This study aimed to apply the technology of increasing the volatile aromatic
compounds in wine through mixed fermentation of Saccharomyces
cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeasts to make
distilled soju. The expectation was to induce changes in
metabolites such as volatile aromatic compounds before the distillation process,
followed by concentrating these compounds through distillation to enhance the
odor property of distilled soju. Additionally, the study aimed
to examine the impact of mixed fermentation with S. cerevisiae
and non-Saccharomyces yeasts on distilled soju’s free
amino acid content. As a result, when Hanseniaspora uvarum
yeast was used, there was an increase in the content of low molecular weight
volatile aroma compounds, particularly esters. Distilled soju
co-fermented with S. cerevisiae and H. uvarum
SJ69 exhibited similar amino acid content to distilled soju
single-fermented with S. cerevisiae. However, distilled
soju co-fermented with S. cerevisiae and
H. uvarum S6, a decrease in amino acid content. Sensory
evaluation results indicated a higher odor score in distilled
soju co-fermented with S. cerevisiae and
H. uvarum S6, suggesting that the mixed fermentation
technology utilizing H. uvarum could contribute to improving
the quality of distilled soju in the future.