In Korean drinking culture, drinking is rarely just about the alcohol. It is about building relationships, showing respect to elders, celebrating after a long week, and sharing food around a table. Whether you are clinking glasses of soju at a barbecue restaurant, sipping cloudy makgeolli with a savory pancake on a rainy afternoon, or being handed a glass of somaek by a new Korean friend, knowing a few simple customs will help you feel like a participant rather than a tourist. Some of those customs, like how to hold your glass and why people turn their heads when they drink, can surprise visitors. This guide explains Korea’s two most iconic drinks, soju and makgeolli, where they came from, the etiquette of pouring and receiving, the famous soju-and-beer mix called somaek, and a few friendly warnings about how a fun Korean night can get out of hand.
Quick Vocab
alcohol / drink – sul
“Cheers!” – geon bae
soju and beer mix – so maek
beer – maek ju
rice wine – mak geol li
drinking snacks – an ju
bomb shot – pok tan ju
second round – i cha
street tent pub – po jang ma cha
hangover soup – hae jang guk
Soju: Korea’s National Spirit
Soju is the drink most people picture when they think of Korean drinking culture, and it is everywhere: at barbecue restaurants, street tent bars, convenience stores, and family celebrations. Its history is surprisingly international. The technique of distilling alcohol reached Korea during the Goryeo Dynasty through the Mongols of the Yuan Dynasty, who had learned to distill a spirit called arak in Persia and the Middle East and brought the method to the Korean Peninsula during their invasions in the 13th century. The city of Andong, where the Mongols had a logistics base, developed its own home-brewed liquor, and Andong soju is considered the direct root of modern Korean soju. Traditional soju is distilled from grains such as rice, and it can be quite strong; across all styles, soju ranges from about 12.5 to 53 percent alcohol by volume. The everyday soju in the famous green bottle is much milder, typically around 16 to 20 percent, which is why it is usually served in small shot glasses and sipped or taken in small shots throughout a meal. A bottle holds about 375 milliliters, roughly half a standard wine bottle. It is also famously cheap: in 2026, a standard green bottle costs about 1,500 to 2,000 won at a convenience store and about 3,000 to 6,000 won at a restaurant. National brands dominate, but many regions have their own local favorites, too; in Busan, for example, brands such as C1 and Daesun are popular. If you want to try something special, look for premium traditional soju such as Hwayo or Andong soju, which are made in a more traditional way and make excellent souvenirs. Soju is almost always enjoyed with food. In Korean drinking culture, people rarely drink without anju, the dishes served alongside alcohol, and soju pairs especially well with rich, salty, or spicy foods such as Korean barbecue, stews, and raw fish, which is why you’ll see those green bottles on nearly every restaurant table after dark.
Makgeolli: The Oldest Drink, and Why Koreans Crave It on Rainy Days
Makgeolli is a milky, slightly sweet, slightly fizzy rice wine, and it is considered the oldest alcoholic drink in Korea. Its roots go back roughly 2,000 years. A 13th-century Goryeo book mentions rice wine being enjoyed during the reign of King Dongmyeong, the founder of the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo, and during the Goryeo Dynasty makgeolli was called ihwa-ju, or “pear blossom alcohol,” because it was brewed when the pear trees were in bloom. The name makgeolli itself describes how it is made: “mak” means roughly and “geolli” means strained, since the drink is made from steamed rice, water, and nuruk, a fermentation starter, and is only roughly filtered, leaving it cloudy. For centuries, families brewed their own makgeolli at home. It was cheap, filling, and refreshing, and farmers and laborers drank it with a mid-morning snack or lunch to get through a day of hard work, which is why it was nicknamed nongju, or “farmer’s wine.” Its history also carries the scars of the 20th century. Under Japanese colonial rule, home brewing was taxed and licensed and then banned outright by 1934, and in the 1960s, a national grain shortage led the government to prohibit using rice to make makgeolli, so brewers had to use wheat flour and corn instead. Even so, makgeolli was the most-consumed alcoholic drink in South Korea in the 1960s and 1970s, and after a long decline, it has enjoyed a revival thanks to craft brewers and premium bottles. At about 6 to 8 percent alcohol, it is lighter than soju. The classic pairing is jeon, Korean savory pancakes such as pajeon, and the combination is especially popular on rainy days. In fact, according to a report cited by CNN, sales of makgeolli and pancake ingredients rise sharply at major convenience store chains when it rains.
Pouring and Receiving: The Etiquette That Matters Most
Korean drinking etiquette comes from Confucian values of respect for age and seniority, and the rules are most important when you drink with someone older or higher in rank, such as a boss, a senior colleague, or a friend’s parents. The first rule is to use two hands. When an elder pours you a drink, hold your glass with both hands, or with your right hand while your left hand supports it from below, and bow your head slightly as a sign of gratitude. When you pour for an elder, do the same and offer the drink respectfully with two hands. The second rule is the one that surprises most visitors. When you drink in front of an elder or superior, turn your head and upper body slightly away from them, often to the side, and cover your mouth and glass with your hand while you drink. Drinking directly in front of a senior is considered impolite, so this small gesture creates a kind of screen. If you are seated between two seniors, turn away from the highest-ranking person. Koreans sometimes tell foreign guests, “You don’t have to turn,” to make them comfortable, and you can relax in that case, but doing it anyway shows great manners. A few more habits of Korean drinking culture help. In Korean drinking culture, people generally pour drinks for each other rather than for themselves, and it’s polite to keep an eye on others’ glasses and offer to refill them when they’re empty. The eldest person at the table, or the person paying, usually opens the first bottle. The first round often begins with a group toast, “geonbae!” Finally, in 2026, Korean drinking culture widely accepts declining a drink for health or personal reasons, especially as awareness of workplace harassment has grown. Just decline politely, perhaps with a smile and a soft drink in your glass, and no one should push you.
Somaek and Poktanju: The Fun Mixes and the Hidden Danger
If you spend a night out with Koreans, you’ll almost certainly meet somaek, a staple of Korean drinking culture. The name combines the first syllables of soju and maekju, the Korean word for beer, and that’s exactly what it is: soju mixed with beer, roughly three parts soju to seven parts beer. Korean beers such as Cass, Terra, and Kelly are light lagers that are designed to cut through spicy and greasy food, and they make a smooth base for the mix. Making somaek is often a small performance. Some people swirl it with a chopstick, some tap the rim of the soju glass to create a little wave, and others use the “drum” method, tapping the bottom of the glass on the table to blend the two drinks. You may also see bottle cap tricks, such as twisting the little wire tail of the soju cap and flicking it off. Poktanju, or “bomb shot,” takes it one step further: a shot glass of soju or whiskey is dropped straight into a glass of beer, Korean boilermaker style, and downed in one go. These drinks are fun and very much part of modern Korean drinking culture, but they deserve respect. Somaek hits harder than either drink on its own, because beer speeds up the absorption of alcohol, and bomb shots add up quickly when several rounds are made one after another. The trap is that they look cool. Rounds of dramatic mixing and cheering make it easy to keep going long past your limit, and before you realize it, you can go from the life of the party to the person everyone is quietly worried about. Eat plenty of anju, drink water between rounds, and don’t feel you need to match anyone glass for glass. A good night out in Korean drinking culture is about the people at the table, not how many bombs you can finish.
Rounds, Hangovers, and a Word About Daytime Drinking
A typical Korean night out moves in rounds, called cha. The first round, 1-cha, is usually a hearty dinner such as Korean barbecue with soju or somaek. The second round, 2-cha, might be a bar or a pub, the third could be a karaoke room, where more drinks are ordered, and some groups finish at a pojangmacha, a casual tent pub, with spicy rice cakes or clam soup as a late-night snack. In workplaces, drinking has long played a role in team bonding. Company dinners, called hoesik, traditionally involve alcohol, and for years there was an unwritten expectation that everyone attend. Attitudes have changed, though. In the mid-2010s, the Korean government launched a campaign to reduce heavy drinking, and many younger Koreans now prefer shorter, lighter nights. Korea also has a whole culture around the morning after. Convenience stores sell hangover drinks that many people take before they start drinking, and hangovers are traditionally treated with haejangguk, a category of hearty soups made specifically to soothe a hangover. And here’s one friendly warning that every Korean seems to know: be careful with daytime drinking, or nat-sul. There’s a well-known Korean saying that if you get drunk during the day, you won’t even recognize your own parents, because alcohol on an empty stomach in the afternoon can hit you much harder than you expect. Finally, some practical notes for visitors. Korean restaurants and bars don’t expect tips, so the price on the menu is the price you pay. Always make sure you have a safe way home, whether that’s a taxi called with Kakao T or the subway before it closes. And remember that the heart of Korean drinking culture isn’t the alcohol at all. It’s jeong, the warm sense of connection that grows between people sharing food, stories, and a few rounds of “geonbae.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
In Korean drinking culture, do I have to turn my head when drinking with Korean friends my own age? No. Turning away is a gesture of respect toward elders and seniors. Among friends of the same age, you can relax and simply enjoy the drink.
What Korean drinks make good souvenirs?
Premium traditional soju such as Hwayo or Andong soju, a bottle of craft makgeolli, or bokbunja, a Korean black raspberry wine, travel well and are hard to find abroad.
What should I eat when participating in Korean drinking culture? Koreans almost always drink with anju. Barbecue, stews, and raw fish pair well with soju, while savory pancakes are the classic match for makgeolli.
Do I need to tip at Korean bars?
No. Tipping isn’t part of Korean culture, so the price on the menu is what you pay at bars and restaurants alike.
My Take
When you drink with a senior or someone older in Korean drinking culture, use two hands when you pour, and two hands when you receive — that’s good manners. After the toast, when you drink the glass a senior poured for you, turn your head to the side. And please be careful with bomb shots. They look cool, so people sometimes go overboard without realizing how embarrassing they’re getting. Be careful with daytime drinking, too. As we say in Korea, drink too much in the afternoon, and you might not even recognize your own parents!
Sources
- CNN Travel – Makgeolli, Korea’s rice wine, explained: cnn.com
- Tasting Table – The oldest alcoholic drink in Korea predates soju by centuries: tastingtable.com
- Culture Trip – A brief history of Korean makgeolli: theculturetrip.com
- Go! Go! Hanguk – Korean drinking culture: gogohanguk.com
- Seoul Tourism – Korean alcohol guide: seoultourism.org
- Know About Korea – Drinking culture guide: knowaboutkorea.com
Suggested Reading
Korean Dining Etiquette: What to Know Before You Eat Out in Korea
Banchan, call bells, and sharing the table — the manners that go hand in hand with a Korean night out.
Seonbae and Hubae: How Seniority Works in Korean Schools and Workplaces
Why you turn your head for a senior — the hierarchy behind Korean drinking etiquette.