[G20 SEOUL SUMMIT 2010] ‘Barman! One Drunken Rice, Please’

With Seoul in the global spotlight during the G20, the national makgeolli industry hopes to use the summit as a platform to promote their product to the world.

Makgeolli?

Yes, makgeolli. A traditional alcoholic beverage made from rice, it is believed to be the oldest tipple native to the peninsula. Though often dubbed “rice wine” locally, it is technically a beer. and has recently been re-branded “Drunken Rice” - a name that captures the whimsical and unpretentious nature of the drink - for markets abroad.

It has a milky white appearance and an alcohol content of around 6-7 percent. Makgeolli is made by adding yeast and water to rice that has been steamed and dried; the mixture is then fermented and filtered.

When everything goes right, makgeolli perfectly blends the sweet, the sour, the bitter and the dry. Its mild flavors make it extremely gluggable and it is modestly priced; in the past,like beer in Europe, it was a favorite refreshment for peasants after a hard day’s work in the fields.

As times have changed, so makgeolli - desperately unfashionable just a few years ago - has successfully re-invented itself.

Thanks to improved manufacturing, new makgeolli products minimizing the cloudy white sediment that used to settle to the bottom of the glass, causing epic hangovers, have appeared. Moreover, a new breed of makgeollis with added fruit and herbal flavors has flooded stores and restaurants.

Add some funky new marketing, and the cheery old beverage is seeing a true renaissance as it captures the hearts and taste buds of the young generation.

The rising popularity of makgeolli is not limited to Korea: makgeolli exports to Japan increased from 326 kiloliters in January 2009 to 1,573 kiloliters this year.

“Foreigners who enjoy Korean food will easily discover the charm of makgeolli as it goes well with a variety of Korean dishes,” said an official at the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.“The ministry is stepping up efforts to promote makgeolli overseas, starting with Japan.”

No less a man than President Lee Myung-bak has put himself forward as a goodwill ambassador for makgeolli.

On a chartered flight to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January 2010, he took some makgeolli to use during official toasts. At the “Korea Night 2010” event during the forum, Lee introduced Mimong, a brand from major local brewery Kook-soondang, to all participants.

Various makgeolli-based mixed drinks have been introduced targeting foreigners.

The Grand Hyatt hotel in Seoul recently introduced new makgeolli cocktails made with banana liqueur, Korean green plum and yogurt.

By Han Sang-jun
alwaysj@donga.com