Our Story
Team
Carol Pak
Founder & CEO
Superpowers: Identifying kind, passionate and capable ppl, falling down and standing back up, balancing emotion and logic, dreaming about incredulous things, finding humor and light in all situations.
Rosemary Bang
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Superpowers: Believing in rhyme or reason, catching fluff from afar, eating Samyang 2X Spicy Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen, rolling with the punches, beating excel at its game.
Mark Lee
HEAD OF SALES
Superpowers: Knowing a friend’s relative’s spouse who.., clearing the air in awkward situations, spitting punny puns, eating dessert for breakfast, shooting hoops around you.
Michelle Kim
Marketing Manager
Superpowers: Hyping up anyone and anything, creating safe spaces, always having room for seconds, grinding in video games and real life, and having a song for every occasion.
Elizabeth Yik
Graphic Designer
Superpowers: Being your backup dancer, making things pretty, the lemon to your soju, and that last 5% of battery that gets you through the day.
Isaac Kim
Business Analytics
Superpowers: Double-jointed thumbs, finding truth in data, finding the fastest queue, onion ring connoisseur, marching to my own drum
Our Journey
Thank you for coming along with us on our journey! Please stay for the ride 😃
SPRING 2017
I went to Korea and I had some amazing makkuli.
SUMMER 2017
I found out there was no good makkuli in the U.S. and started brewing with my mom at home
SUMMER 2017
I went back to Korea and tasted as much as I could to learn more about makkuli
2017-2018
I traveled the US looking for a brewery that would be willing to brew makkuli, and finally found one in Maine
Spring 2018
I raised some funds on Kickstarter for my first commercial batch
Summer 2018
We landed our first account - Yoon Haeundae Galbi - in NY, NY.
Winter 2018
Our brewery shut down and we were back on the hunt. I brought my search to Korea.
Spring 2019
We signed a contract with a brewery and started on a new formula.
Fall 2019
I received my first can of Makku from Korea.
Winter 2019
We were back in the market, and we started getting noticed!
Spring 2021
We started ideating our second brand, Soku
Summer 2021
My first Soku in hand!
I founded this company in 2017 with the mission to globalize Korean alcohol in an accessible and innovative manner.
While working in the alcohol industry, I saw that Asian beverages were underrepresented in the market, and felt that Asian Americans were ignored as a consumer segment. In the US, we account for 7% of the population, and have a disproportionate amount of purchasing power, which is growing at a rate much faster than the general population.
It’s only a matter of time that we will influence the beverage industry in the way that we should, and I wanted a seat at the table. As a Korean American, I decided to launch a company that would focus on what I know and love - Korean alcoholic beverages (AKA sool).
Mákku is our interpretation of traditional makkuli, which is Korea’s oldest alcoholic beverage.
On a trip to Korea, I visited a makkuli bar that pureed different kinds of fruits into their home-made makkuli. That gave me the idea to launch different Mákku flavors, loaded with real fruit.
Soku is our spin on a Ready to Drink Cocktail. Light and bubbly, while made only with all-natural ingredients, Soku ties together all the things I love - soju, sparkling water, and real fruit.
I hope you enjoy our sool as much as I do.
Gunbae!
Carol Pak