Korean drinks
Eat & drink

Korean drinks & how to drink them

Thirteen bottles you’ll see on every menu, the dishes they belong with, and the eight unwritten rules that keep a Korean drinking table polite.

Eight rules at the table

Two hands when pouring up; two hands when receiving up
For anyone older or senior to you. Among friends, one hand is fine.
Never pour your own first glass
Wait for someone else to pour — pour theirs first.
Turn slightly away when drinking with elders
Slight head turn to the left for the first sip. After that, normal.
"건배 (geon-bae)" = cheers
Clink low — your glass below theirs is more respectful with seniors.
You can refuse politely
Cite condition / driving / medication — Koreans accept this. Lecturing about drinking is rude.
Eat as you drink
Korean drinking is always paired with anju (snacks). Drinking on an empty stomach is socially weird.
Pace with water
Restaurants always provide water. Use it.
Hangover food = haejangguk
Bean-sprout soup with rice. Try 콩나물 해장국 or 황태해장국 the morning after.

Soju

Chamisul Fresh / Original

참이슬 후레쉬 / 오리지널
16% / 17.8%

The default soju. Fresh = green bottle, smoother. Original = blue label, classic burn. Made from rice + grain spirit + sweeteners.

Pair with
Samgyeopsal (pork belly BBQ) · Galbi · Hweh (raw fish) · Korean fried chicken
  • ⚠ Goes down faster than you think — 5 shots = drunk.
  • ⚠ Two-hand pour to seniors, never your own glass first.
₩1,800–2,500 at conv. stores · ₩4,000–6,000 at restaurants
Must-try

Jinro Is Back (Toad)

진로 이즈백
16.5%

The retro Jinro relaunch — slightly sweeter, no aftertaste. The blue-toad logo is on every shelf.

Pair with
Chicken anju · Spicy stews · Just about anything
  • ⚠ Easy-drinking means you don't notice the alcohol — same hangover, less warning.
₩1,800–2,500 · ₩4,000–6,000
Must-try

Flavored Soju (peach, grapefruit, yogurt)

과일 소주 (복숭아, 자몽, 요구르트)
12–14%

Lower-ABV sweet soju. Peach (복숭아) and grapefruit (자몽) are the most common.

Pair with
Spicy food (the sweetness cuts heat) · Light snacks
  • ⚠ Tastes like juice but still 12% — pacing trap.
₩2,000–2,800

Beer

Cass Fresh

카스 후레쉬
4.5%

Korea's default macro lager. Light, sessionable, ubiquitous.

Pair with
Fried chicken (chimaek) · Almost everything
  • ⚠ Mass-market mild — craft fans bored.
₩2,500–3,000 conv. store · ₩4,500–7,000 restaurant
Must-try

Terra

테라
4.6%

Newer Cass competitor — uses 100% Australian malt + carbonates with natural CO₂. Crisper.

Pair with
BBQ · Spicy stews — slight crispness balances heat
  • ⚠ Distinct green-bottle look — green = Terra, brown = Cass.
₩2,800–3,500 · ₩5,000–7,000
Must-try

Craft beer (Magpie, The Hand and Malt, Amazing)

수제맥주
5–8%

Korean craft scene exploded post-2014. Look for Magpie (in Itaewon, Jeju), Amazing Brewing (in Seongsu), The Booth.

Pair with
Bar food · IPAs with spicy chicken
  • ⚠ Pricey — ₩9–14k a pint.
₩9,000–14,000 a pint

Makgeolli

Makgeolli (rice wine)

막걸리
6–8%

Cloudy, slightly carbonated, ancient rice wine. Cheap, casual, perfect with rainy-day pajeon.

Pair with
Pajeon (scallion-seafood pancake) · Dubu kimchi (tofu + kimchi) · Pork bossam
  • ⚠ Sediment at the bottom — shake gently before pouring.
  • ⚠ High sugar means harsh next-day hangover.
₩3,000–7,000 per bottle
Must-try

Craft Makgeolli (Boksoondoga, Hanjan)

크래프트 막걸리
7–11%

Premium versions made by smaller breweries — naturally carbonated, no aspartame. Sold in bars + Pyeong-chang Market.

Pair with
Anything refined — try with sea-urchin pasta, foie gras, modern Korean
  • ⚠ Carbonation is real — open with a spoon held over the top.
₩12,000–25,000 per 750ml bottle

Traditional / craft

Baekseju (medicinal herb wine)

백세주
13%

Rice wine fermented with ginseng + 9 other herbs. "Live to 100" wine. Smooth + earthy.

Pair with
Boribap (barley rice) · Bossam · Healthy / hanjeongsik meals
  • ⚠ Old-people image is changing — give it a try.
₩4,500–7,000 per bottle

Munbaeju (pear-blossom distilled liquor)

문배주
40%

Designated Intangible Cultural Asset — sorghum-based clear distillate, no pear but smells like pear-blossom.

Pair with
Cheese plates · Fine dining · Anything Western
  • ⚠ 40% — sip, don't shot.
₩40,000–60,000 per 700ml

Andong Soju (traditional, not the green bottle)

안동소주
45%

Traditional rice-distilled soju from Andong. Clean, hot, slightly sweet finish.

Pair with
Andong jjimdak · Jeon (pancakes) · Slow-braised meat
  • ⚠ Very strong; goes well with rich food.
₩25,000–60,000

Cocktails / mixes

Somaek (soju + beer)

소맥
~10%

Korean office mixer: 1 shot soju + 7/10 glass beer. Sweet, smooth, deadly.

Pair with
BBQ · Korean fried chicken
  • ⚠ The "office classic" formula sneaks up — pace.
Self-mix
Must-try

Polish bomb / Yakult-soju

폭탄주 / 야쿠르트 소주
~15%

Stack soju shot into beer (polish bomb) or mix soju + yakult + sprite (yakult bomb). Party tricks.

Pair with
Late nights at noraebang
  • ⚠ You'll regret these in the morning.
Self-mix

Where to drink

Pocha (포차)
Orange-tent street drinking with cheap eats. Most authentic.
Beer hall (호프집)
Sit-down beer + fried chicken + dried squid. Group-friendly.
Sool-jib (술집)
Mid-tier bar — soju, beer, full anju menu.
Speakeasies
Hidden cocktail bars in Itaewon, Hannam, Garosu-gil. Reservation often required.
Makgeolli bars
Cozy spots specializing in regional makgeolli — try Jaedongchun in Jongno.
Noraebang second round
After dinner, a Korean group typically moves to karaoke with snacks and more drinks.