It’s a bit jarring when the last article posted to takjoo journals points to a poll where Korean sool gets slammed in a foreigners’ only poll and the very next article suggest this is the year where makgeolli breaks through to a foreign audience. My inner idealist very much dreams of the latter. But, until…
I remember arriving in Korea and buying four Korean beers from my corner CU—I think they were Hite (Shite), Cass (Ass), OB (BO), and Max (Sax… okay, this one doesn’t make sense)—so I knew which beer to reach for on a night out. The answer: None of them. They’re all garbage. And, ask any foreigner…
While sool lovers have sequestered themselves indoors with their social media groups and homebrews, the National Folk Museum of Korea has created another outlet for enjoying the world of traditional Korean alcohol. Makgeolli, A Companion in the Bittersweet Life is a virtual exhibition in both Korean and English that walks its visitors through one of…
I think I’m not alone that, when I first got into brewing, I was dreaming of running before I could even crawl. Which, in the sool world, means infusing everything under the sun with your latest batch. I was lucky to have a guiding hand through Susubori Academy—a floral maehwaju and an earthy lotus seoktanju…
Maybe it’s wishful thinking but my impression of public opinion on sool—whether that’s homebrewing, cultural reclamation, connoisseur tasting, or even simple social lubricant—is that it is trending upward. But, perhaps it’s more of a two steps forward, one lurch backward kind of thing. At least that’s the tenor of The Korea Times article from Julia…
In my bid to catch up on the recent goings-on in the Korean alcohol world, I bring you another twofer, this time from the Korea Herald. This mash up is a real Beauty and the Beast, a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation, even a Miss & Nice vibe some might say. Starting on a…
Struggling to catch up on makgeolli news, you get two articles in one and both from Forbes, no less. The first is an around-the-world type article from Amber Gibson who has the envious bio line of “I write about luxury travel, food and wine.” Among other delicacies, she spotlights makgeolli as delivered by New York…
While people wait out the pandemic, Orlando residents have the opportunity to not only learn a news skill but also make their own mak. A butcher by the name of Orlando Meats (I don’t understand either) will be selling DIY makgeolli kits and then holding a live video event to help your brand new homebrewer…
KOREAN NAME: 삼양춘 약주 REVIEW: Although I still think takju has a lot to offer, these days I’m more interested in a brewery’s cheongju. Part of that is probably because it lasts longer and stores more easily. Anyway, when Samyangchoon Takju didn’t get me riled up, I still had hope for the cheongju. And, curious reader, I…
Countries all over the world love to show off their booze. Brewery and distillery tours abound in Scotland, Japan, the US, and the list goes on. Not so, sadly, for Korea. I remember stumbling upon a brewery while visiting Daegu and, as I stood in their trailer-come-office, there was clear confusion from the staff and…
KOREAN NAME: 제주 오메기 맑은술 REVIEW: I may be biased about Jeju Omegi Malgeunsul (JOM): I didn’t love the bottle but I have very fond memories of visiting their charming brewery (a post on that some time soon, I hope!) which probably colors my take. What you need to understand about JOM is that it is…
WaPo offshoot By the Way featured three DC establishments talking about their favorite, lesser-known brews from Korea, Georgia, & Bolivia. Excerpts from the By the Way article: The first stop on our D.C. moonshine world tour is Anju, where customers can drink makgeolli, South Korea’s oldest liquor. Once a preferred beverage for farmers, it was often made at home…
Earlier this month, two people I know nothing about made a video talking about makgeolli, probably a subject they know nothing about. Okay, elitist hot take, but anyone that calls Jangsoo delicious hasn’t begun to understand all makgeolli has to offer. Excerpts from the allkpop article plus the video: On October 11, Super Junior’s Sungmin was spotted making his first…
KOREAN NAME: 삼양춘 탁주 REVIEW: Usually the deeper I get into a bottle, the more I like it. This is especially true of bottles that are coy at first, needing a bit of air to open up. Samyangchoon, on the other hand, was aggressively bland from start to finish. The first sip makes SYC seem watery but…
Few things take the carefree fun out of a nip of sool as thinking about taxes but here we are. The new tax revision bill proposed for 2020 seemingly will affect beer the most: the change would see alcohol being taxed by volume rather than price, meaning that domestic beer would be put on a…
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