What is "makgeolli"

n. A traditional alcoholic beverage in Korea, made of rice.

Makgeolli , also known as "makkoli", "makoli", "makguli", "makgoli", "makeolli" or "makuly (takju)", is a slightly sweet alcoholic beverage native to Korea. It is made from rice or wheat mixed with nuruk, a Korean fermentation starter. It has a milky, off-white color and is about 6–8% alcohol by volume. Makgeolli is traditionally made from rice, although variations are made from wheat, and some brands are flavored with corn, chestnut, apple or other produce.

The name makgeolli has its origin in the Korean language, in which it is a compound that consists of a prefix mak- ("roughly, coarsely, recklessly, carelessly") and a deverbal noun derived from the verb georeu- ~ geoll- ("to strain, to sift, to filter"). It was originally quite popular among farmers, earning it the name nongju ( / ), which means farmer liquor. However, it has recently become more popular in cities, especially with the younger generations. Dongdongju is a drink very similar to makgeolli, and both are commonly imbibed alongside Korean pancakes such as pajeon or bindaetteok .