Satisfy your thirst for traditional Korean alcohols, during this guided tour and tasting. Meet an artisan brewmaster and distiller, who teaches you about the time-honored traditional process of making Soju, Yakju, and Makgeolli from rice. Eat a homemade Korean meal accompanied by Makgeolli. This small-group tour, maximum of 12 people, ensures an intimate atmosphere and the opportunity to ask questions.
Soju, Yakju, and Makgeolli tasting in Seoul
Meet a 10th-generation artisan brewmaster and see his workshop
Taste artisan Makgeolli, Yakju, and Soju and learn how they are made
Traditional Korean dinner in a small local restaurant
Small-group tour limited to 15 people
What's Included
Local guide
Alcoholic Beverages
Upscale Snacks at the Traditional Bar with Premium Makgeolli.
Additional food and drinks
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Gratuities
Meeting And Pickup
Meeting point
165
165 Anguk-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Anguk Station Exit No. 1
Start time
05:30 pm
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.
What To Expect
Make your way to a central meeting point in Seoul to meet your guide and small tour group. Depart on foot for the workshop location, where you meet the brewmaster. This brewmaster and distiller has been designated a 'Human National Treasure' by the city of Seoul. He is a 10th-generation brewmaster using a secret family recipe.
Enjoy tasting Makgeolli, Yakju, and artisan Soju while learning from an informative master with a great sense of humor. Sip drink after drink of Soju and Makgeolli, while your host explainins the history, the distillation process by which each drink is made, and the differences in alcohol content.
After your in-depth lesson on Makgeolli and Soju brewing, depart for a small restaurant on a side street. Sit down for a hearty Korean dinner, including doenjang jjigae (a Korean soybean paste stew), jeon (pancakes), bossam (boiled pork belly) and various side dishes, accompanied by more Makgeolli. Your guide walks you through the culinary history behind the meal and the difference in the Makgeolli.
At the end of your experience, walk back to the original departure point with your guide.
Seoul (Pass By)
Bukchon Hanok Village (Pass By)
Bukchon Cultural Center
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Minimum age is 21 years
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required. Solo travelers, please contact us individually.
A maximum of 12 people per booking
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Most travellers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travellers
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
Traveller Photos
Featured review
Katrin_I
We really enjoyed the tasting and the opportunity to see how traditional Korean alcohol is made. We loved how cozy our little group felt. Our guide Veronica made sure not only that we had a great dinner, but she also showed us around the neighbourhood and made great suggestions for things to do. We highly recommend this tour to any traveler who likes having a good time while also learning new things!
Reviews
5.0
18 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Showing 1-10 of 18 reviews
Best wine rice tour and tbe food thst goes eith it
Edna_G, May 2023
Our guide veronica on top all the places snd course she promissed gave us historical explanations on our wsy and we enjoyed it very much.The tasting wss of 4 differanant alchol and the woman shoed ud sll the proces so detail. The dinner se ate with veronica sss so big with a lot lot lot of mackoly. We rste it as the best wind rice tour.
Response from Host, May 2023
Thank you very much for sharing your experiences. Your information will be of great help to travelers visiting Korea. Did you enjoy your trip to Korea? I hope you come to Korea again. Best Regards,
It was very fascinating...
Savannah_H, May 2023
It was very fascinating to learn about how each traditional alcohol is made and we enjoyed our trip to the brew master’s workshop. The dinner was very interesting, and although it wasn’t really our taste, it was still interesting to try the traditional seafood dishes.
Response from Host, May 2023
Thank you for your review and so glad that you enjoyed the tour.
Great time
Katrin_I, May 2023
We really enjoyed the tasting and the opportunity to see how traditional Korean alcohol is made. We loved how cozy our little group felt. Our guide Veronica made sure not only that we had a great dinner, but she also showed us around the neighbourhood and made great suggestions for things to do. We highly recommend this tour to any traveler who likes having a good time while also learning new things!
Response from Host, May 2023
Thank you for your review. I hope this tour will give you an opportunity for Korean food culture to accompany you in your daily life.
Food and booze
Dee_E, Apr 2023
A great traditional introduction to Korean alcohol and great guide with great experiences and good food.
Response from Host, Apr 2023
Thank you. So glad that you had a good time with Korean Traditional Alcohol Culture.
Absolutely worth a go!
Sarah_C, Jan 2023
My father and I had a great time! Veronica was a very knowledgeable guide who made us feel welcome. I learned a lot about Korean cultural food practices outside of just magkeolli and rice wine, too. Her company (Gastro Tour Seoul) offers a lot of other tours that I wish I had known about before I booked such a short trip to Seoul. I’d absolutely recommend this trip to anyone interested in Korean food and drinks and all the culture and history that’s made it the way it is.
Response from Host, Jan 2023
Thank you for your recommendation and I’m so glad that you and your father had a good time. Hope you have a good time for the rest of your journey in Korea. ~~
Exactly what we came for
Stefan_H, Oct 2019
Very knowledgable and personable tour guide. The Brew Master truly was masterful in his craft. Great traditional Food afterwards.
Response from Host, Oct 2019
Thank you for sharing. I am also happy to introduce my culture through the tour. Thank you very much again.
Wonderful evening! Our guide Jay was...
Hugo P, Mar 2017
Wonderful evening! Our guide Jay was attentive, knowledgeable and spoke very fluent English. I'm a homebrewer and my husband is a professional brewer. For us, the opportunity to meet Mr. Kim, the brewmaster, and talk with him was very special. He and his assistants seemed to enjoy our enthusiasm for their various beverages and answered our many questions with corresponding enthusiasm. It was an experience we will remember for many years.
This was the absolute highlight of...
Chelsea O, Mar 2017
This was the absolute highlight of the trip! These are some of the nicest people you'll meet. We met our guide/translator, Jay, at a subway stop near the palace. She then took us through Insadong and showed us the highlights before heading to the tasting. The makgeolli, yakju and soju were all delicious! There was something for everyone, there was a grape juice yakju that was out of this world sort of like wine, but so much better. And a mushroom infused soju that was earthy more like whiskey. Those were just two of the varieties we tried and the flavors change every season. A traditional meal in Insadong followed and it hit the spot. So much culture in food. Seriously, seek out this tour. You won't regret it. We'll definitely do this again.
The tour with Veronica was very well...
Rommel L, Nov 2016
The tour with Veronica was very well curated and brought us a a deeper understanding in the homebrewing journey of Seoul's brewmasters and great tips of where to eat along the way if you enjoy Korean food as much as me and my girlfriend do. This particular tour was extra special as the first brewmaster was making a new batch of Soju during our tasting tour, and allowed us to taste in a few of his experimental projects.
I highly recommend this tour if you are interested in Seoul's gastronomy!
This tour is fantastic! If you are...
CynthiaH_K, Sept 2016
This tour is fantastic! If you are looking for something non-touristy to do in Seoul, this is it. Veronica, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable and an excellent interpreter. Meeting the brewmaster and seeing the process of making soju was fascinating. Dinner was also great.
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