By Michael Coughlin Jr.
At the Community Alliance of Mission Hill’s (CAMH) July meeting, attendees learned about plans that would bring a Korean-American distillery to 89 Heath Street.
The planned distillery, called NAMU (tree in Korean) Distilling Co., is the brainchild of Josh Moss and Will Blessing, who met when each was working on earning a Ph.D. in different areas of chemistry, the former at MIT and the latter at Boston University.
“Our main mission is to create high-quality soju and gin to really reflect the cultural and gastronomic essences of both Boston and New England as well as Korea,” said Moss.
At the distillery, offerings will initially be focused on premium and flavored soju, along with gin. soju was described in the pair’s presentation as a “Korean liquor which is traditionally distilled from rice wine known as makgeolli.”
However, NAMU’s offerings will differ from other similar products in that some drinks will have an alcohol by volume of 40%. It will also be made 100% from rice, and by hand, among other differences.
“This is really something that you would want to savor,” said Moss. “There’s a really big difference in quality.”
Additionally, the distillery is slated to have a tasting room/bar with a capacity of 99 people. An AI-generated rendering of the proposed bar depicted an area with indoor plantings and wooden elements, among other aspects.
“We absolutely would love to make it (the space) this sort of urban oasis with these natural botanicals,” said Blessing.
Moss noted that there will also be a manufacturing space that will not always be accessible to the public. However, he said that there will be times when tours or tastings are offered.
In addition to the aforementioned tastings and tours, the duo plans to have other events, including trivia and cocktail classes.
“Maybe you’ve done tours and tastings at other distilleries and breweries as well, but you have not done one at a Korean-American distillery, so you’ll see quickly that our process is very unique, very cool in my opinion, and it gives a highly unique and enjoyable product,” said Blessing.
The distillery will also host special events, take part in community gatherings, and offer rental options for occasions such as weddings.
Following the presentation, attendees were given the opportunity to ask questions and comment about the planned distillery.
One resident wondered if the bar was more of a promotional tool since the site will also have the manufacturing space.
In response, Moss said that the bar was a key part of the business. Blessing expanded on this topic, saying, “so, a lot of people don’t know what soju is or are just now getting into it or want to learn more about it, and part of the way that we can educate people who might be interested in trying it is through our bar.”
Another resident wondered if there would be any food offerings, to which Blessing said yes. While there are no current plans to build out a full kitchen, Blessing said there are plans to have “small bites” behind the bar that would be “readily available.”
NAMU could also partner with nearby restaurants and potentially have patrons order food in, Blessing said.
Parking was also a topic broached during the discussion. While Blessing and Moss emphasized that, as a business serving alcohol, they would encourage taking public transit to discourage drinking and driving, they do have some parking spaces at their site.
Ultimately, NAMU is working through a process that includes securing permits and building out the space with hopes of opening its doors by the end of the year.
For more information about CAMH, visit its website at https://www.camh.boston/. The group’s next meeting is scheduled for August 20, per its website.