Overview: Namu Distilling Co. has officially launched as New England’s first Korean-American craft distillery, located at 89 Heath St. in Mission Hill, Boston. The facility focuses on transforming makgeolli rice wine into traditional soju and gin using nuruk fermentation methods.
The Full Story
Founders Will Blessing and Josh Moss pivoted from academic paths to distilling rice-based spirits with nuruk, aiming for traditional soju and gin with complex flavors rather than mass-market creations. The venture launched in September with a grand opening scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. Visitors can expect cocktail omakase, weekend distillery tours, and trivia nights to accompany food pairings at the location.
Namu emphasizes traditional methods and regional ingredients, using Korean dates and local botanicals like woolly mullein to craft distinct spirits. A license constraint at Namu requires all cocktail ingredients to be produced in-house, enabling about 30 in-house infusions and cocktails including Burnt Orenji, Yakgwa Daisy, Banana Haemok, Kimchi Gibson, and Roots and Stem.
Production & Profile
The production process utilizes nuruk fermentation with Korean dates and local botanicals like woolly mullein to craft distinct spirits. The distillery turns makgeolli rice wine into traditional soju and gin, emphasizing traditional methods over mass-market creations.
Brand & Industry History
Namu Distilling Co. at 89 Heath St. in Mission Hill, Boston, has launched as New England’s first Korean-American craft distillery. Both Blessing and Moss pivoted from academic paths to distilling rice-based spirits with nuruk, aiming for traditional soju and gin with complex flavors rather than mass-market creations. Industry data notes that traditional soju remains a niche market in the United States, though growth is expected at about 16% annually through 2029, fueled by rising Korean culture and Gen Z adoption.
What This Means
“It’s definitely up and coming still,” Blessing said, referring to the current interest level of sool in the United States. “We’re so happy to be catching the early rise of this. … People are popping up, doing this craft and sharing this cool Korean tradition. We are excited to see even more coming.” Moss explained that traditional soju is quite different than green bottle soju, noting it is a unique product only a few distilleries in the United States are actually producing.
Consumer Takeaway
The distillery is open Tuesday through Friday, 5 to 10:30 p.m., and Saturday, 2 to 10:30 p.m. Namu plans distribution of soju and gin to bars and liquor stores across Massachusetts to expand access beyond its Mission Hill distillery.
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