enjoy the most refined taste of Korea.
What is old is not outdated; It is a classic, proven by time. Through the tea and alcohol offered at Solhyangjae, I hope you experience how well old traditions harmonize with modern lifestyles. I also hope you discover what wonderful tastes they can become.
Just as alcohol and tea absorb time to develop deep flavors, Experience here that our traditions do not decay with time. Instead, they mature more deeply and exquisitely.
Inquire About Custom Courses