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The popularity of ``makgeolli,’’ the nation’s representative traditional rice wine, is showing signs of waning as its production and local sales have decreased substantially after having surged over the past couple of years.
Statistics Korea said Monday that Korean makers produced 24,395 kiloliters of makgeolli in February and sold 22,753 kiloliters, down 6.8 percent and 8.1 percent from the previous month, respectively.
Since midway through 2008 when the milky white drink gained public favor across the country, this marks the first time in up to 32 months that the two figures went down together on a monthly basis.
The monthly production first topped the 20,000-kiloliter mark in Oct. 2009 and it took just half a year to reach the 30,000-kiloliter milestone in March 2010. It peaked last June at 33,906 kiloliters.
But the amount started heading south thereafter to fluctuate in the vicinity of 25,000 kiloliters of late. Its sales also followed a similar curve although the two did not fall together month-to-month until this February.
``It seems obvious that the production and sales of makgeolli are on a downward spiral,’’ a Statistics Korea official said.
As to the reason why the public has lost its taste for makgeolli, observers came up with a set of explanations including the rising demand for beer or soju.
Consumption of soju and beer have jumped since late last year, according to Statistics Korea. This hints that soju and beer have replaced makgeolli on tables.
As far as the future of makgeolli is concerned, however, it is not all doom and gloom because the alcoholic beverage continues to gain in popularity outside of Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
Exports stood at 1,770 kiloliters in February, a record high up 37.7 percent from the corresponding month last year.
Makgeolli had been widely favored for a long time thanks to its rich taste as well as inexpensive price. But its appeal disappeared in modern times after Koreans turned to Western wines or spirits.
In particular, many complained of terrible hangovers the day after drinking makgeolli, mostly due to low quality ingredients. The drawback has turned many people off the traditional drink.
As soon as makgeolli manufacturers started using better ingredients, such criticism disappeared in the mid 2000s. This has prompted a renaissance of makgeolli both at home and abroad.
Even unconventional consumers such as the younger generation also enjoyed the rice wine, which gained the moniker of `drunken rice’ from the Seoul government, although its popularity is seemingly now decreasing.
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