{"id":11787,"date":"2023-09-25T14:38:08","date_gmt":"2023-09-25T21:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kimchimari.com\/?p=11787"},"modified":"2023-09-25T14:38:13","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T21:38:13","slug":"makgeolli-korean-rice-wine-what-how-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kimchimari.com\/makgeolli-korean-rice-wine-what-how-to\/","title":{"rendered":"Ultimate Guide to Makgeolli – Tastes and Content"},"content":{"rendered":"

Makgeolli is a Korean rice wine that was traditionally home-brewed. The complex and robust flavors of this drink pairs wonderfully with all Korean foods but most wonderfully with flavorful foods like Kimchi and Korean BBQs.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Makgeolli (Korean Rice Wine) Tasting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is Makgeolli?<\/h3>\n

Makgeolli (\ub9c9\uac78\ub9ac) or Makkolli is a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage (\uc220 sool) brewed from rice and a fermentation starter called nuruk \ub204\ub8e9. It is traditionally a ‘fast’ or ’emergency brew’ which can be ready in 7-10 days and is made in a single step fermentation (Danyangju \ub2e8\uc591\uc8fc). In the old days, people brewed it in each home and served as everyday drink as well as for special occasions like weddings.<\/p>\n

BTW, in English, Makgeolli is often referred to as ‘Korean rice wine’ but honestly if you asked me, I would say it should be called ‘rice beer’. I say this mainly because of the way the beverage is made. Wine is typically made from crushed fruits which already have the sugars that naturally lead to fermentation. While Magkeolli, the rice grains are first cooked to convert the starches contained within the grains into sugars that the yeast can consume.<\/p>\n

I have read in some online posts that because Makgeolli has a low alcohol content of ABV from 6-11%<\/strong>, it’s similar to beer but that’s really not correct. Because the 6-11% ABV is artificially made by diluting the original wine. Original homemade natural Makgeolli has actually around 16% ABV (see my post<\/a> for how I got this number) which is much higher than most beers.<\/p>\n

What does (original) Makgeolli taste like?<\/h3>\n

This Korean rice wine or rice beer is a milky and often fizzy drink having a complex flavor profile that also has sweet, sour, with even a little bit of bitter tastes. Homemade version is a lot more complex and has a depth of flavor that’s both clearing and appetizing. It can also have a fruity, dusty, floral aroma with a bit of chalky texture. It is a great filling drink that tastes great on its own but even better with Korean food.<\/p>\n

History of Makgeolli<\/h3>\n

This is the oldest alcoholic drink in Korean cuisine that dates back to Goryeo (\uace0\ub824) Dynasty (918-1320) and some say there are traces of this wine even back to the Three Kingdoms era (57 BC to 668 AD). Makgeolli is a brewed rice wine, traditionally made of just 3 ingredients: rice, water and nuruk. Nuruk<\/a> is a unique fermentation starter that contains yeast and bacteria that break down the rice to produce alcohol – making this rice wine an alcoholic drink.<\/p>\n

Makgeolli was considered a “farmer’s wine (Nongju\u00a0 \ub18d\uc8fc)” because of the high nutritional content and carbonation, it was a great refreshing energy drink for farmers. When I was a child, I distinctly remember seeing farmers and construction workers drinking this white colored drink in a shallow bowl (\uc0ac\ubc1c) every afternoon during their break.<\/p>\n

Farmers or other labor workers (like for construction) would get quite upset \ud83d\ude1d\u00a0if they didn’t get this drink during their snack time. I remember my mom hearing an earful from a construction worker one time when she brought them some red bean pastry and milk for snack —<\/p>\n

“How do you expect us to do all this hard work when there’s no makgeolli!!?”<\/p>\n

“WE NEED MAKGEOLLI to keep us GOING!!!”<\/p>\n

Next day, makgeolli and buchimgae (pancakes) was served and all was right in the world again… \ud83d\ude1d\ud83d\udc4d\ud83c\udffc\ud83d\ude1d<\/p>\n

When I saw that scene, as a kid, I thought that they were all maybe alcoholics??!! But I realize today this was more than a simple alcoholic drink for them, it was part of daily life for these hard working Koreans. Makgeolli helped the workers regain their energy with its nutrition and health benefits to continue for another few hours before their hard day was over.<\/p>\n

Makgeolli vs Soju – Which is better? How are they different?<\/h3>\n

Soju is a distilled liquor made by distilling alcohol from fermented grains like rice, barley, sweet rice in the old days but in modern days, they are distilled from other starches like corn, sweet potatoes, etc. So soju has a very clean, mild and in someways almost tasteless when compared to Makgeolli.<\/p>\n

I would say Makgeolli is a lot more of an interesting drink than Soju. But Makgeolli is a bit heavier tasting due to the milky mildly yogurt like sweet sour flavors so whatever you prefer.<\/p>\n

Makgeolli Alcohol Content<\/h3>\n

Commercially sold makgeolli usually contains between 6 – 9% alcohol content. Traditional brews start with 12-18% alcohol content but in recent years, companies started to dilute the original wine with water to lower the alcohol content down to 6-9% so that they could sell to a wider audience and also make it easier to export.<\/p>\n

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Makgeolli Tasting at my Sister’s home in Seoul – with Muk Muchim<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How to Drink and Store Makgeolli<\/h3>\n