Makgeolli: The 101 on the traditional Korean rice wine gaining favour with the younger generation

Move along soju, makgeolli is here to take the spotlight now

Koreans have been traditionally known for their love of soju, and it’s easy to see why: the clear, distilled Korean liquor is easy to drink straight and is the basis for a variety of low-alcohol cocktails. The spirit may be stronger than beer or wine at an average of 24 per cent, but compared to clear spirits like vodka, it packs a weaker punch for those who don't want all the extra liquor.

In recent years, however, it seems that there has been a resurgence of the traditional Korean rice wine, makgeolli, amongst the younger crowd. For the uninitiated, makgeolli is a traditional Korean rice wine that has been around for centuries and made with three main ingredients: rice, water and nuruk, a Korean fermentation starter. The result? A hazy, tangy, and slightly effervescent drink.

At a low 6 to 7 per cent ABV, it was once the drink of choice amongst farmers, peasants and the working class up until 1988, but its popularity declined with the introduction of modern liquor such as beer and soju. Fact: the word makgeolli doesn’t actually have any meaning—it translates to “just scooped” in Korean. The hazy rice wine that many know is sometimes referred to as Tak-ju in bottle shops. Other names that it goes by also include yak-ju, which is filtered tak-ju without any sediment.

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Above Sang Chun “Sam” Lee, a certified Korean liquor maker

According to Sang Chun “Sam” Lee, a certified Korean liquor maker born in 1990, makgeolli was considered something old school that a lot of older people liked to drink. “When I started drinking, I would drink makgeolli occasionally in a setting where they usually sold traditional Korean food such as savoury pancakes and tofu. However, I never liked the experience too much since they brought massive headaches afterwards. They were cheap, sweet and migraine starters.”

Man Joong Kim, the owner of Onzi Brewery, echoes similar sentiments. “I have many terrible memories of makgeolli when I was in my twenties. I had one too many bad hangovers the day after—there was never a time where I woke up without a headache.”

While the resurgence in makgeolli's popularity can be attributed to the interest in Korean culture and cuisine around the world, one also has to take into account the growing number of artisanal breweries and traditional liquor bars making their own versions too.

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Above Makgeolli is made from rice, water and nuruk, all of which are then mixed and left to ferment

Above Makgeolli bars like Damotori Hieut offer a wide range of traditional Korean alcohol, and guests can pick a flight of five to try before deciding on a bottle or two for the night

Lee explains: “(Koreans) really looked up to the countries who were able to achieve economic success. We have been looking up to the western world, and so imported alcohol such as wine and whisky was really popular. In that process, we shunned our own cultures. Starting from several years ago, however, an increasing number of restaurants serving Korean food with their own modern interpretation started to pop up and I think they made Korean food “cooler” to many people in Seoul. I think it was natural for these restaurants to want to pair their food with better Korean alcohol. I think this change in the restaurant scene was caused by the people who tried to showcase Korean food in new ways.”

Kim adds: “The MZ generation (a term used in South Korea to collectively refer to the Millennials and Generation Z) are not looking to alcohol as a way to get drunk anymore. More and more customers are seeking a delicious bottle to really enjoy and appreciate with their dishes.”

For Kim, the idea of creating his own makgeolli, for instance, came to him at his previous occupation. “I ran a restaurant that served fresh tuna sashimi previously, and most people would serve sake with it. Personally, I’m not a big fan of sake and I wondered if Korean alcohol would be more suitable for my food. I started receiving education on making makgeolli and later on opened another joint that focused on serving traditional food and alcohol. Both places eventually closed because of Covid-19, and I decided to pivot solely to making alcohol.”

Above Man Joong Kim, owner of Onzi Brewery

“One of the first memories I had with makgeolli was when my maternal grandmother would send me on errands to buy it, and I tried a sip because I was so curious. I was seven at that time and this sparked my interest in the drink.”

Thus, Onzi Brewery was born. The 55-year-old uses high-quality ingredients while offering unique flavours that appeal to a modern audience—the arsenal of four flavours they have for now include Mugwort, Omija, Lemon and Pine, with the last Grape flavour currently in the works. While the Bulgwang-based brewery does conduct open houses occasionally, those interested get them at most liquor shops (or bottle shops as they are known in Korea), as well as restaurants like Eoseul Cheongdam, located in the upscale Gangnam district.

Looking for a new experience while you’re in Seoul? Sam also offers something for tourists and expats in town: “I saw the growing interest among tourists in something more than just Korean bbq and fried chicken. I started two experiences: a makgeolli tasting and a soju tasting at a distillery, in order to introduce some of Korea’s finest alcohols made by small producers. Sometimes even Koreans attend my tastings too! Most of them have only tasted cheap and widely available makgeolli, and since the bottles I introduce are quite tasty and easy to approach in terms of flavour profile, they leave the session very happily and many buy some home too.”

For those who want to try artisanal makgeolli in Seoul, there are traditional liquor bars and restaurants such as Nook, Damotori Hieut, Insadong Brewery, Sueulgwan and Hanguk Bar Anssi Makgeolli, all of which offer a good selection of makgeolli, along with either modern Korean or traditional Korean dishes and snacks.

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Makgeolli Soju Korean alcoholic drinks Alcohol Alcoholic drinks

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Makgeolli 101: The traditional Korean rice wine gaining favour with today’s younger generation