This list of Korean drinks includes drinks, traditional or modern, which are distinctive to or closely identified with Korea. Brands and companies are South Korean unless noted.

Alcoholic drinks

* Baekseju *

Beolddeokju Korean cuisine has a wide variety of traditional alcoholic drinks, known as ''sul'' (). Many of these drinks end with the Sino-Korean word ''-ju'' (), and some end with the native Korean word ''-sul''. The Sino-Korean ''-ju'' is not used as an ...

, herbal rice wine believed to increase male stamina; bottles are often sold topped with a ceramic penis *

Cheongju Cheongju () is the capital and largest List of cities in South Korea, city of North Chungcheong Province in South Korea. History Cheongju has been an important provincial town since ancient times. In the Cheongju Mountains, specifically in the ...

, rice wine ** Sogokju **

Beopju ''Beopju'' () is a type of ''cheongju'' (clear rice wine). The name literally means "law liquor", as it is made following a fixed procedure. On 1 November 1986, a variety called ''Gyodong-beopju'' was designated by the government of South Korea ...

, a traditional liquor of

Gyeongju Gyeongju ( ko, 경주, ), historically known as ''Seorabeol'' ( ko, 서라벌, ), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, ...

* Dugyeonju * Gyepiju * Insamju, medicinal wine; made from

ginseng Ginseng () is the root of plants in the genus ''Panax'', such as Korean ginseng ('' P. ginseng''), South China ginseng ('' P. notoginseng''), and American ginseng ('' P. quinquefolius''), typically characterized by the presence of ginsenosides an ...

Makgeolli ''Makgeolli'' ( ko, 막걸리, raw rice wine ), sometimes anglicized to makkoli (, ), is a Korean alcoholic beverage. The milky, off-white, and lightly sparkling rice wine has a slight viscosity that tastes slightly sweet, tangy, bitter, and ast ...

wine from rice and fermentation starter

nuruk ''Nuruk'' () is a traditional Korean fermentation starter. It is used to make various types of Korean alcoholic beverages including ''takju'', ''cheongju'', and soju. It is an essential ingredient in Shindari and is mixed with rice.Nowicki, Stephe ...

* Munbaeju *

Persimmon wine The persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus ''Diospyros''. The most widely cultivated of these is the Oriental persimmon, ''Diospyros kaki'' ''Diospyros'' is in the family Ebenaceae, and a number of non-pers ...

, produced in the wine tunnel south of

Daegu Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...

Soju (; Hangul: ; Hanja: ) is a clear and colorless Korean distilled alcoholic beverage. It is usually consumed neat. Its alcohol content varies from about 12.9% to 53% alcohol by volume (ABV), although since 2007 low alcohol soju below 20% h ...

, sweet potato or rice liquor **

Jinro HiteJinro Co., Ltd. (; ) is a South Korean multinational drink, brewing and distiller company, founded in 1924. It is the world's leading producer of soju, accounting for more than half of that beverage's domestic sales. It also manufactures a ...

, a brand of soju *

Yakju ''Cheongju'' (; literally "clear wine"), sometimes romanized as ''Chungju'', is a clear, refined rice wine of Korean origin. Names The word ''cheongju'' () consists of two characters: ''cheong'' () meaning "clear" and ''ju'' () meaning "al ...

**Takju, also known as

makgeolli ''Makgeolli'' ( ko, 막걸리, raw rice wine ), sometimes anglicized to makkoli (, ), is a Korean alcoholic beverage. The milky, off-white, and lightly sparkling rice wine has a slight viscosity that tastes slightly sweet, tangy, bitter, and ast ...

***

Dongdongju ''Makgeolli'' ( ko, 막걸리, raw rice wine ), sometimes anglicized to makkoli (, ), is a Korean alcoholic beverage. The milky, off-white, and lightly sparkling rice wine has a slight viscosity that tastes slightly sweet, tangy, bitter, and as ...

Beers

Hite Hite or HITE may refer to: *HiteJinro, a South Korean brewery **Hite Brewery *Hite (surname) *Hite, California, former name of Hite Cove, California *Hite, Utah, a ghost town * HITE, an industrial estate in Pakistan See also *''Hite v. Fairfax ...

, other products include Black Beer Stout *

Oriental Brewery Oriental Brewery or OB (Hangul: 오비맥주) is a South Korean brewery currently owned by AB InBev, and initially founded by Doosan Group. History Established by the Doosan Group in 1952, it was purchased by InBev in 1998. In July 2009, it ...

, brands include OB and Cass *

Taedonggang Taedonggang is a brand of North Korean beer brewed by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company based in Pyongyang. There are four brands of beer marketed as Taedonggang, though the brand known simply as "Taedonggang Beer" is that described ...

, a

North Korean beer North Korea has at least ten major breweries and many microbreweries that supply a wide range of beer products. The top brand is the light lager Taedonggang by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company. The country's problems with goods dist ...

resembling

ale Ale is a Type of beer, type of beer brewed using a Warm fermentation, warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops. As with most beers, ale typicall ...

; produced since 2002

Non-alcoholic drinks

Traditional

All Korean traditional non-alcoholic drinks are referred to as ''"eumcheongnyu"'' (음청류 ). According to historical documents regarding

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...

, almost 200 items of ''eumcheongnyu'' are found. ''Eumcheongnyu'' can be divided into the categories of '' cha'' (차 tea), ''tang'' (탕 boiled water), ''jang'' (장 fermented grain juice with sour taste), ''suksu'' (숙수), ''galsu'' (갈수 thirst water), ''

hwachae ''Hwachae'' () is a general term for traditional Korean punches, made with various fruits or edible flower petals. The fruits and flowers are soaked in honeyed water or honeyed magnolia berry juice. In modern South Korea, carbonated drinks and/o ...

'' (화채 fruit punch),

sikhye ''Sikhye'' (식혜, also spelled ''shikhye'' or ''shikeh''; also occasionally termed ''dansul'' or ''gamju'') is a traditional sweet Korean rice beverage, usually served as a dessert. In addition to its liquid ingredients, S''ikhye'' contains gr ...

(식혜 sweet rice drink), ''

sujeonggwa Sujeonggwa is a Korean traditional cinnamon punch. Dark reddish brown in color, it is made from mainly cinnamon, sugar, water and ginger. It's often served with ''gotgam'' (dried persimmon) and garnished with pine nuts. The punch is made by brew ...

'' (수정과 persimmon drink), ''milsu'' or ''kkulmul'' (밀수, 꿀물 honeyed water), ''jeup'' (즙

juice Juice is a drink made from the extraction or Cold-pressed juice, pressing of the natural liquid contained in fruit and vegetables. It can also refer to liquids that are flavored with concentrate or other biological food sources, such as meat ...

) and

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. Immune factors and immune ...

by their ingredient materials and preparation methods. Among the eumcheongnyu, '' cha'', ''

'',

, and ''

'' are still widely favored and consumed; however, ''tang'', ''jang'', ''suksu'', and ''galsu'' have almost disappeared in the present.

Teas

:''A more extensive list can be found in: Korean tea'', ''See also'':

Korean tea ceremony The Korean Tea Ceremony or ''darye'' (茶禮) is a traditional form of tea ceremony practiced in Korea. Darye literally refers to ''"etiquette for tea"'' or ''"tea rite"'' and has been kept among Korean people for over a thousand years. The chief ...

Boricha Barley tea is a roasted-grain-based infusion made from barley. It is a staple across many East Asian countries such as China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. It has a toasty, bitter flavor. In Korea, the tea is consumed either hot or cold, often tak ...

, made from barley *

Green tea Green tea is a type of tea that is made from '' Camellia sinensis'' leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process which is used to make oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China, and since the ...

(''녹차'' okcha, a staple of

tea culture Tea culture is defined by the way tea is made and consumed, by the way the people interact with tea, and by the aesthetics surrounding tea drinking. Tea plays an important role in some countries. It is commonly consumed at social events, and ...

across East Asia * Oksusu cha, made from boiled roasted

corn kernels Corn kernels are the fruits of corn (called maize in many countries). Maize is a grain, and the kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable or a source of starch. The kernel comprise endosperm, germ, pericarp, and tip cap. One ear of corn c ...

Sungnyung ''Sungnyung'' is a traditional Korean infusion made from boiled scorched rice. Preparation This drink is typically made from ''nurungji'', the roasted (but not charred) crust of rice that forms on the bottom of a pot after cooking rice. Water is ...

made from boiled toasted rice *Yulmu cha, made from the

yulmu Job's tears (''Coix lacryma-jobi)'', also known as Adlay or Adlay millet, is a tall grain-bearing perennial tropical plant of the family Poaceae (grass family). It is native to Southeast Asia and introduced to Northern China and India in remote ...

(''Coix lacryma-jobi'' var. ''ma-yuen'') grains

Hwachae

* ''Hwachae'' is a group of Korean traditional drinks made with fruits, flower petals, and honey, or sugar.

Others

*Ogamcha, a drink with alder, licorice, chaga and ginseng * Shikhye, a malt drink *Solhinun, a pine bud drink made by Lotte *

Sujeonggwa Sujeonggwa is a Korean traditional cinnamon punch. Dark reddish brown in color, it is made from mainly cinnamon, sugar, water and ginger. It's often served with ''gotgam'' (dried persimmon) and garnished with pine nuts. The punch is made by brew ...

, a persimmon and

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfa ...

drink

Modern

*2% fruit flavored water; peach, lemon, apple, grape and pomegranate *815 Cola (discontinued and relaunched in 2014) *Achimhaetsal, rice milk *

Bacchus-F Bacchus ( ko, 박카스) is a non-carbonated South Korean energy drink, first launched in 1963. It is known by the brand names Bacchus-D and Bacchus-F, while the amount of Taurine in the latter product (2000mg) is higher. Both formulas are manufa ...

Banana Flavored Milk Banana Flavored Milk ( ko, 바나나맛 우유) is a South Korean milk beverage produced by Binggrae in Korea. Name The name "Banana Mat Uyu" ( ko, 바나나맛 우유) in Korean translates as Banana Flavored Milk. Flavor The beverage consists o ...

Chilsung Cider Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co., Ltd. is one of the largest drink manufacturers in South Korea and is part of the Lotte Corporation. The name ''Chilsung'' (''chilseong'', , ) means "Big Dipper" (literally seven stars), and the company's logo is an e ...

, a clear carbonated sugar soda (not lemon-lime like Sprite) *Duyu, soymilk *McCOL, a barley-made cola *

Milkis Milkis (Korean: 밀키스) is a Korean soft drink produced by Lotte Chilsung, a South Korean beverage company. It combines many of the common elements of traditional carbonated beverages such as sugar, and carbonated water with milk to create a ...

, a creamy soda *Sac Sac, a Mandarin orange-flavored drink (not pure juice) with bits of pulp, found in small aluminum cans with a peel-off tab *Vita 500, an energy drink launched in 2001 Cyworld Named Hit Product of the Year
''

Chosun Ilbo ''The Chosun Ilbo'' (, ) is a daily newspaper in South Korea and the oldest daily newspaper in the country. With a daily circulation of more than 1,800,000, the ''Chosun Ilbo'' has been audited annually since the Audit Bureau of Circulations w ...

'' December 15, 2004

References

External links

Korean wines
{{Lists of drinks *

Korean drinks Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language ** Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju languag ...

Drinks A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothies a ...

Drinks