I Regressed and Became Too Good at Brewing - Chapter 5

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 5. Meari (2)
“So what, there’s nothing remarkable at all.”
“Tell me about it.”
A sigh erupted from the offices of Juuju Daily.
One might dismiss a sigh from an office as unremarkable, but for these two, it meant something else entirely.
“At this rate, we won’t be able to move forward with what we planned.”
“Exactly.”
Seok Jun and So Hyun, who held the position of Merchandise Director at Juuju Daily, kept fanning their faces with a wilted expression.
And no wonder—their task was to lay the groundwork for the service Juuju Daily intended to launch going forward.
In other words, to find quality traditional liquor.
“I never expected there’d be so little to choose from.”
They hadn’t expected it to be easy.
While Korea had many traditional liquors, most of them were nearly extinct and had only recently been restored.
It was the aftermath of policies from the Japanese occupation that had suppressed all of Joseon’s brewmasters.
As a result, when compared to spirits produced by overseas breweries and distilleries, the quality truly fell short.
“How am I supposed to tell the CEO about this…….”
Leaning back in his chair, Seok Jun heaved a deep sigh and groaned.
He and So Hyun had spent their days gallivanting in search of tastier spirits.
Even after their eyes met and they married, their love of liquor showed no signs of waning.
Rather than simply enjoying fine spirits, they’d wanted to share them with others—reason enough to leave their comfortable jobs and join Juuju Daily as founding members.
For people like them, this project overflowed with passion, and yet…….
“What were you about to say?”
“Well… that it’ll be difficult to proceed with the service as is… Oh! CEO!”
With a clatter, both employees jumped to their feet in surprise.
Standing behind them, shopping bag in hand, was Yun Ju Ho, the CEO of Juuju Daily, whom they’d thought had already gone home.
“Working late, I see. When were you planning to leave?”
“How could we leave with something like this going on?”
“Are you sure you’re not overworking us?”
The exchange between CEO and employees lacked the usual hierarchy.
This was how Yun Ju Ho himself preferred it.
Since everyone here shared a love of liquor, why maintain rank among them?
Thanks to this, Juuju Daily had incorporated input from sake connoisseurs at every level, allowing it to reach where it stood today.
And this time too, Ju Ho listened carefully to what they had to say.
“Is it really that scarce?”
“You were here through lunch today, so you know. There’s nothing, CEO. Nothing.”
“It’s not that they don’t exist, but… there’s no standout piece that makes you go, ‘Wow!’ You know?”
“I thought as much, so I brought something.”
Ju Ho set down the shopping bag with a purposeful tap.
As he pulled out a bottle, Seok Jun and So Hyun exchanged words.
“Meari?”
“What is this?”
So Hyun twisted her finger through her hair, studying the bottle before her.
Even they, renowned sake connoisseurs in their own right, had never seen a label design like this.
Gazing at the bottle with its flowing mountains rendered in ink wash and the name “Meari” inscribed upon it, the employee wondered.
‘What could it possibly taste like?’
If Yun Ju Ho—who loved spirits so deeply he’d founded a business around them—had brought it, it had to be something extraordinary.
“Could I… possibly have a taste as well?”
“I brought it to drink. What’s the question? Do you have glasses?”
“Right here.”
Ju Ho measured out the Meari with a jigger and poured it into the glasses, handing them over.
“Go on and try it. You’ll understand exactly what I mean in an instant.”
Seok Jun reached for his glass eagerly.
He inhaled the aroma rising from it first.
A crisp, refreshing sensation filtered through his nostrils.
‘Wow. This is…….’
Why did it remind him of the clear air he’d felt during his last vacation at the Forest Spa?
Moreover, the surface of the spirit was so crystalline that his reflection shimmered across it.
“How is this even…….”
So Hyun was no different.
She let out an exclamation even before tasting it.
No, truth be told, he hadn’t even properly smelled it yet.
It was merely an exclamation that escaped as he lifted the glass and brought his nose and lips close to it.
That alone was enough.
The fragrance emanating from this Meari Traditional Liquor enveloped them completely.
“It feels like something from the mountains. And… incredibly clean mountains…….”
“What kind of liquor is this?”
“Meari. Ever heard of Nokpaju?”
“I’ve heard of it. So is this from there? That place in Hamyang?”
“No. This is Songhadan. We’re in Yeongwol.”
At the unfamiliar name, both employees tilted their heads in confusion, yet neither could stop inhaling the aroma.
It was unmistakably a spirit that possessed the kind of magnetism that draws people in.
Watching the two employees with satisfaction, Yun Ju Ho continued.
“Originally, this place made and sold Nokpaju, but it wasn’t widely known.”
“How could a liquor this remarkable not be famous?”
“It wasn’t always like this.”
That Seok Jun would show interest in the grandson’s story, carrying forward his grandfather’s legacy, was entirely predictable.
“That’s a good narrative.”
In truth, when selling a product, its quality is paramount, but equally vital is the story behind it.
The consumer’s emotions shift depending on what background and meaning inhabit the object.
In that regard, this Meari could certainly be called exceptional.
“Still, the taste has to be good. Even half as impressive as the aroma would be wonderful.”
“Ha. Let’s taste it first and talk about it.”
At Yun Ju Ho’s confident invitation, the two of them brought Meari to their lips, ready to take a sip.
Or rather, they tried to.
“Wait? There’s… there’s no liquor taste?”
“Wow. No, I mean… this…….”
Even half as impressive as the aroma?
Seok Jun and So Hyun wished they could erase their past selves who had thought such a thing.
An image formed in their minds.
A vast and magnificent mountain, yet one that seemed to embrace everything with its freshness.
A beautiful mountain drawn in taste and fragrance rose before them.
“How about that? Incredible, right?”
Yun Ju Ho spoke with evident pride from beside them, though they likely could not hear him.
They were too overwhelmed by this first encounter with such a spirit.
‘How on earth… does a taste like this even exist…….’
At this point, it could hardly be called a taste anymore.
A liquor that vividly revealed itself as a mountain in its entirety, and the nature held within it.
Could a person truly be overwhelmed by a mere thirty milliliters of spirit?
‘Until I tasted this, I never would have known.’
Fine liquor, no matter how renowned, exists ultimately to brighten one’s mood.
But this spirit was different.
The liquor itself embraced the drinker.
“What on earth… is this?”
“I told you already. It’s incredible. Would I have brought it otherwise?”
“My goodness… this is… this is…….”
“Then try this one too.”
Yun Ju Ho handed them another glass as the employees remained lost in contemplation.
Carbonated water poured into a glass, mixed with Meari to create a Highball.
They found the unfamiliar method of consuming Traditional Liquor questionable, yet they could not resist tasting it.
How could they, after the extraordinary experience they’d just had?
And the response of those who drank the Highball was truly simple.
“Wow… no, I mean… this… how is this even……?”
The taste was so exceptional that admiration gave way entirely to bewilderment.
Its meaning was entirely clear.
Though Yun Ju Ho is a Sake Connoisseur, he is not a Bartender trained in Bartending technique.
Yet somehow he could create flavors of this caliber.
Having read their expressions, he smiled and spoke.
“The base spirit does all the work.”
It was entirely true.
How could a Traditional Liquor maintain such flavor no matter how it was enjoyed.
Seok Jun and So Hyun, who had been staring blankly at the glass for some time, cried out in unison.
“Boss?”
“Hmm?”
“We have to carry this no matter what.”
They spoke with such fervor it was palpable.
One might have said their whole bodies were alight with it.
But not for Yun Ju Ho.
He’d had the same thought from the beginning anyway.
“Right. We have to.”
It was some time later that So Hyun, already sorting through documents, reviewed the materials Songhadan had sent over.
“Hello? This is So Hyun. Yes. Ah. Right, Nokpaju. Yes, yes. The product is called Meari. Right. Songhadan? Ah… that was the name of the maker. We’ll get started right away.”
At the same time, a junior employee who had been watching all of this caught sight of something, carefully excused himself, and stepped away to make a phone call.
“So I’ll just trust the boss. Heh heh.”
Everything had moved with remarkable speed.
* * *
“Yes, yes. The issue is that we haven’t ramped up production much yet. No, no, it’s that… um… yes, yes. What? You’re coming in person?”
Se Jun’s eyes went wide and his words stumbled.
It was strange behavior, unlike him, but by now everyone had grown used to it.
Because calls like this had been coming to Songhadan with increasing frequency.
Most alcoholic beverages followed the principle of in-person sales due to public health and youth protection laws.
The law had been amended to allow Smart Order, but delivery by courier remained impossible.
But Meari was legally classified as Traditional Liquor—Nokpaju.
Perhaps that was why, just days ago, people had suddenly begun wanting to purchase the alcohol privately, and now it had come to this.
“Ah… well… yes. Then I’ll prepare accordingly. Yes, yes, thank you so much.”
“Another call?”
“Yeah. Hah. I told you it’d go well, didn’t I? Look at this.”
Se Jun beamed despite the sweat on his brow.
It seemed that handing Meari over to shops, including ones where he had connections, had truly borne fruit.
“Connections really do matter.”
“They do. But if Meari weren’t such good liquor, they absolutely wouldn’t have done this. These people know quality when it comes to alcohol.”
A bar is a kind of refuge and shelter.
It is a space of rest where people worn down by life’s trials come to ease their fatigue.
Bar lighting is dim so the eyes don’t tire, and typically the doors are thick and heavy so the interior cannot be seen from outside.
Because of this, you could never simply bring in liquor, no matter how close a friend’s recommendation.
That was what a bar’s standards meant.
“And yet they’re all asking to place additional orders personally.”
A good beginning indeed.
The start was good, just as Song Ha had said.
As if unwilling to see a moment’s rest, the phone rang again.
Se Jun squeezed his eyes shut, picked up the receiver once more, and recited the same litany as before, then hung up.
“Phew. It’s gratifying, but still exhausting. What is this anyway? It’s gotten this big just from pouring one drink in a bar? Really?”
That much was true.
What on earth was this about?
The taste of Meari was guaranteed by the goblin Song Ha himself, so the quality was certain, but becoming this popular was unusual.
For a product to sell, quality mattered, but marketing was also essential.
“And we haven’t even done the first thing about marketing yet, so…”
A good thing, wouldn’t you say? If liquor tastes this good, everyone will seek it out. That’s only natural. Heh heh.
“But you need to know the exact reason to understand why this happened.”
He replied to Song Ha, who sat with a blissful expression, lost in thoughts of Meari.
It was good that things were selling.
People had begun making the trip all the way to Yeongwol in Gangwon to buy the liquor.
“And there’s something I foresee as well.”
Hmm. It doesn’t sound like good news, then.
“In a way, it is good news. Because it’s an opportunity to do someone a favor.”
He answered Song Ha, his mind turning back to what had happened in the past.
If my memory serves, I’ll be able to gain much from this opportunity.
“But it’s still not enough.”
You’re a greedy one, friend.
“I have to be greedy.”
There’s a saying that you can’t be satisfied on your first sip.
But for me, this wasn’t a first attempt.
It was a second chance.
I’d poured all the expertise from my past life into crafting good liquor, and now it was simply a matter of getting the word out.
I needed to think bigger than a handful of orders.

“Exactly. By now, I figured they’d be calling.”
Ding-ding-ding~
The phone rang right on cue.
Se Jun picked up immediately, exchanging words with the caller, then suddenly cried out.
“Yes? Now? Yes, yes! I understand!”
He lowered the phone after hanging up, standing frozen, and I asked him.
“What’s going on?”
“Well… that is…”
Se Jun was too flustered to get his words out.
While I waited for him to collect himself, Song Ha suddenly lifted his head and muttered.

I wondered what “the scent of a drunkard” meant, but soon enough I understood who he was referring to.
“They’re here!”
“Calm down. Who’s here?”
“Them! Juuju Daily! The Sake Connoisseur Smart Order platform! They just arrived!”
“What? Oh. They called?”
“No! Right now! In person! The CEO himself!”
“Now? Wait—now?”
“I’m telling you!”
Se Jun spoke again, no longer panicked but flushed with excitement.
“He wants to tour our brewery before making a decision. What do we do?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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