Photo: Special Vietnam Plus
The Korean culture is a fascinating mix of tradition and modernity. It’s not surprising that people all over the world get mesmerized by how these traditions can still be present in today’s society while incorporating them into popular culture. Lately, there is a traditional drink that is gaining traction among younger generations.
Makgeolli is a traditional rice wine more preferred for its price — not the taste. The drink is milky and sweet; it was often opted for by Korean drinkers when they didn’t have enough cents to buy an expensive one.
Kim Kyung-seop, a Makgeolli entrepreneur from South Korea, shares his memories of how they bought this drink for only 40 cents. He was young and in college back in 1948. Kim would sit around with friends drinking Makgeolli as part of their tradition.
“When we were with women, we would drink beer. But among the boys, we drank Makgeolli,” Kim said, describing the drink as something ‘unfit to impress women’ before. But today, Makgeolli has gained traction and is now trending — mostly in the eyes of on-the-rise entrepreneurs and brewers.
Kim is now the CEO of Boksoondoga, a premium makgeolli brewery that was established in 2009. “We worked very hard to get rid of the established images people hold of makgeolli,” he said.
Back in the day, Kim’s father had always had to scold him for being more interested in brewing wine than finishing his degree in Architecture at the Union Cooper in New York.
When his father expressed his doubts about the young Kim’s dream, he ignored him and pursued it anyway. And five years late, he became the CEO of a company that would inspire other people like himself.
The Japanese colonization phased out many cultural practices in South Korea. Taxes were imposed on alcohol-making, which led to a shortage of traditional brewers during the period. Moreover, the Korean War and the Second World War also brought more complications.
Food shortage was rampant during the 1960s prompting the government to ban the production of wine using rice — Makgeolli’s key ingredient.
When the ban was lifted in 1995 because of economic recovery, alcohol-making was then again legalized. But the tradition of makgeolli-making was lost.
The production of Makgeolli was almost lost, but luckily it had a revival thanks to researchers like Park Rock-dam, who went around Korea and gathered information about how the drink originated and how it is made.
The movement was amplified after the government asserted its position on the preservation of cultural practices such as brew making of traditional Korean beverages.
Since then, many have followed suit. Kim Kyung-seop is one example. His classes are composed of younger members in their 30s and mostly entrepreneurs.
From 2009 to the present, the National Tax Service Data has seen a 43% increase in the number of licensed makgeolli brewers – and this is expected to upswing as the beverage makes its way to the mainstream.
Opinions expressed by US Insider contributors are their own.
