Skip to content
Geumpung Brewery Co., Ltd's Gilsang 7days Makgeolli Kit presents a masterful exercise in material restraint and orthogonal precision, where two rectangular forms occupy a weathered wooden platform aga
Gilsang 7days Makgeolli Kit by Geumpung Brewery Co., Ltd presents a sophisticated still life composition executed in a restrained chromatic palette dominated by cool neutral tones, warm earth pigments
Geumpung Brewery's Gilsang 7days Makgeolli Kit presents a meticulously orchestrated still life composition that demonstrates sophisticated understanding of spatial construction, material expression, a
Geumpung Brewery Co., Ltd's Gilsang 7days Makgeolli Kit presents a sophisticated exercise in editorial and packaging design materiality, revealed through an overhead photographic composition that capt
Geumpung Brewery Co., Ltd's Gilsang 7days Makgeolli Kit presents a masterfully composed still life arrangement demonstrating sophisticated formal organization through diagonal recession and asymmetric

Geumpung Brewery

Bronze Food, Beverage and Culinary Arts Design · 2026

Gilsang 7days Makgeolli Kit

by Geumpung Brewery Co., Ltd

  • A' Design Award 2026 Bronze Winner in Food, Beverage and Culinary Arts Design
  • Awarded April 15, 2026
  • CLIENT: Geumpung Brewery
  • Estimated Number of Design Views: 22,983
  • Verification code B9BFEB3FF7 · Verify this award
Email this page to a friend

Get a Badge

About Gilsang 7days Makgeolli Kit

Gilsang 7days is a home brewing kit for makgeolli, a traditional Korean rice drink. The kit adapts a recipe from Sanga Yorok, a 15th-century Korean culinary text, into a simple seven-day process. Pre-cooked porridge and steamed rice are supplied in sealed containers, together with nuruk and a straining cloth, so little preparation is needed. High-temperature sterilization supports safety and a long shelf life. The packaging is made of eco-friendly paper with the texture of old manuscripts, and a printed code links to video guides in several languages.

Geumpung Brewery Co., Ltd's Gilsang 7days Makgeolli Kit emerges from the rich continuum of East Asian culinary craft traditions, where fermentation knowledge passes through generations as both practical skill and cultural heritage, and where the contemporary reclamation of traditional foodways represents a broader cultural movement toward authenticity, sustainability, and hands-on engagement with ingredient transformation processes. The packaging design demonstrates sophisticated understanding of visual semiotics within heritage food contexts, employing material choices and compositional strategies that communicate simultaneously across temporal registers: the ribbed texture and natural fiber tonality suggest traditional wrapping materials, handmade paper, or woven bamboo containers that would have protected precious ingredients or finished products in historical contexts, while the clean geometric forms, precise manufacturing, and confident spatial arrangement signal contemporary design literacy and production capability. The vertical calligraphic inscription anchors the composition within East Asian textual traditions where written language functions not merely as information delivery but as aesthetic element and cultural identifier, the brushwork quality evoking scholarly traditions, ceremonial contexts, and the integration of linguistic and visual expression that distinguishes East Asian aesthetic philosophy. The chromatic restraint proves particularly accomplished, the warm neutral palette avoiding both the clinical sterility of pure white minimalism and the nostalgic sepia sentimentality that often accompanies heritage product positioning, instead achieving a sophisticated middle path that feels grounded, honest, and materially authentic. The wooden platform's inclusion introduces organic irregularity and weathered authenticity that prevents the manufactured elements from reading as precious or disconnected from lived experience, this grounding gesture suggesting the product's integration into domestic space and daily ritual rather than its separation as museum object or luxury fetish. Compositional relationships between the two primary volumes create visual dialogue: the textured element's rhythmic complexity balances the smooth element's calligraphic focal point, vertical striations echo vertical script orientation, and the slight offset arrangement activates negative space while maintaining overall stability and repose. The shallow depth and frontal orientation invite contemplative viewing, the composition offering itself to sustained attention rather than demanding immediate impact, this pacing choice aligning with the product's implied use-context, a week-long fermentation process requiring patience, attention, and gradual transformation rather than instant gratification. The work participates in broader design conversations around cultural sustainability, the communication of traditional knowledge through contemporary visual languages, and the role of packaging in establishing ritual significance and experiential value beyond mere functional protection, one might observe how the design invites consideration of making as meditation, ingredient as teacher, and time as ingredient, positioning the fermentation journey as valuable as the final beverage and framing domestic craft as cultural practice worthy of refined aesthetic attention.

Press Kit

Unique Properties
The Gilsang 7days Kit reinterprets the traditional recipe from Sanga Yorok into a modern home-brewing experience. Pre-cooked porridge and rice are provided in sealed containers, accompanied by nuruk and a straining cloth to minimize preparation. The packaging, crafted from eco-friendly paper with textures reminiscent of old manuscripts, incorporates a QR code offering multilingual guidance, reducing printed materials and supporting sustainability.
Dimensions & Packaging
Package Size: 213mm × 92mm × 290mm
Package Material: Eco-friendly paper
Container Material: Polypropylene (PP)
Technical Features: High-temperature sterilization, long-term preservation
Tags
Korean Heritage, DIY Makgeolli, Traditional Recipe, Food Kit, Cultural Experience
Production Technology
The packaging uses eco-friendly paper materials with minimal printing processes, replicating the tactile aesthetics of ancient manuscripts. High-temperature sterilization and sealed packaging ensure safety and long shelf life. A QR code links to multilingual video guides, reducing the need for printed manuals and supporting sustainability.
Design Challenge
The main challenge was to preserve authenticity while adapting the brewing process for modern consumers. By simplifying ingredient preparation and introducing sterilized sealed packaging along with QR-based guidance, the kit balances tradition with modern practicality, laying the foundation for wider cultural adoption of Makgeolli.
Project Duration
The project began at Geumpung Brewery in Ganghwa, Incheon, in March 2025, completed development in August 2025, and was first launched in September 2025. All production and operations take place at Geumpung Brewery.
Operation Flow
Over seven days, users complete simple steps to brew their own Makgeolli:

Day 1: Mix porridge and nuruk to begin fermentation

Day 2: Add steamed rice to accelerate fermentation

Day 7: Strain with cloth, dilute with water, and enjoy

Step-by-step video guides accessible via QR code ensure even beginners can enjoy an authentic brewing experience.
Research
The Gilsang 7days Kit simplifies traditional brewing, connecting cultural heritage with modern lifestyles. Pre-packaged ingredients and guided video tutorials allow anyone to craft Makgeolli with ease, fostering accessibility to Korean traditional liquor and contributing to cultural preservation.
Inspiration
This project draws inspiration from Sanga Yorok, a 15th-century Korean culinary text. It seeks to inherit the wisdom and craftsmanship of the past in a modern context, transforming the seemingly complex process of traditional liquor brewing into an accessible hobby. The aesthetics of ancient manuscripts are reflected in the design, while modern conveniences such as pre-prepared ingredients create a unique brewing experience that bridges past and present.
Image Credits
Image: Photographer White, Gilsang 7days, 2025.

Colors of Gilsang 7days Makgeolli Kit

Related Designs

View All

Good Design Deserves Great Recognition

Nominate Your Work for the A' Design Award.

Nominate