Mr. Ahn's Makgeolli

In a quaint house decorated with large wooden furniture in the Itaewon district, owner Ahn has paired gourmet caricatures of Korean pub food with handcrafted versions of alcohol. traditional. Mr. Ahn's Craft Makgeolli is Korea's first establishment to serve makgeolli with non-artificial ingredients. Owner Ahn prides himself on serving authentic makgeolli, but patrons can also try other Korean drinks like takju (unrefined rice wine) and cheongju (refined rice wine).

Makgeolli is a traditional alcoholic beverage that originated in Korea. It is known as Korean rice wine, which is produced by fermenting a mixture of rice grains and boiled water. This combination produces a milky, off-white color and a sweet taste, resulting in an alcohol of about 6.5% to 7% by volume after distillation. Until 1988, it was the country's most popular liquor. The most tried makgeolli is "Moon Shining on a Thousand Rivers", brewed with sweet pumpkin, and stronger distilled spirits, like the pine-flavored songhwa baegilju, are also impressive.

The bartender himself is a young former congressman who opened his pub as an alternative to politics. He chose Noksapyeong as his location after being inspired by the neighborhood's microbrew beer scene. His head chef has experience from working days at one of Seoul's most famous gourmet restaurants. The menu embodies their youthful enthusiasm, serving carefully curated starters that can be enjoyed as snacks, sous-vide chicken (with the skin being individually fried and then grilled again). later), and an “affogato” made by pouring Chusungju over caramel apple frosting.

Address: 658 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Opening hours: daily 18:00 – 01:00