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Korea has thousands of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and many of them are tied to centuries of food culture, late-night gatherings, and everyday office life. If you have only one trip to Korea or one stop at a Korean grocery store, these five drinks belong at the top of your list. They show up in K-dramas, on Korean BBQ tables, in convenience store fridges, and at family holidays. Here are the five most famous Korean drinks you have to try at least once.
1. Soju (소주): The Iconic Green Bottle
Soju is the drink most people picture when they think of Korea. It is a clear distilled liquor, traditionally made from rice but today usually from grains like wheat or sweet potato, served chilled in tiny shot glasses. Hite Jinro's Chamisul, in its instantly recognizable electric-green bottle, is the world's best-selling spirit and the soju you will see on almost every Korean BBQ table. Modern Chamisul Fresh sits around 16 percent ABV, smooth and slightly sweet, which is why it pairs so well with grilled samgyeopsal and spicy stews. Soju is also at the heart of Korean drinking etiquette: pour for others with two hands, never for yourself, and tilt your glass away from elders when you drink.
2. Makgeolli (막걸리): Korea's Cloudy Rice Wine
If soju is the loud party guest, makgeolli is the cozy one. This milky, slightly fizzy rice wine has been brewed in Korea since the Three Kingdoms era, and it is the country's oldest alcoholic beverage. With a low alcohol content of about six to nine percent, makgeolli tastes sweet, tangy, and a little yeasty, traditionally served chilled in a shallow bowl with a ladle. It used to be considered a farmer's drink, but a wave of premium breweries like Boksoondoga in Ulsan turned makgeolli into a trendy, sparkling craft beverage you can now sip from champagne flutes at hip Seoul bars.
3. Banana Milk (바나나우유): The Chubby Bottle Everyone Loves
Walk into any Korean convenience store and you will see the chubby, semi-transparent yellow bottle of Binggrae Banana Flavored Milk. Launched in 1974, the bottle was modeled after a traditional Korean moon jar, and the shape has not changed in more than 50 years. Koreans drink about 800,000 bottles of it every day, and Binggrae has even applied to have the bottle listed as a national cultural heritage item. It is creamy, mildly sweet, and especially beloved after a jjimjilbang sauna session, often paired with a hot baked egg. K-pop idols frequently appear in its ads, so do not be surprised if you spot RM, Jimin, or IU on a limited-edition carton.
4. Sikhye (식혜): The Sweet Rice Drink for After Dinner
Sikhye is the traditional Korean dessert drink your halmeoni (grandmother) would serve after a heavy meal. It is a non-alcoholic, lightly sweet beverage made by steeping cooked rice in malted barley water until the rice ferments and floats. The result is an amber-colored drink with whole grains of rice on top, often garnished with pine nuts or jujube slices. Sikhye is a holiday favorite at Chuseok and Seollal, where it is served to aid digestion after rich feasts. You can also buy canned Vilac sikhye at any Korean grocery store, and it is the drink you will almost certainly be handed in a tiny aluminum can at a jjimjilbang.
5. Maxim Mocha Gold (맥심 모카골드): Korea's Beloved Coffee Stick
It may surprise you, but the most-consumed coffee in Korea is not from Starbucks or a fancy specialty cafe. It is the yellow stick of Maxim Mocha Gold instant coffee mix. Launched by Dongsuh Foods in 1989, this premixed sachet of coffee, sugar, and creamer is so beloved that Koreans buy roughly 170 sticks every second. You will find it in every office pantry, hospital waiting room, school staff room, and grandmother's kitchen. Dongsuh holds about 88 percent of the country's instant coffee market, and Maxim is the reason Korea became the world's largest consumer of instant coffee by 1990. Just tear, pour, and stir into hot water for the most authentic taste of everyday Korean coffee culture.
How to Drink Like a Local
These five drinks cover almost every Korean drinking occasion. Soju powers Korean BBQ and after-work hoesik gatherings. Makgeolli pairs with rainy days and pajeon scallion pancakes. Banana milk is comfort in a bottle for kids, K-pop fans, and post-sauna naps. Sikhye is the gentle, sweet finish to a holiday meal. And Maxim Mocha Gold is the quiet companion of Korea's working days. Try them in order and you will get a taste of how Korea drinks from morning meetings to midnight soju shots.
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