Traditionally, makgeolli (mahk-ah-li) ferments for 10-15 days. It is simply made by combining steamed rice with nuruk, which is ground wheat or rice flour mixed with molds and yeasts and then pressed into rings and left to age for several weeks. The steamed rice provides starches and water, while the nuruk supplies the microbial fermenters. As the microbes eat away at the softened rice, layers of liquid and dregs form known respectively as cheongju and dongdongju (Jun Yoo 109). The dregs, which are cloudy with rice particulate, can later be pressed to remove solids, creating the liquid that we know as milky makgeolli.

Koreans have been brewing makgeolli since just before the common era during their 3 Kingdom Period. By the Middle ages (Goryeo period) Koreans were beginning to create nuanced beverages and experimenting with a variety of fermentations; makgeolli was commonplace by then. When Mongolians arrived around 1200, soju emerged as the horsemen brought knowledge of distillation (Jun Yoo 109). Simple fermented rice wine persisted, but privileged classes drank only the clear cheongju while the rice-ridden dregs became known as nong ju or “farmer’s drink.” 

Virtually every household in Korea brewed its own unique makgeolli, inoculating the nuruk with different herbs and medicinal plants to create unique flavors (Shin-Jae, 51). Such alcoholic beverages were commonly consumed at important events like weddings and funerals. In a great cultural shift, this country of fermenters, following a nearly 2,000 year old tradition, abruptly stopped in 1905 when Japan invaded. The conquering government shuttered home breweries, and at least 122,000 home breweries became illegal overnight (Jun Yoo, 109). Over the next 90 years, brewing was largely illegal. Various government policies encouraged wheat consumption and even outright banning rice consumption. The substitution of wheat in traditional recipes changed the flavor makgeolli. As the flavor soured due to wheat, so did the attitude of makgeolli drinkers.

But makgeolli is not only a lightly inebriating beverage, it is also a healthful and even medicinal draught. The drink is typically 6-8% alcohol by volume but contains many other nutrients and vitamins thanks to the rice and nuruk that go into it. A drinker can get 10% fiber, vitamins A & B, and a healthy population of bacteria and yeast along with their daily tipple. This salubrious property, along with its smooth, milky finish, saved makgeolli from the backwaters of Korean alcohol consumption. Ironically, it was Japanese consumers who catalyzed the re-authentication of the Korean beverage their government once banned, as modern consumers sought healthy and traditional drinks.