Makgeolli, also known as Makkoli or Makuly(takju) (and referred to in English as "Korean rice wine"), is an alcoholic beverage native to Korea. It is made from a mixture of wheat and rice which gives it a milky, off-white color, and sweetness. It is made by fermenting a mixture of boiled rice, wheat and water, and is about 6–8% alcohol by volume. Most makgeolli contains rice these days; however a few brands contain wheat instead of rice. It was originally quite popular among farmers, earning it the name nongju (농주 / 農酒), which means "farmer liquor". However, it has recently started to become more popular in cities, especially with the younger generations. Dongdongju (동동주) is a drink very similar to makgeolli, and both are commonly imbibed alongside Korean "pancakes" called pajeon (파전) or bindaetteok (빈대떡).

History

According to the "Poetic Records of Emperors and Kings (Jewangun-gi)", written during the Goryeo Dynasty, the first mention of the drink was in the founding story of the Goguryeo during the reign of King Dongmyeong. Many tribes in Korea around that time enjoyed the tradition of drinking and dancing all night in special ceremonies. During the Goryeo dynasty, makgeolli was called ihwa-ju (pear blossom alcohol) for the liquor was made during the blossoming of that particular flower.

Use

Commercially, makgeolli is most commonly available in plastic bottles or aseptic box containers. Traditionally, it is served in a large metal or wooden bowl from which individual cups and bowls are filled using a ladle. As it is an unfiltered beverage, makgeolli is generally shaken or stirred before being consumed, as the cloudy white portion tends to settle to the bottom, leaving a pale yellow-clear liquid on top.

Makgeolli is used during ancestral rites in Korea.

Availability and manufacture

In 2011, Japanese sake makers started producing makgeolli products, attempting to promote them under the name 'makkori(マッコリ)', the Japanese pronunciation of makgeolli. This is likely to cause problems that foreigners regard makgeolli as a Japanese traditional alcoholic beverage of Japanese, not as Korean traditional alcoholic beverage.

To fit consumer tastes, research into standardization to reduce off-flavors and ensure consistency between batches has been applied in modern production. Flavorings such as fruit and ginseng are also sometimes added, along with aspartame, which gives sweetness without adding a fermentable carbohydrate, increasing shelf life and flavor stability in commercial brands. As the result of these efforts, sales have increased.

A box of nongju

The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced plans for enhancing the competitiveness of alcoholic beverages on August 26, 2009, which includes plans for the makgeolli industry.

English naming

The winner of a public contest by the Korean Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries for the selection of an English name for makgeolli was "Drunken Rice", with the Ministry reasoning that foreigners would understand that makgeolli is a type of liquor made from rice. "Mackohol" and "Markelixir" were the runners-up. Nevertheless, an 11-country survey identified "Korea Rice Wine" as the term that most easily conveys the idea of makgeolli. Some netizens have pointed out that "Drunken Rice" is not a particularly suitable anglicization, and that in an international context, this may reflect poorly on Korean cuisine in general.