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Makgeolli, a milky traditional Korean alcoholic beverage, is one of the nation’s oldest agrarian spirits. After toiling away in the fields all day, exhausted Korean farmers gulped down the sweet-but-astringent-tasting makgeolli, sitting on an outdoor bench. Farmers also drank a bowl of makgeolli as a pick-me-up during breaks to slake their thirst and hunger and went back to work with an elevated mood and a full stomach. Such time-honored makgeolli was getting squeezed out of the nation’s liquor market by classy wines flaunting tasteful images. Then, wines were so hip that some wines fetching several hundred dollars were sold out. However, the tables have been turned. Wines that caught on thanks to their upscale images and wellbeing messages are losing ground to makgeolli as makgeolli started to find renewed favor with Korean consumers.
The reason for the renaissance of makgeolli is simple. Consumers do not choose makgeolli either out of patriotic sentiment or in a show of their preference for retro items. makgeolli that traces back 5,000 years has been thrown back into the spotlight because Korean consumers now find it tastier than wines imported from France and Japanese rice wine sake.
Gleefully welcoming the recent makgeolli boom, the Korean makgeolli industry is busy thrashing out plans not to lose the hard-earned momentum. First of all, the Korea Makgeolli Association has designated the last Thursday of October as Makgeolli Day. Taking its cues from France’s Beaujolais Nouveau, which also releases wines made from freshly-picked grapes along with vintage wines, the Korea Makgeolli Association launches makgeollis made from freshly harvested rice on Makgeolli Day. Considering that the word “makgeolli” literally means a fresh alcoholic beverage made off the cuff, the makgeollis made from freshly harvested rice, the closest to the essence of makgeolli, is too tempting to miss. Consumers can buy makgeollis made from freshly harvested rice after sampling makgeollis in bottles bearing the “2013 freshly harvested rice” mark.
In contrast to previous Makgeolli Weeks, which were led mainly by preexisting makgeolli manufacturers, watering holes selling premium makgeollis took part in the recent Makgeolli Week in droves. Thus, a wider range of makgeollis were available in fancier versions. Lightly fermented, fresh scented makgeollis that forgo thick muddy tastes; low-alcohol makgeollis contained in pretty-looking bottles; colorful makgeollis laced with fruit juices like green grapes and black raspberries caught the eye of consumers, especially female makgeolli drinkers.
Makgeolli brewers nationwide and pubs selling traditional spirits joined forces and held a small-scale event at SangsangMadang in Hong-dae (the nation’s famous university town). Makgeolli booths were put up to provide young consumers with opportunities to sample a variety of reasonably-priced, less-known makgeollis produced nationwide. And independent music band concerts and tap-dancing performances ensued adding a festive mood to the event, which was held as part of the Korea Makgeolli Association’s efforts to broaden the consumer base of makgeolli. The event helped makgeolli, which used to be considered as the preserve of nostalgia-soaked old-timers, widen its appeal to trend-seeking young people.
Furthermore, the 1st Paldo (the eight provinces of Korea) Makgeolli Travel Team was official formed on December 6. After receiving makgeolli education, the travel team, comprised of journalists, will make a trip to makgeolli breweries nationwide under individually tailored itineraries. They will taste fresh makgeollis and local cuisines and make a tour of nearby tourist attractions in order to learn about the history of each region’s makgeolli and introduce Makgeolli breweries’ in connection with their surroundings. All the expenses for journalists’ field trips to breweries, including board and lodging, will be borne by the Korea Makgeolli Association. The journalists will post their reports on makgeollis online at the end of December, so various images and stories of makgeolli breweries nationwide will soon hit the Internet.
This kind of project is important because the Paldo Makgeolli Travel Team will contribute to building a fundamental database of makgeollis, which have yet to be systemically kept track of. As a matter of fact, building a fundamental makgeolli database is needed since nearly 1,000 kinds of makgeollis are being produced in the eight provinces of Korea. The ingredients of makgeollis and fermentation methods differ by region. Corns and potatoes are the main ingredients of makgeolli in some regions while local specialties are sometimes added to some region’s makgeolli to create differentiated favors and scents.
For instance in Kangwon-do, where highland agriculture is prevalent, makgeolli is made from corns, potatoes and buckwheat. In Jeolla-do, home to the Honam plains (the granary of Korea), makgeolli is mostly made from organic produce. As such, the eight provinces of Korea produce different kinds of makgeollis that mirror each province’s unique lifestyle and characteristics. The 60-strong Paldo Makgeolli Travel Team will post journals online to offer consumers vicarious experiences with varied makgeollis. And the data garnered by the team will become an invaluable asset needed for the sustainable development of traditional Korean liquor makgeolli.
Such efforts to help makgeolli put down roots as a unique Korean culture should be made on a continuing basis. French wines, deem as upmarket liquor by many Koreans, and Spain’s sangria did not become their nations’ cherished cultural assets over night. The combination of festivals, national interests and government endeavors took the credit for turning wines and sangria into their mainstream cultures. Nothing becomes mainstream from the beginning. When the nation is mulling over how to shape the future of the makgeolli industry and how to spur on changes in the industry in the right direction, makgeolli will go mainstream in the nation.
Makgeolli is not simply one of the traditional liquors but the nation’s tradition that reflects our ancestors’ life and history. The more we know about our traditions, the better we can protect them. It would be advisable for South Korea to proactively do researches on the nation’s drinking culture not to make the makgeolli boom a fad that peters out soon. The nation needs to learn more about what types of makgeollis are available at the moment, what foods makgeolli goes well with so as to nurture makgeolli into one of the nation’s cultural contents.