Growing up in North Korea, Kim Seonghui learned the art of brewing liquor at home — away from the watchful eyes of the authorities.

Her grandmother worked without special equipment as she passed down family recipes. She would stir the fermented rice with her hands to gauge the process, and based on the feel, she would decide whether to lower the temperature, add ingredients or give it a few more days to ferment.

“She never explained the process directly to me but kept muttering the brewing steps to herself,” Kim told NK News. “That’s how I learned to brew,