Koreans drink everywhere

In Korea's small, communal society of the past, Neo-Confucian ideals urged respect for elders and formal courtesy toward others. Within these human connections, Koreans brewed and shared their liquor together. This traditional culture has woven itself into the fabric of modern society, crafting a unique drinking culture.

When a Korean says, "Let’s have a drink," it’s not just about pouring alcohol into the stomach. It signifies communication, relationship-building, and human connection—social meanings interwoven into the act. For Koreans, drinking is a vital form of non-verbal communication. It eases tension and facilitates smooth interactions, not just for business meetings or specific purposes but also in casual gatherings valued for the exchange itself. Due to this cultural perspective, drinking alone isn’t usually favored, leading to an entrenched culture of offering drinks to others. In essence, offering a drink is a shared belief, a conviction among community members.

In the workplace, this sometimes results in superiors pressuring subordinates to drink, or passing around the same glass. In this practice, the drinker’s glass is filled by the giver, insisting the recipient finish it in a single gulp and refill it to pass it back—an unspoken expectation to keep the circle going. However, I believe much of this has faded with resistance from younger generations. (besides, how nasty! Ugh!!!🤮)

Social drinking etiquette, deeply ingrained in social and work environments, often mattered more than drinking with friends. Some examples include:

1. Pouring drinks in the order of seniority and age.
2. Using two hands to pour: right hand pouring while the left hand supports the wrist or rests on the chest (an old custom, as long sleeves of traditional Korean clothing, hanbok, needed holding).
3. Accepting a drink from an elder with one hand while modestly covering the glass with the other and turning away to drink (unlike Japanese who might smoke and act more freely before their seniors).
4. Avoiding self-pouring. Only when the other’s glass is empty, you refill it, never adding to it. Self-pouring can imply disregard for others, akin to a game of ping-pong with the serve alternating reciprocally.

As for holding the label of a bottle while pouring, it might have originated from concerns about preserving the label during storage to avoid smudging or obscuring its details. In modern times, single-use bottles make this less necessary. Some jest that older Korean soju bottle labels featured a glaring toad believed to harbor poison.😅 Thus, it's respectful not to display its eyes while serving elders.😅

Today, Korean drinking culture seems ever-changing. Post-COVID, company outings are fewer, and lower-alcohol drinks, such as 17% soju instead of the former 23% standard, are favored by the youth (and perhaps contributing to makgeolli's 6% popularity—a lukewarm buzz now needs more bottles!😅). These changes are all for the better. I recommend you try Korean food paired with soju or makgeolli and experience this shared culture firsthand.✔️

Appendix

Your first thought of Korean alcohol might be the green bottle of soju, affordable and ubiquitous in convenience stores. Yet, Korea offers more than just soju; it also provides various rice-based liquors. Among these, makgeolli is quite popular. When foreigners often ask the difference between our makgeolli and Japanese sake, here’s how they compare: both are fermented, but they differ in the materials of their yeast, degree of rice polishing, and fermentation process. Makgeolli uses wheat-based yeast, while sake uses rice yeast alone and more polished rice, sometimes shaving off over 60% of the grain. The less polished, the less pure the flavor; hence, more polishing achieves a deeper taste profile. Sake's rice must exclusively be rice, while makgeolli can be made from wheat flour. Makgeolli ferments over roughly a week, whereas sake takes 3–4 weeks, typically brewed at cooler temperatures, leading to sake’s higher alcohol content around 18%. Sake is clear and filtered thoroughly, while makgeolli, albeit filtered, remains cloudy due to finer particles. (👉 Click here to see more about makgeolli)