Beer Man: Draft Makkoli is appealing rice wine

Beer Man is a weekly profile of beers from across the country and around the world.

This week: Draft Makkoli

Kooksoondang Brewing Co., Seoul, South Korea

www.ksdb.co.kr/english/main.asp

This week we venture into unusual territory with a rice wine product from South Korea.

Why write about this in a beer column? The beverage we call wine is fermented from fruit. Rice is a grain, just like barley and wheat, so technically it would be more correct to classify fermented rice beverages as beer.

My bottle of Draft Makkoli was part of a Christmas package from my Texan brother. It came in a 750ml plastic bottle with a cloudy, milky-white liquid inside.

After about a month in the refrigerator, the contents had settled, leaving about an inch of the cloudy residue on the bottom; the rest of beverage was fairly clear. However, I followed the instructions on the bottle to shake gently before pouring.

The makkoli looked a lot like horchata, that creamy, delicious non-alcoholic Mexican rice beverage. Not as solid a white as milk and not as thick. The main aroma I noticed was yeast, but not overwhelming or unpleasant — more like from bread beginning to rise.

Flavorwise, it was not like beer. It had a citrusy flavor with slight sweetness and carbonation, mixed with a milk-like rich body. It reminded me of 7-Up mixed with milk, or Red Bull. Some of the yeast flavor was present in the background.

I can't say I would be excited about drinking makkoli on a regular basis — soda-type alcoholic beverages aren't my bag. However, it was an excellent accompaniment to my dinner of orange sesame chicken and bean cellophane noodles. The sweetness went well with the orange sesame sauce, the slight carbonation helped cut the thickness of the glaze and the creaminess countered the hot pepper.

I've read that makkoli is a growing trend among the youth in Asia and I can see why. Unlike sake, which also is called a rice wine, makkoli, at 6% ABV, has a much lower alcohol c! ontent (sake is usually about 15% or more ABV) and is slightly carbonated.

As an alcoholic beverage, it may technically be a beer, but its characteristics are not like a beer, wine or cider. It's worth trying, especially with Asian cuisine.

Many beers are available only regionally. Check the brewer's website, which often contains information on product availability. Contact Todd Haefer at beerman@postcrescent.com. To read previous Beer Man columns Click here.