Korean and Other Rice Wines

Where it started

Experts believe makgeolli was made before the Three Kingdoms period, and the word takju appears in Goryeo-dynasty documents.¹ Brewing was household work: 17th-century recipe books such as the Eumsik Dimibang, by Lady Jang of Andong, record women brewing at home.³ A 1909 liquor tax law required permission to brew at home, and laws from 1934 through 1995 forbade it.¹ The 1966 grain import policy pushed makgeolli onto imported flour and corn; all restrictions on liquor ingredients were lifted in 1990, and rice makgeolli returned.¹ In the 2010s the government permitted traditional liquors to be sold online, which opened the way for premium makgeolli.³ On June 15, 2021, the Cultural Heritage Administration designated makgeolli-making a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.²

Where and how it's made

Glutinous rice is steamed into a firm base called godubap, mixed with nuruk and water and fermented in an earthenware pot (suldok).³ When it is ready, the clear top layer is drawn off as cheongju; the rest is strained with its dregs, jigemi, and thinned with water into makgeolli.¹ Rice is usual, but regions used millet, sorghum, corn, barley or sweet potato.¹ Makgeolli runs about six percent alcohol.¹

Korea's Liquor Tax Act lists makkoli, rice wine and refined rice wine as separate brewed classes.⁴ Since January 2020, takju (makgeolli) has been taxed by the volume shipped, 41.7 won per liter at the switch, instead of 5 percent of price.⁵ Exports of makgeolli reached US$15.7 million in 2021, up 27.6 percent.⁶

China's counterpart is huangjiu, "yellow wine," brewed with qu and as strong as about 15 percent; it was long the preferred drink of the Chinese elite.⁸

How to taste it

Shake makgeolli gently to bring the sediment back, pour it into a bowl or wide cup, and serve it cold. Look for rice sweetness, tartness and a creamy finish. It is a classic partner to kimchi and bindaetteok, mung bean pancakes.² It still carries ritual weight: Koreans offer it at ceremonies for new buildings, new cars and new restaurants.² Serve cheongju chilled in a small glass, like sake.

Styles and what the label means

• Makgeolli (takju) — cloudy, unfiltered; "mak" means roughly or carelessly sifted.¹
• Cheongju — clear rice wine drawn from the top of the brew.¹
• Yakju — refined rice wine, sometimes brewed with medicinal herbs.³
• Ihwaju — a thick, spoonable makgeolli made without added water.³
• Munbaeju — not a rice drink at all: a grain liquor of millet and sorghum with the scent of pears.⁷
• Huangjiu — China's brewed "yellow wine."⁸