Sometimes you think makgeolli news has gone flat and then a story socks you in the face like a bubbly hangover. A little background is necessary: Singer Jung Joon-young (best know for his appearances in a variety show called “2 Days & 1 Night”) has admitted to capturing images and/or videos of women he slept…
Ever since makgeolli blew up in Japan in the Aughts, we’ve seen the big mak makers push further abroad, always looking for the next big market. It may be less surprising then that Lotte Chilsung Beverage and Seoul Jangsoo are taking a page from the Kooksoondang playbook to take sool to India. Excerpts from Lee Duk-joo…
THAI NAME: Thai Sato REVIEW: While I was stuck taking care of the Takjoo Hound, Mrs. Takjoo and her mom traipsed off to Thailand for a week. But, even though I didn’t get to eat my weight in phat kaphrao or drink out of a coconut the size of my head, they were kind enough to bring me back…
KOREAN NAME: 생택 생 막걸리 THOUGHTS: No matter where you go in Seoul, there’s one bottle you can’t avoid—Seoul Jangsoo. But the same cannot be said of those living in Gyeongsang-do. No, the ubiquitous green bottle that pops up everywhere is Saeng Tak Saeng Makgeolli. So far apart and yet so close in one profoundly similar aspect: they are both…
KOREAN NAME: 월매 막걸리 REVIEW: To review the canned version of Walmae Makgeolli, I thought I ought to have a side-by-side comparison with the bottled version. The first thing I noticed was the difference in ingredients. Besides the usual suspects, bottled Walmae (BW) includes things like multi-oligosaccharide, wheat, pine needle extract, aspartame, citric acid, yeast, lactobacillus wheat, and dextrin; canned…
KOREAN NAME: 팔도 전선생 LOCATION: Seoul, Gwangjin-gu, Gunja Station (서울, 광진구, 군자역) OVERALL: On the backstreets of Line 7’s Gunja Station, not too far from the halls of Sejong University, is an unassuming makgeolli house by the name of Pal-do Jeon Seon Saeng (PJSS). The relaxed atmosphere and low prices reflect the fact that it is neither…
KOREAN NAME: 이프 REVIEW: If I were to grade Seoul Jangsoo’s peculiarly named Ee:FF on a curve, especially when compared to Seoul Jangsoo Saeng Makgeolli, then it is not terrible. The aspartame seems to have been reined in and the taste, while sweet, is not saccharine. I’d even go so far as to say that the inherent metallic flavor…
I was recently back in the U.S. for a long overdue vacation which meant two things: I had to back-catalogue (read: drink) several bottles before my trip so I could continue to post while away. And… I had the perfect opportunity to see what makgeolli is available in my small corner of the States. The…
KOREAN NAME: 선호 생막걸리 REVIEW: If you’re passing through the makgeolli aisle of E-Mart, you may notice a bright, blue bottle sticking out from all the competitors. This would be Seonho Saeng Makgeolli and the color of the bottle is not its only noteworthy attribute. The front of the label proudly features the words “아스파탐 무첨가”, or…
KOREAN NAME: 건대골 막걸리집 LOCATION: Seoul, Konkuk University Station (서울, 건대입구) OVERALL: Yes, the name is prosaic and uninspired. And yes, there are plenty of makgeolli houses with more noteworthy bottle selections. But Keondae Gol Makgeolli Jib straddles that sweet spot of a party bar that is raucous and fun, and an establishment that has worthwhile makgeolli and…
takjoo journals 