Today I’m going to show you how to make makgeolli, a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage made by combining rice, yeast, and water with a starter culture called nuruk. It’s milky-white, fizzy and refreshing. It’s also called “nongju” which means “farmer liquor” because it’s made with a lot of rice, it’s full of carbohydrates and was traditionally served to farmers as part of a midmorning snack or with lunch, giving them the strength and energy to work the rest of the day.
Korea has a long history of homebrewing, and every family used to make their own booze at home, it was much more common than buying it. These days you can buy makgeolli easily at a Korean grocery store or liquor store but when it comes to taste, it can’t be compared to homemade makgeolli. Homemade makgeolli is thicker, less sweet, and more filling than store sold makgeolli.
This recipe is also in my cookbook, Real Korean Cooking, and while developing the recipe I sent a sample of the finished product to the EMSL Analytical food lab for a full nutritional and toxic analysis to see what is really inside it. They let me know that it is totally safe to drink, 7.4% alcohol by volume, cholesterol-free, fat-free, and contains vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, and B6. It’s high in calories and has a lactobacillus count of 375,500 CFU/mL. Lactobacillus is a kind of lactic acid bacteria that’s good for your stomach and digestion and can boost your immune system. It’s also found in yogurt, but in much higher quantities.
So it’s great for giving you energy and is good for your stomach, but the real reason to drink it is it’s so refreshing and delicious! It’s also a great thing to have at a party, and especially when you make it yourself, your family and friends will love to drink it and have a great time doing it. Making good makgeolli is not very difficult, it just takes a little time and there are a few pitfalls to avoid.
I’ve been making makgeolli for special family occasions and my reader meetups for years. Some of you who came to my meetups and tasted my makgeolli have been waiting years for this recipe. Thanks for your patience!
Make some makgeolli and enjoy life! Let me know how it turns out!
Ingredients (Make 4 quarts)
Posted on Thursday, May 21st, 2015 at 10:51 am.
Last updated on May 22, 2015.
Tagged: 막걸리, 농주, homebrew, How to make makgeolli, Korean booze, Korean cooking, Korean cuisine, korean food, Korean kitchen, Korean liquor, Korean recipes, Korean rice wine, Maangchi's Korean cooking, Maangchi's recipes, makgeolli, makgoli, makkoli, nongju, rice alcohol, rice beer, rice liquor
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Is there anything you can make with the leftover rice?
I started my makgeolli and now I have to leave for two days/two nights!! oops… will it be OK or should I find a baby-makgeolli sitter?! :D
Thanks for this amazing recipe- I’ve enjoyed and shared many batches! Do you have a recipe for Dongdongju? Or Korean restaurant owner’s wife has asked me if I can make it, but I cannot find a recipe anywhere.
Thank you for all of your great videos and inspiring so many of us to learn, enjoy and share all of the delicious food Korean cooking has to offer!
Hi, maangchi!
I’ve tried making this and I taste them everytime I stir them.
It tasted good on day 6 and it went sour the next day.
It’s my 4th attempt of making makeolli and
I keep having same problems.. what do I do??
I’d like a recipe for Soju… Andong Soju. Show how to distill it, etc. I found something online, but then I’m not clear how to make it not turn into vinegar in those 3 weeks.
hello mangchi,
i am from india and i am doing a project on alcohol fermentation as my major.as a kdrama fan i want to try making maekgeolli but there is no nuruk to buy in india.so can i prepare maekgeolli without nuruk or can you make a video on how to make home made nuruk.it would be so helpfull if you would answer it.
thankyou
You can’t make it without Nuruk… but I’m also hoping she posts how to make Nuruk.
I found this link helpful for making nuruk at home. https://www.makgeollilab.com/nuruk
Hi, Maangchi.
I tried my hand at this recipe and it turned out quite well; now I’m in the process of making a second batch. Just wanted to say thank you and 좋은 하루 되세요
See full size image
I’ve made Makgeolli a few different times and culture my own Nurak. I fine each recipe unique and thanks for sharing your recipe. Your recipe is the first time I’ve seen a dehydrator used, could you elaborate on why?
I usually let the rice cool on the counter on my cheese cloth with a small fan for an hour or so to prevent killing the Nurak yeast. I’m also trying picking up different wheats to culture different flavor Nuraks for this winters brewing. I recently learned the method of making Danyanyju/Gwanaju where addition spirits are added.
Wow it sounds like you are an expert in making makgeolli!
My recipe is made from my experience over the years. The traditional way to make makgeolli is with steamed rice, and then after steaming the rice you can cool it down like you did and make makgeolli with it. But in this recipe I was making makgeolli an easier way and instead of steaming, i made rice in a rice cooker, but I needed to dry it out. Without drying it out the alcohol level in the makgeolli is too low.
I’m interested in how you culture your own Nuruk. Nuruk is impossible to get in this area of Tennessee and ordering it online is expensive.
Hey Maangchi, I ordered an 11 liter onngi and a dehydrator. I have my first batch of Makgeolli started. I am looking forward to drinking it from a Makgeolli pot and cups I bought for my dad while I was working in Korea.
Question-Can you substitute a ceramic pot for the earthenware pot to ferment the Makgeolli ?
You could, but Onggi are special in that they are made to breathe (as in the pot itself, not just the opening at the top. And Earthenware, in general are more Porous. It would be the same result as using say… a glass jar.
Onggi, though, if you are a serious kimchi maker, want to make sauces, or Korean alcohol are a worthy investment. You can buy them online and sometimes from Korean markets.
Hi Mangchi…is it necessary to soak the rice overnight.
I have tried 2 batches with different kind of rice. The final color is different. 1 is more amber while the other is more white in color.
I didn’t use Nuruk…couldn’t get it in where I stayed…i used Chinese yeast balls instead. Still taste pretty good. I had 2 Koreans friends as test objects :)
This is what it looks like after filtering 2x
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How much of the yeast balls did you use? I have a really hard time getting nuruk where I live.
Technically not Makgeolli… since nuruk has other things besides yeast in it.
Dear Maangchi,
I am going to try making this soon. But is it possible to give me the ingredients in grams?
1cup of rice in grams
1cup of nuruk in grams
Thank you.
1 cup short grain rice ~= 210g
1 cup nuruk ~= 130g
If I wanted to brew this with fruit at what point would I add the fruit and how much fruit would I use?
Third to fourth day I would say since the sugars will break down if you do it longer or at the end.
Made my second batch of makgeolli. It tastes great and my friend took back 2 litres home to enjoy. :) Definitely tastes better than the commercialized ones.
Hi Maangchi! I’ve just ordered a dehydrator and am going out in search of an onggi today! I have one question – store bought Makgeolli is sometimes flavored with things like chestnut or banana. Do you have any tips for flavoring the Makgeolli with additional ingredients?