Introduction to the Korean alcohol drinks

Korean plum wine

Korean plum wine is a type of fermented soju made by infusing Korean plum, which is also called maesil, in alcohol such as distilled soju with a high alcohol content than general soju. At home, immersed soju or 30% diluted soju is mainly used. At companies, it is made by adding plum juice and water to alcohol and its alcohol content is about 13%. Either way, it is unusual that white wine is added instead of sugar which is usually added to sweeten it.

It is said that there were many households making Korean plum wine throughout the country until the 1960s, but as many Korean plum trees disappeared due to rapid development from the 1970s, in the 1990s, all of them except in the provinces diminished as home-brewed liquor.

Because of the digestive and detoxifying properties of Korean plum, it is said that drinking it with meals helps digestion. In particular, it is often eaten with sashimi, and people who do not enjoy soju because of its sweet and sour taste often find it as a good accompaniment. But be careful. Plum wine smells good and there are a lot of sweet things, so it's easy to overdrink😵.

Soju: Korean Traditional Wine

Soju is a Koran Traditional Wine, which was first started as distilled beverage. First presented by the Won Dynasty during the 13th century, Soju remained as a high-class beverage before the 20th century. It was due to the complicated manufacturing process of the Soju. To make this Soju, people had to first heat up the Soju dough and get the vapor. That small amount of vapor became Soju. Since it took a very long time and much rice to make Soju, kings very often banned the making of Soju during the drought.

The modern Soju, also known as ‘the Green Bottle’ was first introduced during the Japanese Occupation of Korea. The Japanese Colonial Office changed the alcoholic law in the 1920s and made every brewery in the country register their recipe for inspection. In the process, much of the recipes were lost. After losing the knowledge of making distilled Soju, people changed from making factory-made Soju made out of sweetner and water. In the 1960s, President Park Jeong-hee ordered alcohol makers to stop using rice and manufacturing alcohol. After this act, the remaining traditional Soju (distilled Soju) became extinct from the country. Nowadays, 90% of the Soju market is made out of these ‘Green Bottles’, made from big factories.

Difference from the traditional hand-made Soju and the modern factory-made Soju is their ingredients. The traditional Soju only uses grain (rice) and water in the manufacturing process whereas the modern one uses artificial materials. Therefore, the factory-made ‘Green Bottles’ have much more negative impact to your health when drinking. 

All about Bokbunjaju

Bokbunjaju is an alcohol made by adding bokbunja to soju. It is said that the origin of bokbunjaju was when the residents living near Mountain Seonun planted wild bokbunja in the field in the 1960s, picked the fruit, soaked it in alcohol, and ate it. Bokbunjaju is a local specialty that has good food compatibility with Mountain Seonun's eel and is also popular as a health food. Bokbunjaju tastes slightly different depending on the brand that made it, but in common, the alcohol content is about 15 degrees, it has a slight smell of bokbunja, and the sour and sweet taste coexist.

Bokbunjaju is a drink recommended especially for men, as it helps in the secretion of testosterone, a male hormone, and enhances stamina. Bokbunjaju should be stored in the refrigerator, and although there is no set expiration date, alcohol evaporates if left for a long time, and there is a risk of deterioration due to the nature of the fruit wine, so it is recommended to drink it as soon as possible after opening.

Since bokbunja has a hot property, it may not be suitable for people with a lot of heat. Also, people with kidney disease should not drink bokbunjaju because excessive consumption of bokbunjaju can cause enteritis.

Makgeolli

Makgeolli is characterized by a slightly sweet and a tangy taste. It is one of the best-selling alcohol drinks in Korea, along with soju and beer. Also, it is the only alcohol drink in Korea that is cheaper than the same amount of bottled water. In the past, it had a strong image of ‘elderly drink’. However, today, with the improvement of taste, scent, and preservation methods, it has become a national alcohol drink enjoyed by all generations.

Koreans often drink Makgeolli on rainy days. On these days, most Koreans like to drink it with a plate of "Jeon,", the Korean style pizza, which has long been regarded as a snack that always goes really well with Makgeolli. But another characteristic of Makgeolli is that it is usually poured into a fairly large bowl. At that point, it can make you more likely to be drunk than other drinks. For this reason, Makgeolli is also called as a "cripple-maker" in Korea.

The ingredients of Makgeolli are also special. Makgeolli is made from mixed yeast, rice, and pine needles. After that, it should be fermented in a jar for a long time. The alcohol percentage of Makgeolli is around 4% to 6%, which is quite lower than other alcohol drinks.

 Now, it’s time to try Makgeolli and let us know your personal feeling!

Beer of Cass

Cass La beer was born in June 1994. With the best raw materials, you can feel the freshness and clean taste of beer that is maximized through the transparent bottle with confidence in Cass's strict Cold Brew method for 72 hours at 0°C.

 The type of beer is lager, and the alcohol level is 4.5%. Cass is most preferred by people in their 20s. Along with Hite, which was first born in 1993, it is still competing with Hite for nearly 30 years, and at the time of its release, it was a big difference due to the Hite craze, but now Cass is overwhelming. In 1995, Cass was the first Korean to receive a silver medal by the World Beer Championship Beverage Distribution Committee (hosted by BTL, USA).

 I think fried bacon eggs and stir-fried garlic chicken are perfect snacks to eat with Cass. I love the clean taste when I drink a Cass at home after work.