Taste 'Gwahaju' Korea's traditional summer drink

Gwahaju, or Korean traditional fortified liquor that has long been a summer seasonal specialty, brewed in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province / Courtesy of Gimcheon Gwahaju

Korea's traditional medicinal wine fortified with soju makes hot summer more bearable

By Lee Hae-rin

Gwahaju, which means "liquor that gets you through the summer" in Korean, is a seasonal delicacy that has guided Koreans through the summer heat for centuries.

It is a light brown-colored, sweet-smelling, sticky-rice-based medicinal wine that has soju added during its fermentation process. The addition of the distilled spirit fortifies the fermented beverage, which intentionally interrupts the growth of microorganisms that change the flavor and allows the liquor to retain its taste and quality throughout the hot weather.

Gwahaju normally has between 13 to 15 percent alcohol, which is higher than traditional rice wine makgeolli with 6 percent and similar to commercially distilled liquor soju with 14 percent.

The making of gwahaju is similar to fortified drinks developed in other countries, such as Portugal's port wine and sherry wine from Spain, which each add brandy to grape wine during or after the grape fermentation process.

It is unclear exactly when and how Koreans started making the fortified drink. However, historical records such as the oldest recipe book written by a woman in Eastern Asia in 1670 say that the gwahaju was already widely made and consumed in Korea at the time, suggesting Korea's fortified liquor was at least 100 years ahead of port wine.

Other historical sources testify that the "sweet and strong liquor" was widely enjoyed by many monarchs and nobility, and especially by Admiral Yi Sun-sin during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) and grew more popular among commoners throughout Japan's colonial occupation between 1910 and 1945.

The fortified drink is a work of two opposing types of liquor combined ― fermented and distilled, which, as a result, features the former's richness in smell and flavor and the latter's long shelf life.

The following three breweries make recommendable gwahaju popular among Korean drink lovers and foodies, through a combination of their regional brewing traditions and local specialties.

Song Jae-sung, the deceased gwahaju craftsman based in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, removes sweet sticky rice from water to brew the fortified drink at his brewery in this Oct. 27, 1991 photo. Korea Times file

Gimcheon Gwahaju

Gwahaju in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, has a long heritage as a high-end local specialty that was served for monarchs and aristocrats since the Joseon period.

Historical records show that brewers from other regions visited the city and learned its gwahaju recipe but couldn't imitate its authentic flavor and rich fragrance, possibly because the region is known to have tastier water rich in minerals. The city's name, which means "precious stream," reflects such regional characteristics.

The region's traditional brewing heritage is now carried on by gwahaju craftsman Song Gang-ho, an intangible cultural asset and the second son of the deceased gwahaju brewer Song Jae-sung who contributed to modernizing the drink.

Available in 23 and 16 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), Gimcheon Gwahaju is known for its original dry taste. The brewery recommends that its slightly bitter and fresh taste pairs wonderfully especially with meat and with all kinds of Korean food.

The drink won several recognitions in domestic wine and liquor competitions.

Gyeongseong Gwahaju brewed by Sool A Won from Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province / Courtesy of Sool A Won

Sool A Won Gwahaju

Another recommended gwahaju is made by Sool A Won, a brewery in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, known for only using the highest quality sweet sticky rice, which is Yeoju's regional specialty.

Founded in 2015 with a mission to bring gwahaju to life from old historical records and modernize the traditional drink to suit modern taste buds, the brewery uses no additives and creates a rich and deep taste of sweetness purely from rice.

According to Sool A Won, gwahaju is enjoyable in summer but also recommended throughout the whole year. So the brewery makes seasonal variations of the fortified drink, mixing it with flowers blooming in different seasons such as plum, lotus and chrysanthemum.

Boksoondoga Gwahaju brewed by Boksoondoga, a makgeolli brewery based in Ulsan / Courtesy of Boksoondoga

Boksoondoga Gwahaju

Boksoondoga is one of the trendiest and most popular makgeolli breweries among young rice wine lovers, bars and bottle shops nowadays in Korea.

The Ulsan-based brewery uses only locally-grown high-quality rice and yeast and is known for its champagne-like highly carbonated style of liquor with a savory aroma.

The brewery recommends its gwahaju chilled at around 4 degrees Celsius to enjoy its balanced blend of sweet and sour tastes, then observe how fruity and sour notes slowly kick in as its temperature rises.