Now this could be a step in the right direction.  Fresh makgeolli currently only has a shelf life of around 30 days due to the fermentation process.  Any longer than that and it starts to taste quite sour and bitter….but not in a good way.  According to the Korea Food Research Institute, this could all change as they have found a way to extend the storage life of makgeolli to 100 days.  This could be mean big things for the export market, as previously it hasn’t been worthwhile to ship and stock overseas buyers with the short lifespan.

We’re not experts on what this new way of brewing could mean for the taste or integrity of makgeolli, but it’s still good to hear that there is research being done into improving methods.  In the meantime, a good tip when buying makgeolli at your local supermarket is to check the top of the bottle.  Fresh makgeolli always has the bottled date and the expiry date printed, so you can know what stage of shelf life it is in.   If a bottle has a printed shelf life of a year or more….you can be pretty certain it’s not fresh and has a serious cocktail of chemicals keeping it going.

Check out the article in the Korea Times here.

What do you think about this new extension?  Good idea or bad idea?  Leave us a comment below and tell us your opinion!