Makgeolli

Makgeolli(Korean:막걸리;lit.raw rice wine;[mak.k͈ʌɭɭi]), sometimes anglicized tomakkoli(/ˈmækəli/,MAK-ə-lee), is aKorean alcoholic drink. It is a milky, off-white, and lightly sparklingrice winethat has a slight viscosity, and tastes slightly sweet, tangy, bitter, and astringent. Chalky sediment gives it a cloudy appearance.As a low proof drink of six to nine percentalcohol by volume, it is often considered a "communal beverage" rather thanhard liquor.
In Korea,makgeolliis often unpasteurized, and the wine continues to mature in the bottle.Because of the shortshelf lifeof unpasteurized "draft"makgeolli, many exportedmakgeolliundergopasteurization, which deprives the beverage of complex enzymes and flavor compounds.Recently, various fruits such as strawberries and bananas have been added to makgeolli to create forms with new flavours.
The namemakgeolli(막걸리) is acompound, consisting ofmak(막; "roughly, recklessly, carelessly") and adeverbal nounderived from the verb stemgeoreu-(거르-; "to strain, to sift, to filter") to which is added a noun-formingsuffix-i(-이).
Because of its cloudy appearance,makgeolliis also calledtakju(탁주;濁酒), meaning "opaque wine", as opposed to the refined, transparentcheongju(청주;淸酒), meaning "clear wine".Another name formakgeolliisnongju(Korean:농주;Hanja:農酒), meaning "agricultural wine" or "farmer's wine", reflecting the traditional popularity of the beverage amongfarmers.
In 2010, the South KoreanMinistry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheriesannounced "drunken rice" as the winning entry in a competition to find an English nickname formakgeolli."Makcohol" (makgeolli + alcohol) and "Markelixir" (makgeolli + elixir) were among the runners-up.The five-member panel reasoned that the chosen name would communicate the product's identity as a rice liquor and evoke associations with its ambassadors, the popularKorean hip-hopgroupDrunken Tiger. This met with a cool reception from the Korean public, with objections relating to translation of the nounmakgeolli, felt to be unnecessary, and to the negative connotations of the word "drunken".
Scottish band Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5, playing at the inauguralDMZPeace Train Festival in 2018, calledmakgeolli'Fight Milk', or 'KoreanBuckfast'.
In 2009, Korean importers in Japan began producingmakgeolliproducts, promoting them with the namemakkori, the Japanese pronunciation ofmakgeolli.In 2011, several Japanesesakecompanies, includingGekkeikanand Tatenokawa, launched cloudy rice wines under the namemakkori, and announced plans to export the products to Asia, America, and Europe.Concerns were raised in Korea that this could lead tomakgeollibeing mistakenly regarded as traditionally Japanese rather than Korean, as had happened in the1996 kimchi-kimuchi case.
Makgeolliis the oldest alcoholic beverage inKorea.Rice wine has been brewed since theThree Kingdomsera, which ran from the 1st century BCE to the 7th century CE.The consumption of rice wine during the reign of KingDongmyeong(37–19 BCE) is mentioned in the founding story of the kingdom ofGoguryeoinJewang ungi(Songs of Emperors and Kings), a 13th-centuryGoryeoKorean book.
There are a number of other early records mentioning rice wine in theKorean Peninsula. The Goryeo Korean bookSamguk yusa(Memorabilia of theThree Kingdoms) mentions the brewing ofyorye(醪醴, "cloudy rice wine") in the kingdom ofSillaforKing SuroofGayaby his seventeenth-generation descendant in 661, in its section entitledGarakguk gi(Record of theState of Garak).In theJin ChinesebookSānguózhì(Records of the Three Kingdoms), the sectionDongyi(Eastern Foreigners) of theWei Shu(Book of Wei) contains the observation that "theGoguryeo Koreansare skilled in making fermented foods such as wine,soybean paste, andsaltedandfermented fish".TheAsuka JapanesebookKojiki(Records of Ancient Matters) makes reference in the section entitledŌjin-tennō(Emperor Ōjin) to a man namedInbeon(仁番) from the kingdom ofBaekjebeing taught how to brew wine.And the poemGōngzishí(公子時), by theTang ChinesepoetLi Shangyin, refers to Silla wine (新羅酒) made with non-glutinous rice.
During the Goryeo dynasty,makgeolliwas calledihwa-ju(이화주;梨花酒, pear blossom alcohol), as the liquor was made when the pear trees were in blossom.This was associated in many communities in Korea around that time with a tradition of all-night drinking and dancing in special ceremonies.Makgeolliwas brewed at home for centuriesand was considered a "farmer's wine", or rural working-class beverage.
During theperiod of Japanese rule of Korea(1910-1945), the colonial government introduced a licensing system and taxed even for self-consumption, and by 1934, home brewing had been banned.ThePark Chung-heedictatorship also banned its making (1965) because of rice shortages.In 1990, the South Korean  ban on brewing with rice was finally lifted, with home brewing again becoming legal only at the beginning of the 21st century.In the interim period,makgeolliwas made from wheat.
The most-consumed alcoholic drink inSouth Koreain the 1960s and 1970s,makgeollibegan to lose popularity in the 1970s with the rise of imported alcoholic beverages.Also, due to the national food shortage, the government banned making makgeolli using rice, and makgeolli was made by mixing 80% wheat flour and 20% corn. When flour was used, the quality of makgeolli deteriorated.Asmakgeolliwas considered cheap and old-fashioned, sellers then focused on selling quantity rather than quality,with manymakgeollicompanies turning to mass production. In this process, the rice wine is usually brewed with a non-traditionally manufactured fermentation starter instead of the traditionalnuruk.It is also diluted with water.
In the 21st century,makgeollienjoyed a resurgence in urban areas and among younger generations.The health benefits and low alcohol proof ofmakgeolli, and a growing interest in cultural traditions in recent decades, have contributed to the revival.The product continues to be inexpensive, with a plastic,soft drink-style 750 ml (26 imp fl oz; 25 US fl oz) bottle costing around₩1,200 ($1.05).Novelty high-endmakgeolliare also produced, using traditional methods free of artificial additives. There were at least 700 small-scale breweries in production in South Korea in 2017.As of 2023, Geumjeongsanseong Makgeolli inBusanwas the only officially recognized makgeolli master in the country.
Makgeolliis made fromriceusingnuruk, a Koreanfermentation starter.Nurukis a dry cereal cake that has been allowed to ferment and mature to promote the growth of molds producinghydrolyzableenzymes thatdecomposethe starches of the cereal grain into sugar. This sugar is then used byyeastto produce alcohol throughfermentation.Different kinds ofnuruk, made with different ingredients such as rice, wheat, barley, ormung beans, producemakgeolliof a variety of flavors.
Steamed rice,nuruk, and sometimes additional flavoring ingredients such asmaize,chestnuts,fruits,herbs, andflowersare mixed and left to ferment inonggi, the same permeable clay crocks used for makingkimchi,soy sauce, and other fermented foods.
The brewing process involves two stages: seed and main mash and main fermentation.Seed mash is the process of obtaining actively growing yeasts and enzymes in the mixture of yeast andnuruk.The tastes and aromas of the main mash develop with the transformation of the rice-derived nutrients and amino acids.Main fermentation lasts for about a week.
Makgeolliis best consumed fresh, a week or two after brewing.When freshly brewed, it has a milder and creamier taste.It acquires a stronger taste over time and turns intorice vinegarafter a couple of months.
Traditionally, the wine was only created one way, but to reach out across the different age groups and for exporting purposes there are several different ways the wine is created. Oncemakgeollihas been exported, it can change as well. Many people also brew makgeolli at home these days.Traditionally,makgeolliis created unpasteurized.
Many mass-producedmakgeolliare brewed with non-traditional manufactured fermentation starter instead of the traditionalnuruk, and are diluted with water and contain additives such asaspartame. This gives the liquor sweetness without adding a fermentable carbohydrate, and thus increasesshelf life.Flavorings such as fruit andginsengare also sometimes added.
Makgeolliis usually served chilled, in a bottle or in a pottery bowl with a ladle.Prior to drinking, it is stirred with the ladle, or the bottle is gently flipped upside down several times with the cap on, in order to mix in the settled sediment.It is then ladled or poured into individual small bowls, rather than cups, for drinking.This is because of the tendency ofmakgeollito split into a cloudy white fraction that settles to the bottom and a clear, pale yellow liquid that rises to the top.
Makgeolliis often served with friedbuchimgae, Korean pancakes, such aspajeon(made withscallions),haemul-panjeon(made with scallions and seafood), andbindae-tteok(made with mung beans and pork).Consumingmakgeolliwith these pancakes is a custom often associated with rainy days.There are a number of theories regarding the origin. The first theory is the effect ofassociation, whereby the sound of the rain is similar to the sizzling sound of a pancake making, so when it rains, pajeon automatically comes to mind. The second theory has to do with traditional agricultural culture. When the farmers were not able to work due to the rain, especially during the rainy season of Summer, they made pajeon to soothe their hunger and accompanied it with makgeolli, a farmer’s favorite drink. Naturally, it became a seasonal food, and the tradition has been passed down to this day.
Makgeollimay also be mixed with ice and fruits such as mango and pineapple to makefruit cocktails, or withsaida(lemon-lime drink) to make a simple cocktail namedmaksa.Makgeollimixed withkkul(honey) is calledkkul-makgeolli.
Because of the microorganisms present during fermentation,makgeolliis aprobioticproduct. It contains high levels oflactic acid bacteriasuch asLactobacillus, as well asvitamins,amino acids, andfiber.With a 1.9 percent protein content, over 10 amino acids, vitamin B,inositolandcholine,makgeolliis reputed to increase metabolism, relieve fatigue and improve thecomplexion.
Dongdong-ju("float-float wine") is a drink very similar tomakgeolli, but slightly creamier and with unfiltered floating rice grains. The worddongdongis anideophonefor a small object floating by.Ihwa-ju("pear-blossom wine") is so named because it is brewed from rice with rice malt which ferments during thepear-blossom season.Ihwajuis often so thick that it is eaten with a spoon.Dansul("sweet wine") is a sweeter variety with partial fermentation. 
The Tibetan alcoholic beverageChhaangis also very similar drink with its cloudy milky appearance along with its unfiltered rice sediments. During the Tibetan lunar new year, Tibetans drink a slight variation of Chaang by adding dried cheese, droma (a type of small tuber similar in taste to sweet potato) and nuts which is then heated and drunk warm. In Nepal, where chaang is enjoyed by the Newars and Sherpas, Korean produced bottled makgeoli is branded and sold as chaang.
Chinesechoujiuand Japanesenigoriare rice wines similar tomakgeolli.