Yunju-mo Yakju Brings Yunjudaang’s Premium Rice Wine Recipe to Seven-Eleven

Yunju-mo Yakju is a premium traditional Korean rice wine released through a collaboration between Seven-Eleven and chef Yoon Na-ra. The product draws on the yakju recipe from Yunjudaang, the traditional liquor bar operated by Yoon, and went on sale at Seven-Eleven stores nationwide from April 23, 2026.¹

For readers who know the name Yunju-mo from Korean food media or convenience-store collaborations, this launch is more than a simple new drink on the shelf. It connects a chef-led traditional liquor concept with a national retail channel, giving a broader audience access to a style of yakju associated with Yoon’s own restaurant practice.

What Makes Yunju-mo Yakju Specific

The key point is that Yunju-mo Yakju is not being presented as a generic traditional liquor. Reports describe it as a premium yakju developed from the recipe of Yunjudaang, Yoon Na-ra’s traditional Korean liquor bar. Newsis reported that the drink uses Nonsan rice, chrysanthemum, pine needles, and traditional nuruk, the fermentation starter central to many Korean alcoholic drinks.¹

That ingredient list matters because it gives the product a clear identity. Rice provides the foundation, while chrysanthemum and pine needles point toward a more aromatic profile. The source material does not provide tasting notes, alcohol by volume, bottle size, or serving guidance, so it is better not to overstate the flavor. What can be said is that the product is framed around a chef’s yakju recipe and traditional ingredients rather than only branding.

The price reported for Yunju-mo Yakju was 19,000 won.¹ EDaily also described it as being sold in the 10,000-won range at Seven-Eleven stores nationwide from April 23, 2026.² In convenience-store terms, that positions it as a more premium traditional liquor item rather than a casual low-priced add-on.

The Chef and the Yunju-mo Name

Yoon Na-ra is described in the source material as a chef who reached the top five on Netflix’s “Black and White Chef 2.” Financial News also reported that she became known as “Yunju-mo” through her work at Yunjudaang in Haebangchon, where she operated a tasting course combining house-brewed traditional liquor with Korean dishes.³

That background helps explain why Seven-Eleven’s collaboration has moved beyond a one-off product. Before Yunju-mo Yakju, the convenience-store chain worked with Yoon on other food and alcohol releases. In January 2026, Seven-Eleven announced three ready-to-eat meal items with Yoon, scheduled to launch from February 3, 2026, while also noting that it was considering expanding the collaboration into the alcohol category.³

That expansion then became visible through alcohol products. News1 and Financial News described Yunju-mo Yakju as the third alcoholic beverage collaboration with Yoon Na-ra, following “Yunju-mo Bokbunja Highball” and “Yunjumak” makgeolli.⁴ The same report said Yunju-mo Yakju was based on Yunjudaang’s premium yakju recipe and that Yoon participated in reviewing the recipe.⁴

This sequence gives the launch a useful bit of context. The product did not appear out of nowhere; it followed earlier Seven-Eleven efforts to translate Yoon’s food and drink identity into items that could be found in everyday retail settings.

A Convenience-Store Push Into Traditional Liquor

The launch also sits within Seven-Eleven’s broader interest in premium and distinctive alcoholic beverages. EDaily reported that the retailer was expanding its collaboration drinks with Yoon Na-ra in line with growth in the traditional liquor market.² While the source material does not provide full market-size figures, it does show how Seven-Eleven framed the strategy: chef collaboration, traditional liquor, and wider convenience-store availability.

There were signs of momentum before the yakju release. Yonhap, carried by Daum News, reported that two highball products created with chefs Hu Deok-juk and Yoon Na-ra surpassed 200,000 cumulative sales within three weeks of release. The Yoon collaboration was identified under the Yunju-mo brand, and the two highball products ranked first and second in Seven-Eleven’s highball category sales.⁵

The follow-up makgeolli also performed strongly, according to EDaily. The outlet reported that “Yunju-mo Bokbunja Highball” ranked first in highball category sales, while “Yunju-mo Yunjumak” quickly reached second place in makgeolli sales.² Those rankings help explain why a yakju product would be a natural next step for the collaboration.

Seven-Eleven’s own messaging also emphasized a long-term direction. Kim Yoo-seung, a beverage and liquor MD at Seven-Eleven, said the company would continue presenting premium alcoholic drinks that combine popular appeal and professional expertise through expert collaborations.⁴ In the context of Yunju-mo Yakju, that statement neatly captures the product’s balancing act: it is tied to a chef and a traditional bar recipe, but it is sold through a familiar convenience-store chain.

Yunju-mo Yakju is best understood as a retail version of a chef-linked traditional liquor idea, built around Yunjudaang’s yakju recipe and made available nationwide through Seven-Eleven from April 23, 2026. For anyone following Korean convenience-store food culture, chef collaborations, or the renewed attention around traditional drinks, it marks a notable step in how premium yakju is being brought into everyday shopping spaces.

작성자 소개

joanna jang

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