4 Types of Tangy, Sweet & Nutty Makgeolli Prepared for Light Drinkers

'Other Alcoholic Beverages' Are Still Alcohol!

Cutting to the chase, today I will introduce three types of Makgeolli brewed with fruit and a Makgeolli with nuts added. The first one introduced, Ddarling from Dadochamjuga, is classified as Takju, while the other three are classified as other alcoholic beverages. What are other alcoholic beverages?

According to the Liquor Tax Act, any beverage with an alcohol content of 1% or higher is considered an alcoholic beverage (酒類). It can be subdivided into fermented alcoholic beverages, distilled alcoholic beverages, and other alcoholic beverages, including ethanol. Takju, beer, and fruit wine fall under fermented alcoholic beverages, while soju and whiskey belong to distilled alcoholic beverages. The rest are defined as other alcoholic beverages.

Dadochamjuga ‘Ddarling’

Ddarling from Chamjuga, which means to produce alcohol that is not ashamed even when shown in bright light. Chamjuga means “Cham” (to shine sunlight), “Ju” (alcohol), and “Ga” (house). They consider their alcohol to be clean and carefully brewed with good alcohol and good ingredients, and they are making more efforts to maintain that value.

Ddarling has a soft and milky texture like yogurt or milk, characterized by a smooth throat feel. This alcohol, filled with the aroma and flavor of Naju-grown Seolhyang strawberries, has an alcohol content of 5.5%. To bring out the richness of traditional nuruk, the alcohol is brewed with tender care for 48 hours in a paulownia wood frame. Since it contains the taste of strawberries loved by many regardless of age or gender, it is recommended for those who do not usually like Makgeolli.

Joeunsulsejong ‘Banana’

Joeunsulsejong is a place that offers various traditional liquor experience programs and tasting opportunities to visitors of the brewery. In addition, they release differentiated products such as organic Ido distilled soju and Udodangnut traditional liquor.

Banana Makgeolli is pale and milky enough to remind one of the saying “Bananas are originally white.” Its color is similar to juice made by mashing slightly browned bananas. While you cannot fully enjoy the sweetness of banana by taste, you can experience 100% of the banana aroma through smell. With a low alcohol content of 4%, it is a good choice for those who are sensitive to alcohol to try at least once.

Sagok Brewery ‘Tonight Melonju’

Sagok Brewery, a traditional liquor factory with 60 years of tradition. It is the only brewery in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do, and was the first to introduce liquor brewed mainly with chestnuts.

Tonight Melonju carries a dual meaning. It means to drink Melonju on a night when evening has come, and it also means Melonju containing chestnuts (栗) as nuts. Using chestnuts, a specialty product of Gongju, Tonight Melonju has an alcohol content of 6%. The taste is sweet like the ice cream Melona, so it is not off-putting, but the color is not light green. If you find preparing various ingredients troublesome when following a Melona-based liquor recipe, this is recommended for easy enjoyment.

Bae Hyejeong Brewery ‘Hotang’

Bae Hyejeong Brewery brews alcohol using a raw rice fermentation method, grinding raw rice without steaming it, unlike regular Makgeolli.

Hotang is a contraction of walnut (ho-do) and peanut (ttang-kong). According to Bae Hyejeong Brewery, this product was released hoping that drinking culture would be about enjoying alcohol rather than getting drunk. Using domestically produced rice, they added the savory flavors of walnuts and peanuts. Moreover, it is made using the aforementioned raw rice fermentation method, resulting in a much smoother texture and lighter throat feel. If you are looking for a savory and flavorful alcohol, try Hotang. Its alcohol content is 6%.

Photo = Screenshot from SSG.com

Edited by Yoon Eun-ae