STORY
A ferry landing, four fermentations, and a handful of hops
Seoul’s new makgeolli (a Korean fermented rice drink) does not preserve the past under glass. It borrows an old ferry landing’s name, divides one bottle into two layers, and dissolves hops into takju (a cloudy Korean rice drink) to set tradition in motion again.
- Naru
- Name reflecting an old Han River ferry landing’s role in connecting people; deep sweetness and green-apple aroma
- Miju 12
- Fermented 4 times; clear and cloudy layers drunk in sequence
- Coolmak
- A Hazy IPA-like IPM that dissolves hops and herbs into takju
- Locations
- Hangang Brewery in Seongsu-dong · Chunpoong Brewery on Dasan-ro in Jung-gu · Seoul Fermentary on Seocho-daero
- Reviewed
- 2026-08-30
three words help explain Seoul’s new makgeolli: ferry landing, four fermentations, and hops. Hangang Brewery revived the name of a vanished ferry landing in a bottle, connecting past and present. Chunpoong Brewery lets drinkers experience a product fermented four times as separate clear and cloudy layers. Seoul Fermentary brought the idea of a Hazy IPA into takju. Even within one city, there is more than one way to carry tradition into the present.
Masillog tasting note · The flavor directions of three bottles
Naru 11.5 turns inward through deep sweetness, a weighty texture, and green-apple aroma. Miju 12 moves from a clear layer of pear, melon, and wildflower into a denser layer of vanilla and banana. Coolmak adds aromatic hops and herbs, plus bitterness, to takju. Concentration, sequence, and ingredients are three different devices that widen the range of Seoul makgeolli.
At the table
Naru 11.5 shows its weight beside rich bites such as meat dumplings and donggeurangttaeng (pan-fried meat patties). With Miju 12, the clear layer may accompany raw fish or steamed seafood, followed by the shaken layer with galbi-jjim or barbecue. For Coolmak, Masillog’s editorial suggestion is a cheese- or cream-based plate centered on the bitterness of the hops.
Masillog travel note
Masillog travel note — This travel suggestion is reconstructed from public sources, not from an on-site experience. On an evening back in Seoul, choose one route by flavor instead of collecting more famous neighborhoods. For Seongsu, save Hangang Brewery’s Seongsu-dong location and check the official page for same-day visit and purchase availability. If Naru 11.5 is available, center dinner on meat dumplings or donggeurangttaeng and move from the first sip’s green-apple aroma to the next sip’s deep sweetness and weight. For a night that changes from a clear layer to a cloudy one, follow the same sequence with Miju 12 on Dasan-ro in Jung-gu. For the bitterness of hops and herbs, choose Coolmak on Seocho-daero. This is not a route for completing three neighborhoods, but a Seoul night that remembers one neighborhood through one bottle.
Reinterpretation, not restoration
Hangang Brewery says it connects past and present, while Seoul Fermentary says it disassembles and reconstructs tradition. Chunpoong explains that it extends brewing techniques inherited from Beonam Brewery in Jangsu, Jeollabuk-do, through a modern system. These producer statements do not stand in for the whole historical record, but they clearly show where today’s breweries place themselves.
Choose only one of three routes
Deep sweetness and green-apple aroma point to Hangang Brewery in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu. Drinking two layers in sequence points to Chunpoong Brewery on Dasan-ro in Jung-gu. Hop-and-herb bitterness points to Seoul Fermentary on Seocho-daero in Seocho-gu. Choose one flavor, save only that location, and confirm current visit, reservation, operating, and purchase details on the official page before departure. If those details cannot be confirmed, do not add the location to the day’s route. The address is a planning reference, not a promise of a visit or purchase.
Sources
- Hangang Brewery, “Makgeolli” Naru’s naming background, flavor, and Seongsu-dong location
- Chunpoong Brewery, “Chunpoong Miju 12%” Miju 12’s 4 fermentations, flavor by layer, and food pairings
- Seoul Fermentary, Korean Official Site Coolmak’s hops, herbs, IPM concept, and brewing philosophy
- Sooldamhwa, “Naru Fresh Makgeolli 11.5%” Food pairings for Naru 11.5
- Chunpoong Brewery, “Brewery Tour” Chunpoong’s brewing lineage, tour space, and Jung-gu location