Makgeolli is a traditional 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.

[caption id="attachment_11790" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Makgeolli (Korean Rice Wine) Tasting[/caption]

What is Makgeolli?

Makgeolli (막걸리) or Makkolli is a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage brewed from rice and a fermentation starter called nuruk 누룩. It is traditionally an ‘fast’ or ’emergency brew’ which can be ready in 7-10 days and is made in a single step fermentation (Danyangju 단양주). Traditionally this rice wine was brewed in each home and served as everyday drink as well as for special occasions like weddings.

What does Makgeolli taste like?

This Korean rice wine 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. 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.

History of Makgeolli

This is the oldest alcoholic drink in Korean cuisine that dates back to Goryeo (고려) 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 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.

Makgeolli was considered a “farmer’s wine (Nongju  농주)” 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 (사발) every afternoon during their break. Farmers or other labor workers (like for construction) would get quite upset 😝 if 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 —