Chapter 57: Andong Soju (2)
TL: Hanguk
The UC Davis campus was buzzing with energy now that the spring semester had begun. Students sat in clusters on the lawn, and the courts were loud with pickup basketball games.
I settled into the study lounge on the second floor of the department building with Armando, Jacob, and Chloe. The room had transparent glass walls, so without the blinds drawn, everything inside was fully visible.
It was the space students usually used for group projects, outfitted with a long table, a whiteboard, and plenty of power outlets. Best of all, it was quiet enough for a serious conversation.
"You're really okay with just sandwiches?"
Chloe set down the sandwiches she'd bought and asked. I scrunched up my face.
"Ugh... the food here is terrible."
"Shouldn't you be used to American food by now?"
"No, and I don't want to be. One of the few pleasures I have in life is eating, and if the food's gonna be bad, I'd rather just grab a sandwich and call it a day. Even the steak at the dining hall tastes awful."
I grumbled as I tore into my sandwich, and Armando nodded in agreement.
"American food being bad is just a fact. Except for burgers and pizza."
Jacob chimed in.
"Those are America's soul food, man."
"Exactly. That's my point."
I finished my sandwich without much ceremony, then stood in front of the whiteboard and picked up a marker.
"All right, let's get down to business."
"Feels like we're in a lecture."
Chloe said with a smirk.
"You and Armando can zone out if you want. But this is about Jacob's future."
Jacob shrugged, but he couldn't hide the tension on his face.
"Right. If you're bored, just study something else."
"Nah, it's fine. I'll listen."
"Same."
Once Chloe and Armando settled in to pay attention, I wrote a title on the whiteboard in big letters.
[Business Plan Draft]
"Okay. If you're going to establish a new rice distillery in California, you need to know the steps clearly. You can't just wing it. The order is: administrative work and permits, then funding, then facilities, then production. And at the center of all that is the business plan. Why? Because you need one for a USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG), an SBA loan, investor pitches, and permits. Every single one requires a business plan."
"What's a USDA Value-Added Producer Grant?"
Chloe, who had been listening quietly, asked.
"It's a grant program run by the USDA Rural Development office. It supports farmers who want to process or brand their agricultural products to create new markets, instead of just selling raw goods."
"Oh! So it's a perfect fit for Jacob, since he'd be processing rice into a distilled spirit. Then what's SBA?"
"The Small Business Administration guarantees bank loans."
"How... do you know all this?"
"... I just do. Anyway, everything starts with the business plan. In some ways, the most critical parts are securing raw materials and the production plan, and since Jacob's already farming, that's a huge advantage. The type of spirit is already decided, the equipment scale should start small, and the next big things are initial investment costs and branding strategy."
After explaining all that, I looked at Jacob.
"Once you start, there's no going back. Especially after you take out a loan, you're committed. Are you sure about this?"
"Yeah. I'm sure. You've got a stake in this too, so you're gonna help me as much as you can, right?"
The strategic business partnership agreement for helping with the farm had a set term of thirty years, but since this was about creating a new business entity, a distillery, I'd agreed to take a 30% ownership stake.
"Obviously."
"Then I've got no reason not to be sure."
Jacob looked at me with a look full of resolve.
"Good. Now, the most important thing before you bring in any equipment is the floor plan and layout you submit to get your permit. It doesn't have to be professional architectural drawings, but it needs to be a floor sketch with clear dimensions and zones. That has to be set up perfectly before you can get a federal TTB DSP, a Distilled Spirits Plant Permit."
"I can't do that on my own. I'll need to ask someone for help."
"That's what I think too. You could ask someone in a relevant major here at the university."
"Got it. Just tell me what equipment we need and I'll try to get at least a basic floor sketch from someone in the right field. If that doesn't work, we'll just hire a proper firm to draw up the plans."
"Yeah. Honestly, going that route might be cleaner. You'll need to meet fire and safety codes too, so getting a professional opinion is a must. And you need to confirm the permit's been approved before you take out the loan and bring in equipment. If you take the loan, buy the equipment, and then the permit gets denied... you know what happens, right?"
"If I don't want to go bankrupt, I get the permit first, then the loan. Okay."
Next, I wrote [Product Portfolio] on the board.
"Like I said, you can't compete on cheap products. And setting competition aside, once you factor in taxes, raw materials, and fixed costs, a small distillery makes nothing at under five dollars a bottle. You'd be in the red. So you need to set the wholesale price at a minimum of six dollars, but if you go with something wishy-washy like that, your positioning gets weird. I say aim for at least fifteen dollars wholesale."
"That's the thing you mentioned before, right? Going for something like a Korean light vodka that works as a cocktail base?"
"Exactly. You lower the proof after distillation, keep it smooth, and position it as a clean, aromatic spirit, like wine. Then on top of that, you add a premium Andong Soju to elevate the distillery's profile."
"An... what?"
"An. Dong. So. Ju."
"An-doong-sso-joo?"
"...... That's actually spot on. Nice pronunciation. You age that Andong Soju in oak barrels for at least six months and set the wholesale price at thirty dollars or more... you'll be paying a ton in taxes, sure, but the profit margin will be significantly higher."
At the mention of thirty dollars a bottle, Jacob clenched both fists with determination.
"I can do this!"
"Good. Permits are the priority, so organize the paperwork you'll need, and for the details, the Agricultural Extension Center should be able to walk you through it."
"Okay."
Chloe and Armando, however, having never experienced soju, exchanged glances with skeptical expressions. To be fair, that was the normal reaction.
After I'd carefully laid out the equipment they'd need, initial operating costs, and branding strategy, I turned to Chloe, who had been watching as intently as if she were sitting in a lecture.
"How about you guys? Everything going well?"
"Yeah. Dad finished the contract with Zaiger Genetics for Royal Tioga. He said Coral Champagne should arrive soon and they'll start the work then."
"Good. Late March is actually the best time for topworking. Sap starts rising in the rootstock right before the buds push out, so the graft has the highest chance of taking. You're going to be busy."
Even if they were topworking only a third of the 200 acres at a time, the sheer scale would be staggering. From late March through early April, there might not be enough hours in the day even if all they did was graft from the moment they woke up. They'd be bringing in plenty of workers, but making sure the job was being done right fell on the owner.
She gave a little shimmy of her shoulders and smiled.
"I'm fine. I'm actually looking forward to it. Plus, I learned the topworking technique really well from Zaiger Genetics. I'm totally confident."
"That's good to hear. What about fertilizer and irrigation?"
"Since March started, we've been applying mainly nitrogen fertilizers, urea, ammonium nitrate, DAP, that sort of thing. And we're keeping the SWP around negative eight to ten bar."
All of it was exactly what I'd taught her.
"Want me to come by and check on things?"
"Anytime."
Her confidence alone was enough to tell me how much passion and attention Chloe was pouring into the farm.
"Ask me something too!"
Armando cut in, clearly hungry for attention.
"Feeling good about your chemistry and botany grades?"
Armando's face instantly fell.
"Ah, that's..."
"You need to get your grades up first. If your GPA tanks, your parents won't even buy you a farm."
"That's true..."
"Buy" wasn't quite right, actually. It was more accurate to say they'd be taking out a loan.
"Just focus on your grades and learn everything you can at our farm. Then we'll look for the right property together."
"What if farm prices around Napa and Sonoma suddenly skyrocket by then?"
"Then you pivot to something other than grapes."
"No way. I want to be a winery owner just like you!"
"Fine. We'll find a good farm when the time comes. AVA land around Sonoma has never spiked like that before."
"You think so?"
While we were chatting away, a woman passing by outside stopped, peered into our meeting room, and opened the door. Naturally, all eyes turned to her.
She walked in with her blonde hair pinned up and a confident expression. It was Sienna. She looked around at us for a moment, then spoke.
"What are you guys up to?"
It wasn't accusatory. She was genuinely curious.
"Just having a meeting among ourselves."
When I answered, Sienna glanced at the business plan written on the whiteboard, and I smiled awkwardly, shifting my body to casually block it. She let out a small laugh and said,
"Afraid I'm going to steal a look?"
"It's about my friend's stuff, so."
"Your friend's already starting a business?"
"He's a farm owner."
"Oh... I see. Nice to meet you. Are you Brian's friend? I'm Sienna."
"I'm Jacob."
After a light wave hello, Sienna turned her gaze back to me.
"You know the Alumni Wine Showcase is coming up, right? And the Winkler Dinner that DEVO (Department of Viticulture and Enology) hosts? Are you... going to participate?"
"You're talking to me?"
"Yeah. You're the only one from our department here."
I was a little caught off guard.
"Do even freshmen attend the Alumni Wine Showcase? The Winkler Dinner too?"
"The Wine Showcase is open to all years, and the Dean personally recommended you for the Winkler Dinner."
"Me?"
"That's right. He's suggesting you take charge of one of the six courses. What do you think?"
It seemed almost too good to be true, but then again, the recommendation came from the Dean himself, so it made sense. After all, I was the student who'd actually produced a commercially viable wine.
"All right."
When I nodded, Sienna looked genuinely surprised.
"You're accepting?"
"If the Dean's entrusting it to me, then yes."
"Wow... that's impressive. Okay. I'll be looking forward to it."
She matched my gaze with an unreadable expression, then let her eyes drift briefly over Chloe before slipping out of the room. Chloe muttered something under her breath, lips barely moving, and Armando leaned over to whisper something in her ear.
"What are you two talking about?"
"What's the Alumni Wine Showcase and the Winkler Dinner?"
Chloe asked.
"The Alumni Wine Showcase is an event held at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science. UC Davis alumni winemakers present and pour their wines for tasting. I didn't realize freshmen were expected to attend."
"Mondavi? That's a big name."
Hearing her impressed reaction, Jacob asked me,
"Really? Is it that famous?"
"It's one of the biggest wineries in Napa Valley. Their Cabernet Sauvignon from the To Kalon vineyard in Oakville basically put American wine on the world stage."
"That is impressive."
The attention swung back to me, and I said with a look of mild exasperation,
"And the Winkler Dinner is an annual fundraising event hosted by our department's student council. It's a banquet with six courses paired with wines. Different chefs each prepare a course, and wines donated by UC Davis alumni winemakers are served alongside them."
"So what does it mean that you're in charge of one course?"
"It means they want me to create the optimal wine pairing for a course using the donated wines."
Chloe lit up at that.
"That's a huge deal! The whole school pays attention to that event. What a great opportunity."
"Maybe for students who want to be sommeliers. Asking a winery owner to do it seems a bit off, but..."
I locked eyes with Jacob for a moment.
"Actually, now that I think about it, these are people worth getting to know. If nothing else, it'll help down the road when we're trying to promote the Andong Soju, right?"
"Exactly!"
Jacob hadn't even gotten his distillery permit yet, but his enthusiasm rivaled that of any winery owner.
And as for me, the thought that I could showcase the vinegar I'd made at that dinner had started to stir a quiet curiosity.
*****
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