Drinking culture is changing. The younger generation is preferring to enjoy even a glass of alcohol, a shift in drinking culture with the increase of drinking alone at home due to COVID-19. This is also the reason the traditional liquor market in Korea is growing rapidly. Recently more consumers are looking for new drinks such as fruit Makgeolli and distilled soju as well. At the end of this year, how about celebrating the end of the year by drinking Korean alcohol with your a partner in a sexual or romantic relationship outside marrigem, family, or friends?

#The most popular Korean alcohol, Makgeolli
Makgeolli is a traditional liquor representing Korea. It is made by brewing the alcohol with rice, and filtering and squeezing clear alcohol without scooping it out. So Makgeolli is white and has a sweet, delicate flavor, unlike other alcoholic beverages. Its alcohol percentage is not that high at 5-6%. Makgeolli is consumed as a popular liquor in Korea 
In Korea, Makgeolli is produced in each reginon. For this reason, it is said there are as many types of Makgeolli as the number of regions in Korea. Makgeolli is made with local specialties, such as Gapyeong Pine Nut Makgeolli, Gongju Chestnut Makgeolli, Goheung Yuja Makgeolli, and Jeju Mandarin Makgeolli. Among them, Gapyeong Pine Nut Makgeolli produced by Woorisool Co., Ltd. Won the first place in the Rice Process Product Fair in 2020 ; it can be felt the nutty taste of the pine nuts as it is. 

Unique Makgeolli has also appeared. A representative example is ‘100 Billion Freebio Makgeolli’ of Kook Soon Dang Co., Ltd. With growing interest in health due to COVID-19, attention is drawn to Makgeolli containing lactic acid bacteria. KookSoonDang also launched Makgeolli with the taste of famous ‘Banana Flavored Milk’ in Korea, which is known to have grown the fruit Makgeolli market. Such Makgeolli is also popular overseas. Korea’s Makgeolli exports in 2021 were USD 15.804 million, up 27% from the previous year and have been growing since 2019. With the mission of ‘Pursuing the Globalization of Makgeolli’, Woorisool is making Makgeolli that meets the tastes of local consumers, such as mango and blueberry Makgeolli. In addition, KookSoonDang developed canned Makgeolli in 1993 for the first time in Korea, opening the horizon of Makgeolli export. Jipyeong Makgeolli is preparing to contribute to the exportation as well. It makes Makgeolli in a traditional way at Jipyeong Brewery which was established in 1925 and has introduced Korean Makgeolli at the world’s largest food expo ‘SIAL Paris 2022’ held in Paris, France this year.

Lately, premium Makgeolli is also being produced and it has opened its luxury  market. New brand Weather Brewery produces and sells Makgeolli for each season in traditional ways without artificial sweeteners in champagne bottles. For example, in spring it sells ‘Bombi’ containing Hallabong and Mandarin peels, and in summer it launches ‘Yeoreumbada’ containing watermelon and blood orange.

#Popularity of Korean distilled soju
Soju is a must when it comes to Korean alcohol. ‘Donghae Soju’ has been ranked the best drink in ‘Soolmarket’, a traditional Korean alcohol online shopping mall. As of October, ‘Donghae Soju’ is ranked No. 1 in daily, weekly, and monthly sales. A traditional distilled soju produced by Seorak Provence Pear Flower Village, ‘Donghae Soju’ uses clear and clean deep-sea water 600m from the East Sea and preserves the raw rice flavor by using the uncooked rice fermentation technique developed in-house. Thus, it has a soft and clean aftertaste. There is a drink that has been very popular in Korea this year: ‘Wonsoju’ from Mowol Brewery. A traditional liquor launched by singer Jay Park, it is a premium distilled soju that uses 100% Korean rice and has no additives. Last February, on its first release date, ‘Wonsoju’ had a queue of people waiting in line even before the pop-up store opened, and it was sold out in the second pop-up
Soju is divided into two types: distilled soju made by fermenting grains and diluted soju made by diluting spirits in water. Recently, more consumers are looking for distilled soju, which is made only from grains without mixing alcohol and thus gives the taste and aroma of grains. ‘Hwayo’, receiving much attention in Korea, is also a distilled soju. It uses domestic rice and natural bedrock water to create clean and unique flavor of raw rice.
Called the three major liquor of Joseon Dynasty, ‘Leegangju’, ‘Jukryeokgo’, and ‘Gamhongro’, are also distilled soju. ‘Leegangju’ is a fermented liquor made from strong ingredients including rice, pears, ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric, so it has a rich flavor. ‘Jukryeokgo’ is a liquor made from the sap of bamboo, known as an alkaline health food. The bamboo scent blends with the subtle sweetness of the drink, giving it a deep flavor. ‘Gamhongro’ has a harmonious aroma of flowers and cinnamon and was selected as ‘The Ark of Taste’ in Slow Food International, recognized as a major traditional Korean liquor. ‘Green Bottle’ Korean soju are still popular, including ‘Chamisul’ of Hitejinro Co. Ltd. and ‘Chumchurum’ of Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co., Ltd. These are types of diluted soju. Green-bottle soju always appears in drinking scenes in Korean dramas and movies. In Korea, ‘Samgyeopsal and soju’ is still the best combination that is on par with ‘chicken and beer’.

#Korea's Famous Drinks
When you think of soju in Korea, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do comes into mind first. ‘Andong Soju’ is atraditional Korean liquor that has continued for more than 1,200 years in Andong. It is a distilled soju made from rice and yeast that is served when very important guests visit Andong city. ‘Hansan Sogokju’ is also a traditional liquor boasting 1,500 years of tradition. Originally from Seocheon, Chungcheongnam-do, this soju uses various ingredients such as rice, wheat, ginger, wild camomile, soybean, malt, and red pepper and is aged for 100 days. ‘Hansan Sogokju’ is called as sitting drink in Korea because people usually continue to drink it once they start without getting up from their seat, due to its excellence in tastes and smells.
There are also different types of Makgeolli: ‘Naroo Makgeolli’ from Hangang Brewery. High in rice content, it has the natural sweetness of the rice, and at the beginning of drinking, it can be felt the sweet taste of vanilla and pear. These characteristics fit the tastes of young consumers. Sulseam Co., Ltd ‘Leehwaju’, a Makgeolli with a thick texture, also stands out. Suitable as a dessert drink, this Makgeolli can be made without water and eaten with cool water in the summer or eaten with a spoon like yogurt.
Various alcoholic beverages such as wine, distilled liquor, and brandy are produced in Korea. Durae Co., Ltd. produces ‘DureAng’ with local giant grapes, by distilling and maturing the wine in oak barrels to serve as brandy. ‘Chusa’, also called Korean Calvados, is also worth notice. Calvados is a distilled brandy made from Calvados apples in France. Like French Calvados, ‘Chusa’ is an apple spirit that distill apples grown on their own and aged in oak barrels.
It is not that only Koreans should make Korean soju. ‘Tokki Soju’ is an American-made Korean liquor brand. Brandon Hill, an American inspired by Korean traditional liquor, founded a brewery called ‘Tokki Soju’ in Korea and has been making soju in a traditional way using Chapssal (glutinous rice). Last year, he made and released Korean-style Western liquor ‘Sonbi Gin’ using this soju. 
As the origin of ginseng, Korea has a lot of ginseng liquor. Taepyungjuga's ginseng liquor is made by adding ginseng extract and red ginseng concentrate to soju, and it contains a whole root of ginseng. Just by looking at the bottle, you can recognize that it is ‘ginseng soju’.

*TIP: More information on Korean alcohol can be found on ‘THE SOOL’ (thesool.com), an integrated information site for Korean alcohol jointly operated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs and Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT).