Which Korean rice wine is milky and slightly sweet?

The milky and slightly sweet Korean rice wine is called makgeolli. It is a cloudy, off-white alcoholic drink made primarily from rice and nuruk, a traditional fermentation starter containing microorganisms and enzymes that break down the rice’s starches.

Makgeolli is usually lightly sparkling, mildly viscous, and around 6–9% alcohol by volume. Its flavor can combine sweetness with tanginess, bitterness, and astringency. The chalky sediment that settles in the bottle contributes to its opaque appearance, so traditionally it is shaken gently before serving.

Unpasteurized makgeolli continues to mature in the bottle and has a short shelf life, while pasteurized versions travel more easily and last longer. The drink has deep historical roots: Korean rice-wine traditions date back to the Three Kingdoms era, and early records connect cloudy rice wine with ancient Goguryeo and Silla. Makgeolli is often confused with soju, but soju is a clear distilled spirit rather than a cloudy fermented rice wine.