Chum Churum & Saero Experience in Gangneung: Soju Tour & Diffuser Workshop

Gangneung Travel Course: Things to Do at Cheoeumcheoreom & Saero Experience Center

Reservation Discounts, Oak Soju Diffuser

#MyOwnMoney

Lotte Chilsung Gangneung Factory (Rear Gate) Customer Parking

🚩Address 87-5 Hoesan-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon

📞Phone 1811-1926

🕒Hours Wed-Sun 10:00~18:30

📌Regular Days Off Every Monday, Tuesday

🅿️Parking Available (Free)

Recommended as a fun place to visit in Gangneung:

<Cheoeumcheoreom & Saero Brand Experience Center>

While planning my Gangneung travel itinerary,

I stumbled upon a unique spot! Haha.

It's the Cheoeumcheoreom & Saero Brand Experience Center,

where programs are designed so that even those who can't drink alcohol, including children,

can enjoy themselves.

It seems like a great place for everyone to have fun in Gangneung😊

The experience is packed with everything from tours to hands-on activities,

so I'll share all the details, from early bird prices to the activity process!

Early Reservation Discounts for the Gangneung Cheoeumcheoreom Saero Experience Center

The Experience Center offers two main options:

a tour-only course and a tour + activity program.

For the tour-only option, the adult regular price is ~$11,

while the tour + activity program is ~$24 for adults!

There are also discounted prices and early bird tickets available,

but once those quantities run out,

you'll have to purchase higher-priced tickets. ✨

So, booking earlier than your visit date

is the way to get a discount, even if it's a small one! Haha.

Just a heads-up, the tour alone might not be as much fun...

so I highly recommend doing the activity as well!

I booked the tour & activity program

at a 30% discount for ~$17,

the price is the same whether you choose alcoholic or non-alcoholic!

You select your alcohol preference when purchasing,

and it cannot be changed on the day of your visit, so choose carefully~

Tours run at 10 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM, and 5 PM,

a total of four times a day. 😉

Gangneung Cheoeumcheoreom Saero Experience Center Tour

The experience center tour delved into the heritage of Lotte Chilsung,

who have been making soju for over 100 years using bedrock water from Daegwallyeong,

and it was conducted in a docent-guided format!

On the first floor, the PR hall showcased the history of Cheoeumcheoreom & Saero and Lotte Chilsung's brand story

through graphic walls and projection mapping~

At this point, they hand out non-alcoholic stickers, and

those who chose the non-alcoholic option MUST put them on their clothes,

to avoid any mix-ups during the tasting later!

On the second-floor observation deck, we could see the manufacturing process right before our eyes!

Saero is reportedly almost entirely produced at the Gangneung factory,

with thousands of bottles made daily... It truly is the Republic of Soju! 😂

And then we rode the Daegwallyeong attraction,

which played spatial-sensory videos,

so be warned, it might make you a little dizzy! Haha.

The highlight of the tour is the 10th-floor lounge!

It's like personally experiencing the Daegwallyeong scenery and the bedrock within,

where you can discover special programs with media art for

tasting and hands-on experiences! ✨

This space is so beautiful, it's perfect for photos

and great for just looking around too, haha!

Gangneung Chum-Churum Saero Experience Center: Alcohol & Non-Alcoholic Tastings

The tasting session on the 10th-floor lounge was truly fantastic!

I chose the alcoholic option, so in addition to Daegwallyeong bedrock water,

Chum-Churum soju, and Saero (Omija Saero 257) for tasting,

I also received a Saero Omija Blossom cocktail!

My friend, on the other hand, chose the non-alcoholic option,

and along with Daegwallyeong bedrock water,

they received a non-alcoholic Omija Floral Ade~

For snacks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options came with 4 types,

and the plating was so neat and beautiful! 💕

However, there wasn't quite enough time for tasting,

so we had to drink them a bit quickly, haha.

Gangneung Chum-Churum Saero Brand Experience Center: Oak Soju

The first experience is making your own Chum-Churum Oak Soju!

It's an experience where you add a subtle woody aroma and depth to Chum-Churum soju,

creating an even richer flavor! 👏🏻

The main ingredients you can choose from are Fruit Blossom,

Green Island, Dark Cocoa, and Golden Hour!

My friend and I tried making two kinds: Fruit Blossom

and Golden Hour!

After adding the base ingredients, the remaining secondary ingredients are added

according to your personal preference,

making it completely your own oak soju, haha!

You just add the ingredients, then the steeped liquor, and you're done,

so it was a super simple experience! 😆

I think they said it could be drunk after about 5 days,

and they also gave us instructions on how to enjoy it, haha.

The finished oak soju was placed in a pretty container

so we could take it home with us~

Honestly, I thought the experience fee was a bit expensive,

but then I thought about creating my very own oak soju,

and realized it was probably worth it for the memory! 😂

Gangneung Chum-Churum Saero Brand Experience Center: DIY Diffuser

The second experience is making a Saero DIY Bottle Diffuser!

This experience involves filling Saero's retro empty bottle with pink salt

to create a subtle fragrance~

First, you decorate the bottle with Saero stickers

(it felt a bit like a craft project, haha!)

You can choose your desired fragrance

and take home a scent of Gangneung!

There were a total of 4 fragrance types to choose from,

and while we couldn't actually smell them beforehand,

I figured they would all be generally crowd-pleasing scents,

so I just picked the one I liked, haha.

I chose the Anmok Sea Breeze scent,

and my friend picked the Gangneung Solhyang Arboretum scent.

They said we can just open the cap once we get home~

And whenever the scent fades, you can add more of the concentrated liquid they provided

to make it strong again👍

The little net bag they put the diffusers in

is so cute, it could even be a decorative item! Haha.

Gangneung Cheoeumcheoreom & Saero Brand Experience Center: Make Your Own Label

Finally, it was time to make our own 'My Label' for Cheoeumcheoreom & Saero!

You can create and take home labels for Cheoeumcheoreom and Saero

with your desired text and design~

I'd actually done this at a Saero pop-up store before,

but this time there were even more options,

so it was really fun to decorate them in various ways! ❤️

The entire experience took about 1 hour and 40 minutes,

but if you want to enjoy it leisurely, I recommend setting aside about 2 hours!

It's a bit of a distance from Gangneung Station and the main beach attractions,

so it's a good idea to factor in travel time as well. Haha.

A unique date spot and fun activity in Gangneung:

The <Cheoeumcheoreom & Saero Brand Experience Center>

​

My friend and I had a fantastic time at the Gangneung Cheoeumcheoreom & Saero Brand Experience Center,

enjoying both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options without a worry!

From the tour and tasting to making oak soju, crafting diffusers,

and designing our own labels, the program was packed with exciting activities,

making it a truly satisfying addition to our Gangneung travel itinerary! 👏🏻

I think if we had just done the tour, it would have felt a bit lacking,

but getting to take home some cool souvenirs

really made it feel like we created some special memories~

For anyone planning a trip to Gangneung and looking for a unique experience,

I highly recommend the Cheoeumcheoreom & Saero Experience Center! Haha.