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 high note is Jean Oh’s article spotlighting Hangang Brewery. Excerpts from Oh’s article:
Located in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong, Hangang Brewery first released Naroo Makgeolli in June 2019. Less than year after their launch, the brewery has already attracted plenty of media attention, primarily for its local attitude — made in Seoul with rice cultivated in Seoul — and its unbending determination to produce additive-free, artisanal makgeolli…
Determined to craft a makgeolli that maintained its sweet profile without resorting to aspartame, an artificial sweetener used by some manufacturers to make up for lost sweetness when diluting the initial brew down to the desired alcohol level, Koh and his friend dug deep for an answer. The conclusion was to go for a triple fermentation, which, according to Koh, is not the norm when it comes to makgeolli.
Now that you’re dreaming of cruising Seongsu (a neighborhood, by the way, that one English magazine called ‘the Brooklyn of Seoul’) and lolling your legs over the Hangang as you sip the good stuff, let me tell you about an unforgivable atrocity against sool. Everyone can appreciate a good mix-em-up now and then: you got your radlers, your calimochos, your cheladas. But, famous restaurateur and food magnate Baek Jong-won has taken it too far this time with an abomination called Mak(C)ass. From He-rim Jo’s article:
South Korea’s largest beer maker by revenue, Oriental Brewery said Sunday its YouTube videos starring chef Baek Jong-won have pulled in a total of 13 million views, creating a new boom of “MakCass” — a mixture of Korea’s traditional liquor makgeolli and OB’s flagship beer Cass…
In the video, Baek highlights the importance of the ratio of the two alcoholic beverages in mixing the drink. To make MakCass, pour the beer in a regular glass of 225 milliliters, then add 50 milliliters of makgeolli.
You can read the first Korea Herald article here and the second here.
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