Learn how makgeolli, the ancient South Korean distillate, is made
People who are more familiar with South Korean culture already know that drinking culture in South Korea is as common or even more common than here in Brazil. We see classic post-work “happy hour” scenes in K-dramas, often with beers and soju, but in addition to these, there is another spirit that is very famous in the country, makgeolli.
Makgeolli (막걸리) is a wine made from rice, with a milky appearance and a sweeter taste. It’s alcohol content is not very high when compared to soju, with only an alcohol content between 6.5% and 7%. The name comes from the combination of the Korean words mak (meaning “almost ready” or “a moment ago”) and geolleun (“filtered”). It was nicknamed “Drunken Rice” by the British and the wine has also been called “Fight Milk” by the Scottish band Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5 in 2018.
Rice wine is very traditional and popular inside and outside Korea. Come and learn a little more about this ancient distillate.
History of makgeolli
The oldest alcohol in Korea has been around for over 2000 years. Some say it existed during the time of the Three Kingdoms (57 B.C. - 668 A.D.), but the first mention of a distillate reminiscent of makgeolli was found in 제왕운기 (jewangungi), translated as “Song of Emperors and Kings.” It is a historical book consisting of two volumes on Korean and Chinese history published in 1287, that is, during the Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392). At the time, the drink was known as Ihwaju (pear blossom alcohol), as the drink was produced at the same time that pear trees bloomed.
In addition to Ihwaju, rice wine was also known as Nonju (farmer’s alcohol), as it was the favorite drink of farmers, peasants and the entire working class — which, over time, ended up symbolizing that makgeolli was not a very classy drink. One of the reasons for the distillate’s popularity was it’s simplicity. As it is a recipe without many challenges, many Korean families still have their own recipe.
With Japanese domination over the Korean peninsula at the beginning of the 20th century, many cottage industries ended up ending their production, as the colonial government implemented the “Liquor Tax Law” in 1909, which required that all alcoholic production be taxed and licenses were required even for self-consumption.
In 1934, the home production of makgeolli was completely prohibited, with only production permitted in regulated, taxed factories, which made the distillate a source of revenue for the expanding empire.
Constant military battles, such as World War II and the Korean War, left the country completely devastated and lacking food. The government continued to strictly supervise the production of distilled, but in the 1960s, under the dictatorship of Park Chung Hee, the situation worsened and the use of rice for the preparation of wine was completely banned under the “Grain Management Law”.
The country’s complicated situation did not prevent the population from looking for alcohol. Soju companies looked to different methods to find starch, such as sweet potato and tapioca, while makgeolli makers used American wheat. According to expert Jisung Chun, the United States had an excess of wheat rotting in its warehouses. The practice continued to this day, the cheapest makgeollis are still made from wheat instead of rice, but due to the change of ingredient, the drink’s popularity ended up falling.
Despite the ban on home production, many women still fermented alcohol in secret. Washing, cooking and preparing the rice until the final result was women’s work before colonization. This is because it needed fermentation like other foods, such as kimchi, pastes and soy sauces. Many women decided to make and even sell makgeolli clandestinely to earn extra income and be able to feed their family in a more comfortable way.
In the early 90s, as the national economy improved, the ban on rice alcohol was lifted, but home production was only legalized again in 1995. Over the course of history, many makgeolli traditions were lost, although production was never have stopped completely.
Researchers like Park Rockdam traveled to all corners of Korea collecting recipes and learning ancient techniques on how wine was prepared in the past to try to recover the “lost art”. The government also ended up changing it’s view of the drink a lot, now seeing it as a beautiful legacy of it’s past times, as well as a profitable industry.
This change in government’s vision was essential for some changes that not only helped, but also caused an increase in the number of producers. According to data from the National Tax Service (NSO), since 2009, the number of licensees to manufacture makgeolli has increased by 43%. In 2016, the fermentation tank size requirement was reduced from 5,000 to 1,000 liters, which has greatly helped small-scale breweries and distilleries. The following year, traditional drinks were allowed to be sold online, which allowed production to continue during the pandemic.
While the COVID-19 pandemic prevented people from going to bars and restaurants, online and offline sales of makgeolli soared. According to a 2021 report by the Korea Agro-fisheries and Food Trade Corporation, the makgeolli market grew by 52.1%, while the total alcoholic beverage market decreased by 1.6% in 2020.
How is makgeolli made?
Despite being a theoretically simple recipe, with only 3 ingredients (rice, water and nuruk — a type of yeast), there are several techniques to make the perfect makgeolli, such as temperature, the type of rice and water used, how to store the solution perfectly, etc.
Basically, when nuruk is added to cooked rice and water, the mixture is left for about a week and the yeast acts to break down the starch in the rice into sugar and then into alcohol, producing a strong sweet mixture with a higher alcohol content. than the industrialized one, called wonju. The wonju is allowed to settle and the top clear liquid is separated. The resulting alcohol is cheonju and the remainder, known as takju, is diluted with water and coarsely strained to make makgeolli.
How to drink makgeolli?
Makgeolli are usually not served in small glass cups like soju, but rather in small metal bowls or rounded glasses made from a variety of materials. It is extremely versatile, meaning it can be served at a bar as an everyday drink or on special occasions such as weddings.
Regardless of where you are drinking it, it is best that the liquid is cold. If you’re drinking the store-bought version, remember that there will be sediment that needs to be shaken off, but the liquid is also effervescent. Then give it a very gentle shake, leave for a minute, and slowly open the lid.
Source: (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7)
Images: Trazy, JinJoo, Liverice — reproduction
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