Makgeolli, Somaek & Korean Uncles: A Little Chat About Korean Drinking Culture

Korean drinking culture translates to its own set of rituals, from cloudy bowls of makgeolli to somaek, lively pojangmacha tents, and drinking games that bring out everyone’s competitive side.

And then there are the Korean uncles, always ready with an opinion, a story or another round.

Korean drinking culture is more than a little green bottle of soju. Let’s get into it.

The drinks: Makgeolli, Baekseju & Somaek

Makgeolli (막걸리) is a traditional Korean rice wine with a cloudy, milky appearance and a slightly sweet, tangy taste. It’s often enjoyed with jeon, Korean savoury pancakes, and there’s a lovely Korean tradition of pairing makgeolli with pancakes on rainy days. Rain, something fried and a bowl of rice wine? Sounds like a pretty good afternoon to me.

Baekseju (백세주) is an herbal rice wine with an earthy, gently sweet flavour. Its name is associated with the idea of living to a hundred, although let’s not mistake a bottle of alcohol for a longevity plan.

And then there’s somaek (소맥), a combination of soju and maekju (beer). A familiar sight at Korean group dinners, it brings together two drinks in one glass. Everyone seems to have their preferred ratio, and someone at the table will inevitably insist theirs is the best.

Naturally.

Pojangmacha: Korea’s answer to the izakaya?

If Japan has its cosy izakayas, Korea has the pojangmacha (포장마차).

Picture red tents, plastic stools, steaming pots and plates of comforting food arriving at the table. You might order fish-cake soup, spicy rice cakes or savoury pancakes, pour yourself a drink and settle in for the evening.

Pojangmacha traditionally refers to tented street stalls, while izakaya is a broader category of Japanese drinking establishment. Different traditions, but both offer a glimpse into the social side of eating and drinking.

I’m always curious about these everyday spaces. Not necessarily the places designed to impress tourists, but the ones where people gather after work to eat, talk and unwind.

Sometimes, that’s where you get the best feel for a place.

Korean drinking games & the legendary uncles

No conversation about Korean drinking culture would be complete without the games.

There’s the soju bottle-cap game, where players try to flick off the little metal tab. Then there’s Baskin Robbins 31, a counting game where the person who lands on 31 loses. And the Titanic game, which involves floating a shot glass inside a larger glass of beer without making it sink.

Simple enough, until everyone gets competitive.

But perhaps the most entertaining part of the scene is the Korean ajusshi (아저씨), or middle-aged uncle.

You know the type. He has strong opinions about the correct way to mix somaek, orders another plate of barbecue when everyone claims they’re full, and somehow becomes the unofficial entertainment director of the entire table.

Every culture has its characters, doesn’t it?

Of course, Korean drinking culture isn’t all fun and games. Social pressure to drink, particularly in traditional workplace settings, has its less charming side, and not everyone drinks alcohol. But the rituals around the table — the food, the games and the shared laughter — are fascinating in their own right.

One more round?

For me, learning about a country’s culture isn’t always about visiting another historical site or ticking off a famous attraction. Sometimes, it’s about noticing the little things: what people eat, where they gather and how they spend time together.

In Korea, that might mean makgeolli and pancakes on a rainy day, a lively pojangmacha after dark or a table full of people arguing over the rules of a drinking game.

And if there’s a Korean uncle nearby, enthusiastically demonstrating the correct way to mix soju, you might as well stay a little longer. Just don’t let him talk you into keeping up with every round.

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