Makgeolli bowl: A Sip into Tradition
Makgeolli, a traditional Korean rice wine, has been sipped and celebrated for centuries. But why is Makgeolli drunk in a bowl?
This article delves into the cultural intricacies, historical roots, and sensory delights that make this tradition unique.

Cultural Significance: farmer’s drinking
In Korean culture, Makgeolli isn’t just a drink; it’s a communal experience.
Makgeolli has been used as a libation and various ceremonial liquors, but it is also deeply entrenched in Korean history and culture as a daily drink for the common people who traditionally farm.
It is usually drunk as a drink for farmers who relieve their thirst while working hard, but makgeolli, which has moderate carbonation, a sweet taste, and is made from rice, can be said to be a comfortable drink that is like a friend.
In particular, it can be said to be a drink with the concept of pouring it into a bowl like a rice bowl and drinking it cool all the time, rather than pouring it from a small glass like a soju glass.
How to drink makgeolli in Korean history
Did Koreans in the old days also drink makgeolli in bowls rather than cups?
In paintings by Kim Hong-do, a famous folk painter of the Joseon Dynasty, believed to have been painted around 1780, there are many scenes of drinking Nongju (makgeolli).
In the picture below, a liquor bottle and a glass are placed next to the nobleman who manages the workers during the harvest season. You can see that the glass is similar in shape to a baby’s food bowl.

What kind of makgeolli cup do Koreans use?
In fact, like me, modern Koreans have almost standardized glasses of similar size for soju and beer glasses. In comparison, the glass of makgeolli varies depending on the situation.
Aluminum yellow tin bowls are the most common and cheapest, and plastic cups the size of baby bowls are also frequently served in ordinary restaurants.
If you go to a more upscale restaurant, you may be served ceramic makgeolli glasses. However, there are not many cases where a glass is served.

The important thing about makgeolli glasses is that they are often in the shape of a ball rather than a cup. There may be changes in the material it is made from or the size that is slightly larger or smaller, but the key element is the nuance of the ‘bowl’ rather than the ‘cup’.
Why the Bowl? Advantages of bowl-shaped makgeolli glasses
Makgeolli, made from rice, is a low-alcohol liquor, so you can easily gulp it down in your mouth.
Unlike soju or whiskey, which have high alcohol content, you can drink it like a cool beverage, so a large glass is more useful than a small glass.
Also, since it is a liquor that quenches thirst and hunger rather than a liquor with a delicate aroma and taste like wine, a glass shaped like a rice bowl is more suitable.
History of Yangeun(nickel silver) makgeolli bowl
The yellow aluminum makgeolli bowl, commonly seen in K-dramas, is a style of drinking glass that became popular during Korea’s industrialization in the late 1900s due to its cheap and lightweight material. Usually, only makgeolli is poured into this makgeolli bowl.
Yangeun means silver imported from the West in Korean, but in reality it does not contain any silver, but is a silver alloy made by mixing copper with a little zinc and nickel.
It is also called nickel silver in English, and bowls and ramen pots made of similar materials are also commonly used.
To Koreans, the material called the yangeun can be considered a retro-style material.
Especially in Korea, when you go to famous, shabby, old restaurants, you can occasionally find yanggeun tableware being used with a sense of nostalgia, even though it has been dented over time.
Recently, as retro has become popular, along with the popularity of makgeolli, these yangeuun makgeolli bowls are also attracting the attention of the MZ generation.
Also, some people say that the Yangeun makgeolli bowl has good heat conductivity, so it feels cooler when you drink it with cold makgeolli.
The combination of a cool Yangeun makgeolli kettle and a Yangeun makgeolli bowl is the perfect daily drink to take away the stress of the day. It can be said that it is not only a relaxing drink for farmers, but also a perfect drink for modern office workers.
Why is makgeolli served in a dented yangeun kettle?
The yangeun makgeolli kettle is an object of nostalgia for Korea’s father’s generation.
Historically, traditional Korean alcohol was aged in large jars. And there are probably quite a few Koreans who have heard stories from older generations about buying a kettle of makgeolli from a traditional local brewery.
A son whose father was a farmer often went to a local brewery on an errand for his father, took an empty yangeun makgeolli kettle with him, and bought a full kettle of makgeolli.
And the story of the naughty boy who puts his mouth to the mouth of the kettle and swallows a few sips out of curiosity is a common story in Korea.
This nostalgic scene is the reason why makgeolli is still served in a yangeun kettle when you go to a retro-style Korean restaurant.
Of course, most Korean restaurants only serve plastic bottles with the makgeolli brand design and yangeun makgeolli bowls.
How to drink makgeolli like a Korean does
The key to drinking makgeolli like Koreans is to drink it comfortably and without formality.
Of course, you can get a more Korean feel if you have a yellow yangeun makgeolli bowl, but even if not, a ceramic bowl or mug will do. Just a slightly round feel, like a rice bowl, is enough.
However, I often drink it from a glass cup or my favorite pretty ceramic bowl at home, but very occasionally, when I drink expensive makgeolli or traditional liquor, I drink it from a goblet glass.
In other words, makgeolli is a popular and comfortable drink, so sexy wine glasses or sleek whiskey glasses are not essential. And the soju glass doesn’t suit either.
Don’t forget that just a round baby food bowl or mug is sufficient.