What to Try After Makgeolli: A First-Timer's Guide to the Korean Sool Grand Festival
The Yangjae festival brings together 142 breweries from across Korea. Start with a familiar takju and choose the next glass by its texture, aroma or what you’d eat with it.
Tried makgeolli in Seoul and unsure what to order next? Start with a small glass in Yangjae. The Korean Sool Grand Festival takes place Nov. 13–15 at the aT Center. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs says 142 breweries will bring takju, yakju, cheongju, fruit wines and distilled spirits, among other drinks. Start with texture, then aroma and food pairing. You can make sense of a large fair without learning every name.
A brewery booth at the 2025 Yangjae festival.
Start with a familiar takju, then change the texture
If you already drink makgeolli, begin with takju. Notice whether it tastes like the one you know, or whether tartness or sweetness stands out. Carbonation, sediment and finish differ from bottle to bottle. Ask whether you can start with something lightly sparkling. If you’re more comfortable showing a note on your phone, try “단맛 적은 탁주” for a less sweet takju or “부드러운 막걸리” for a mellow makgeolli.
A competition display from the 2025 Korean Sool festival.
For your second glass, try a clear rice drink such as yakju or cheongju. The color in the bottle tells you less than the aroma in the glass. How the drink is fermented and filtered changes how it feels, even when it starts with rice. Yakju is a product category on the label. Treat it as a name for the drink.
A display from the 2025 Korean Sool festival.
Try fruit wine if you want a fruit-forward aroma, or a distilled spirit if you’re curious about a longer finish. Check the alcohol strength before you taste. Take water breaks so you can tell the drinks apart, and note why the first and last glasses tasted different. That note may be more useful than a long list when you choose a bottle to take home.
Read the front and back labels. Two bottles with similar names or styles can differ in alcohol content and storage requirements. If you’re buying one as a gift, think about how you’ll store it on the way home and where you’ll open it.
Visitors at the 2025 Korean Sool Grand Festival in Yangjae.
Give the next glass a place at the table
The festival guide from SBS describes Korean food pairings, cocktail demonstrations and a makgeolli-making session. Bring a specific question to a pairing: how does the acidity come through next to a rich dish, and does a spicy dish make the drink taste sweeter? The answers can change from one bottle to the next.
A hands-on session at the 2025 festival.
A bottle for a friend and a bottle for your own dinner are different purchases. For a gift, check whether the strength is close to something your friend already likes. For dinner, think of a dish and ask how to store the drink. If it needs refrigeration, taste first and pick up the bottle before you leave.
The aT Center entrance during the 2025 festival.
Use the region on the label as a clue
Ask a brewer what aroma comes through first. That’s easier to answer than asking what makes every drink from their region distinctive. Brewers in the same area can use rice or fruit, and even two bottles in the same category can have different levels of sweetness. The place name can lead you to an ingredient or the people who made it.
Last year’s festival at the same venue also paired tastings with brewing and food programs. The archive gives you a sense of what happens when the people pouring the drinks can explain how they made them. Ask about the ingredients in one glass you like and then try another. The difference is easier to remember that way.
The stage at the 2025 Korean Sool Grand Festival.
Yonhap News TV’s report from 2025 shows visitors tasting drinks at the festival.
The opening ceremony at the 2025 Yangjae festival.
Start with an award winner, then try the next booth
The festival features 18 products selected at this year’s Korean Sool competition. An award winner is a useful reference if you’ve never tried the category. Then taste the same style from another brewery. If one stands out, write down both the product and the brewery so you can find it after your trip.
The official poster for the 2026 Korean Sool Grand Festival.
If your companion isn’t there to drink, ask the brewers where they source their rice or fruit, or how their methods differ. The workshop guide says advance registration closed on Nov. 5 and that each session has places for walk-in registration. Allow time to sign up separately from entering the fair. Photos of products and previous editions are for context.
Yangjae aT Center on Naver Map
- Venue: Exhibition Hall 1, aT Center, 27 Gangnam-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul.
- Dates: Nov. 13–15.
- Hours and admission: 13:00–20:00, ₩15,000, according to the official event overview. Workshops require separate registration.
“I like a tart takju” is a good thing to come away knowing. One familiar glass and one unfamiliar drink chosen with a brewer’s advice are enough to begin.
Sources
- Photography
- 장독대 · 대한민국 정책브리핑 · 우리술 대축제 사무국
Related stories
Latest stories
The editor
Daily Korea Editorial
Korea through fashion, places, food and everyday culture.
More from this editor
Recommended stories
