Makgeolli Going Global

Kim Kyung-seop has vivid memories of going to cheap bars with his friends after class, where they would all order as many makgeolli (rice wine) drinks for themselves. “You know the saying ‘alcohol consumes men?’ It was like that,” he says referring back to when people only cared about how much alcohol could be consumed rather than what flavor it had.

When Kim entered college, makgeolli was a popular alcoholic beverage. It usually costs about 40 cents per half-gallon and people would pour it into individual bowls with the tradition of sharing between friends at their table as they gathered together in each other’s company for an eventful nightlife experience.

Kim, now an adjunct professor at Global Cyber University in Seoul (and still teaching makgeolli brewing techniques for 10 years) remembered his first encounter with the drink being unpleasantly sour and bitter.

“We may have been drinking beer with women, but among the boys, we were drinking Makgeolli.” The guys would show off their style by ordering makgeolli in cool glasses with ice cubes floating around.

History of Makgeolli

Makgeolli is a traditional Korean drink that’s known to have originated in either the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897). The word “mak” means ‘roughly done’ and can also mean “a moment ago.” Along with this, “geolleun” refers to filtering which gives it its name – combining both meanings together makes for an appropriate translation: rough draft of things past; history filtered through time.

The origin behind makgeolli’s long disappearance from popular culture isn’t clear but they may owe their return to popularity largely due to one man who found them refreshing during hot summer months.

Makgeolli is made by mixing water, rice, and nuruk- a Korean fermentation starter. After the ingredients have been mixed together and left to ferment, the end result is a beverage that’s around 6-7% alcohol. It’s relatively low in alcohol compared to other drinks but that doesn’t make it any less delicious! The alcohol is well balanced by the sweetness of the rice giving it a unique flavor that’s sure to tantalize your taste buds.

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The popularity of makgeolli is owed in large part to its simplicity. Makgolly’s basic ingredients are steamed rice, yeast and water left for a few weeks before being jarred or stored away under refrigeration depending on how long you want it to last! Many families across Korea brewed their own drinks with unique recipes that would sometimes be infused using fruits like pears; there’s even rumors about some people adding nuts into this tart drink because they thought these additions made everything better tasting.

Going Global

Julia Mellor, an Australian citizen originally came to South Korea in 2009. At that time she taught English and later became interested in makgeolli.  Nowadays Julia provides classes about opening your own Brewery as well as consultations. If you’re thinking about doing something similar but aren’t sure where or how yet – Julia’s classes may help.

Her clients come from all across the world, including countries such as America and Singapore. Many of them are members of what is called “the Korean diaspora.” When they watch people here enjoying their culture abroad, these travelers want to bring it back home too! The food has been inspiring enough for some; there’s just something about discovering new things that aren’t heard of anywhere else–and this makes it really rare indeed.

She organized meetups with fellow enthusiasts and eventually taught herself the Korean language because most of the information was only given orally or through print media.

Kim Min-kyu’s makgeolli is set to be a hit in the US and Austria this year, with other Western buyers approaching him. The drink has already been popularized by its success in Japan where it became one of many cultural exports during Korea’s wave of popularity around the 2000s when K dramas were at their peak.

Korean “soft power” has expanded beyond Asia in the past few years. Min-kyu believes that makgeolli can ride this wave and become healthier, organic alcohols for foreign consumers who are interested in natural fermentation processes like those found in Korea.