Soju and makgeolli: Korea's best-known alcoholic drinks explained

Oct 5, 2026

By Jihye Dschihä

Soju and makgeolli are Korea's two best-known alcoholic drinks: soju is a clear, distilled spirit, makgeolli a cloudy, lightly sparkling rice wine. In Korea, there are rules for both on how to pour and how to drink. Here you will find out where they come from, how strong they are and what to keep in mind when drinking them.

What is soju?

소주 (Soju) literally means "burned liquor." The first character stands for burning, referring to the heat of distillation. There are two kinds, which Korea's liquor law lists separately: distilled soju (증류식) and diluted soju (희석식).

Almost all the soju you can buy in Korea is diluted soju. It is made by diluting high-proof ethanol with water and sweeteners. Depending on the source, producers make the ethanol from sweet potatoes, tapioca or molasses. Distilled soju, on the other hand, is distilled like a spirit from fermented grain. The best known is Andong soju at 45 percent, made from rice and a wheat-based fermentation starter called 누룩 (Nuruk).

Where does soju come from?

Distillation came to Korea in the 13th century with the Mongols, who had adopted it from Persia. According to the National Archives of Korea, production therefore developed especially where Mongol troops were stationed: in Andong, in Gaeseong and on Jeju Island.

The fact that today's soju is usually no longer made from rice has to do with rice shortages. In 1965, the government banned making alcohol from rice. Distilleries switched to other raw materials. Sources differ on when grain soju was allowed again, sometime in the 1990s. Many brands have stuck with diluted soju.

How strong is soju?

Soju has become steadily weaker over the decades. Until 1965 it was around 35 percent, then 30, from 1973 25, and from 1998 23 percent. Today the big brands are mostly around 16 percent: HiteJinro's Chamisul Fresh, for example, was lowered from 16.5 to 16 percent in February 2024.

Fruit-flavored soju with even less alcohol took off in 2015. In March 2015, Lotte launched a citrus-flavored soju at 14 percent and, according to the Korea Times, sold more than 1.5 million bottles in the first month. Since then, soju has come in many fruit flavors.

According to the trade magazine Drinks International, the Jinro brand has been the world's best-selling spirit every year since 2001, now 25 years in a row.

What is somaek?

소맥 (Somaek) is a mix of soju and beer; the name combines soju and 맥주 (Maekju, beer). According to the Korea JoongAng Daily, it typically has around 10 percent alcohol. Nobody knows who first mixed soju and beer.

What is makgeolli?

막걸리 (Makgeolli) is a cloudy rice wine. The name combines 막 (Mak), here meaning "just now" or "roughly," and 거르다 (georeuda), "to strain, to filter." The standard Korean dictionary describes it as alcohol in which the clear liquid is not skimmed off, but everything is strained together. That is why it is cloudy, milky white and lightly sparkling.

Makgeolli is brewed from rice, water and nuruk, the same fermentation starter as Andong soju. The enzymes in the nuruk turn the rice starch into sugar, and the yeast turns that into alcohol. The main fermentation takes about a week. Sources give different ranges for the alcohol content, the Michelin Guide for example 6 to 8 percent, and some kinds are considerably stronger.

From 1965 on, makgeolli was no longer brewed from rice but from wheat flour. According to the National Archives, rice makgeolli only returned in the early 1990s. In 2021, South Korea declared makgeolli brewing a national intangible cultural heritage.

How do you drink makgeolli?

Makgeolli is served chilled, traditionally in small bowls rather than glasses. Because the sediment settles, it is stirred with a ladle beforehand, or the closed bottle is gently turned upside down a few times.

In Korea, makgeolli is often unpasteurized and keeps fermenting in the bottle. This kind, 생막걸리 (Saeng-Makgeolli), only keeps for a short time; the Michelin Guide gives about ten days at 10 °C. Pasteurized makgeolli keeps for six months to a year, which is why exported makgeolli is usually pasteurized.

A popular custom: on rainy days, Koreans like to eat 전 (Jeon), savory pancakes such as pajeon with scallions, with makgeolli on the side. A common explanation is that the patter of rain sounds like pancakes frying in hot oil. Whether that is true cannot be proven, but it is a nice reason.

How do you pour drinks properly in Korea?

In Korea, you do not pour your own drink but pour for the others at the table, and you refill empty glasses. Pouring your own drink is considered a faux pas in restaurants and bars. The official portal Korea.net lists a few more rules:

You accept the glass with both hands.
When pouring, you hold the bottle in your right hand and support your right arm with your left.
When an older person pours for someone younger, the younger person drinks with their head turned slightly to the side and covers the glass with their hand.

Drinking in Korea often happens in pubs. Why a Korean beer pub is called a "Hof" is the subject of German words in Korea: How the "Hofbräuhaus" came to Seoul.

At what age can you buy soju and makgeolli?

In Germany, this is governed by Section 9 of the Youth Protection Act (Jugendschutzgesetz). Beer, wine and wine-like beverages are allowed from 16, all other alcoholic beverages only from 18. According to the German Food Retail Association (BVLH), what matters is the type of alcohol, not the alcohol content. Soju is a distilled drink, or one diluted from ethanol, and therefore only available from 18, even if it has just 14 to 16 percent.

If you would like to try both: our Sulsul box contains six Korean drinks, including soju, makgeolli or Korean beer. Because all the drinks in it contain alcohol, we only sell the box to customers aged 18 and over.