Byun Jeong-jun, bartender at The Bar of Grand Mercure Imperial Palace Seoul Gangnam, won the Silver Award in the Creative Cocktail category at the 18th Korean Cup Cocktail Competition, held on June 27 at COEX under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
The Korean Cup, now in its 18th year, is one of Korea’s most prestigious cocktail competitions and is held as part of the Seoul International Wines & Spirits Expo. Competing in the professional league among 21 top-tier participants, Byun stood out with his exceptional skills and creative presentation.
Byun began his bartending journey at a small bar in Cheongju and moved to Seoul with a dream of creating his own unique space. After working at Bar 81 at Signiel Seoul, he now serves as the lead bartender at The Bar at Grand Mercure Imperial Palace Seoul Gangnam.
Interview with Byun Jeong-jun
Q. When did you start preparing for the competition?
“I’ve been preparing for over a year—basically since I joined the hotel. After The Bar reopened in May last year, I began to dream of competing thanks to the inspiration and encouragement from my senior colleagues. I practiced daily, recreating the competition environment at home, using the same tools and filming my performance with a tripod to analyze and improve. I wouldn’t have made it without the consistent support and feedback from my team.”
Q. What was the most memorable moment?
“The support from Mr. Song Choong-seong, founder of Mieumnet Distillery, was unforgettable. I chose their ‘Sojudaum 50 Rose Gold’ as the base for my cocktail and even visited their distillery in Paju for an interview. His stories gave me deep inspiration. On the day of the competition, he came to cheer me on in person. After my performance, he hugged me with tears in his eyes—I was truly overwhelmed. I hope to continue working with him on future collaborations.”
Q. Any memorable episodes with customers at The Bar?
“We get a lot of international guests, and making cocktails often leads to natural conversations. I’ve formed great relationships with long-term guests from countries like Denmark, Mexico, and Kazakhstan. I’ve even thought that if I ever travel to Kazakhstan, I’d love to reconnect with them. I want to keep offering meaningful, personal experiences to every guest who visits.”
Q. Can you tell us about your competition cocktail?
“My creation, Oreum (which means ‘ascent’ or ‘mountain trail’ in Korean), is inspired by hiking. It uses Sojudaum 50 Rose Gold from Mieumnet Distillery as the base, blended with the freshness of an ion drink, banana and peach aromas, and a touch of umami from Korean sea salt. It’s a cocktail that feels like a refreshing pause after a long, exhausting day. The garnish includes rice crackers and seaweed to represent kimbap—a classic hiking companion—and the drink is served in a traditional Korean bangjja yugi cup to reflect the heritage of soju. We plan to feature Oreum soon at The Bar, so stay tuned.”
Website: https://www.grandmercureimperialpalace.com
Instagram: @grandmercure_imperialpalace
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