For whom does the bell toll? In the university
district of Hongdae, it tolls for makgeolli drinkers. Selling makgeolli
from a pushcart, the infamous Makgeolli Ajeossi (old man) heralds his
arrival with a handbell and a hearty yell. “I love you!” he offers to
his foreign customers, along with bottle after bottle of the
unbelievably cheap rice-fermented alcoholic beverage, makgeolli.
Makgeolli
has earned incredible goodwill, both domestically and abroad, over the
last few years. This unusual opaque milky mixture, traditionally served
in a bowl rather than a cup, offers a quintessentially Korean drinking
experience that more and more people from overseas are falling in love
with.
“I’m excited to be on the ground floor of makgeolli,” says
Monica Kluge, a Canadian enthusiast of makgeolli and founding member of
Makgeolli Mamas & Papas.
She
started Makgeolli Mamas & Papas with her Australian friend Julia
Mellor in November 2011. “The long-term ambition for MMPKorea is to
spread as much knowledge about makgeolli as wide as possible in order to
strengthen makgeolli communication and community,” says Kluge. “We want
our website to be a one-stop shop for makgeolli information and
content, whether it be house reviews or recommendations across Korea
(and internationally), news, or links connecting the homemade makgeolli
community.”
Traditionally reputed as a farmers’ drink for
alleviating a hard day’s work in the fields, it has also been known as
nongju, or farmers’ alcohol. But lately, makgeolli has since moved into
the cities and become a craft beverage, where foreign residents like
Kluge and Mellor have been quick to embrace it -- perhaps even quicker
than the Korean public.
“We still get shocked looks when we say
we like makgeolli and people often ask why,” says Mellor. “But, more and
more people are drinking it and trying it for the first time and the
farmers' drink stereotype has been disappearing.”
The group
holds gatherings every three weeks, each time visiting a new makgeolli
house and creating a collective review to be posted on their website.
“From the meetings, we want to get people talking about makgeolli,
meeting new people, trying new things,” says Mellor, “but also inspiring
them to get out and explore makgeolli on their own.”
In their
time active they’ve seen a renaissance of makgeolli, ushering in new
makgeolli bars, food blogs focusing on makgeolli, and lovers of
makgeolli.
“Everyone ends up lovin’ it!” Kluge says. “The key is
that makgeolli has a lot of great traditions, it is interesting to
explore the old school makgeolli houses or the new makgeolli lounges,
and people are realizing it is an important and enjoyable nook in Korean
culture.”
“[MMPKorea] see makgeolli as a core of Korean
culture,” says Jo Hyo-jin, a professor at the Graduate School of Tourism
Science at Kyonggi University who also frequents MMPKorea meetups.
“There comes a bigger understanding of Korean culture along with
makgeolli. As they evaluate places where makgeolli is sold, they will
become great guides or guiding lights for other foreign makgeolli fans.”
Jo also teaches lectures on makgeolli at Susubori Academy,
a traditional Korean liquor institute connected with the university.
Susubori offers one-day classes for the curious, as well as full
certification courses in brewing makgeolli, plus a host of other
alcoholic beverages including beer and soju. His classes have been a hit
with foreign brewers.
“Makgeolli has a low alcohol content like
beer so it is easily drinkable,” he explains. “It is not as harmful to
your health as hard liquor. There is also the charm of makgeolli itself.
It does not belong to any category such as wine or vodka. It is
unique.”
The makgeolli boom started in 2009 in an atmosphere of
economic uncertainty. Amid overall plummeting alcohol sales, makgeolli
sales surged almost 48 percent according to the National Tax Service. In
2010, Makgeolli exports to Japan overtook sake imports to Korea,
according to the Korea Customs Service. In 2011, makgeolli sales
overseas reached USD 52.7 million, 90 percent of which landed in Japan.
Makgeolli
is also touted for its health benefits, made with a live yeast culture
not unlike that of other fermented delicacies such as yogurt. It also
contains fiber, amino acids, lactobacilli, and vitamins B1, B2, and C.
Traditionally, makgeolli is made by fermenting glutinous rice, barley,
or wheat, and most varieties have an alcoholic content between six and
eight percent, on par with beer rather than soju which hovers around 20
percent.
In recent history, makgeolli was made with
chemical additives to hasten the fermentation process, but brewers are
returning to more natural methods. Meanwhile, soju, which still
maintains its popularity coming in cheap, low-quality green bottles, has
seen considerably less experimentation. But after experiencing the
splitting headache of a soju hangover, more and more people are turning
away from soju and switching to the much fresher, flavorful, nutritious
varieties of makgeolli.
“Makgeolli is very different to soju, in
that there is easy access to so many different kinds, flavors, and
ingredients, so every makgeolli you try will be different,” says Kluge.
“It’s much more like wine in that way.”
Additionally, to stay
competitive and maintain sales growth, makgeolli retailers have been
introducing a wide range of new products and premium brands. Also,
unlike soju which is manufactured by major distillers like Jinro and
Lotte, makgeolli is mainly produced by small businesses, allowing for
more experimentation and regional variation and ensuring that customers
will never run out of new tastes to experience. According to Hur
Si-myung, principal of the Makgeolli School, there are over 800
makgeolli breweries throughout Korea.
But makgeolli’s
renaissance has also led to an interesting challenge for the Mamas &
Papas. The milky, sweet beverage offers first-time tasters a unique
drinking experience unlike any other popular alcoholic drink, but it
also exists outside the usual frame of reference for connoisseurs of
more familiar alcoholic drinks such as wine and beer.
“When we
review different kinds of makgeolli, we have learned that there is no
established vocabulary to differentiate from what we are trying,” says
Mellor. “If we try wine, we talk about things like 'nose,' 'finish,'
'tannins,' 'curtains,' 'bouquet', but makgeolli is still limited. It's
really interesting to see what people come up with to describe what they
are tasting. We are starting to see some common patterns and word
frequencies which we hope will evolve into a widely accepted
makgeolli-tasting vocabulary.”
Although the rise of makgeolli
sales has slowed this year, that doesn’t mean the drink is going to
disappear, as the number of makgeolli makers and lovers continues to
grow.
"We should focus on culture rather than trying to sell
overseas," says Jo. "Beer is localized and produced everywhere around
the world. The government should change its strategy to globalize
makgeolli so that it can be enjoyed by a more diverse population."
“The makgeolli world is limitless,” says Kluge, “and we have big plans to be a part of it all.”
Visit the Makgeolli Mamas & Papas webpage or find them on Facebook. Learn more about Susubori Academy.
By Jon Dunbar
Korea.net Editor