Moon & Lion Brewing

Korean brewing has its own terminology to describe things specific to the craft. This series of posts, titled "Lexicon", aims to de-mystify this esoteric range of vocabulary, which can be a hurdle for those new to Korean traditional alcohol.  Today we are discussing Sool and Ju. Sool 술 Sool or sul, depending on which romanization standard you follow, refers to the wide array of alcoholic beverages, in a very general sense.  It can refer to any and all forms of alcohol, domestic and foreign.  Although is it a Korean word, it is not specific to traditional Korean brewing and is more of a general vocabulary. For example, beer and wine are types of sool, as are makgeolli, soju, sake, etc. Sool covers everything, and does not connote anything special. Sool also stands alone in a Korean sentence. It is a one-character noun that describes a class of beverage. For an English speaker, the equivalent would be drinks, booze, or just alcohol(ic beverage). Ju 주 Ju...

Hey Everyone, It's been about 8 months since this blog had any new content. We are overdue for updates! So, let's get caught up. 2016 has been an extremely busy year.  We had our second child in March, and I spent most of the summer trying to complete my graduate thesis.  The good news is, the baby is doing well and I finished my degree in August. I spent the last few months catching up on sleep and getting back into a normal routine. You see, I had been taking night classes for the last 2 years, and lack of sleep has a horrid, cumulative effect.  Kids plus graduate courses is not recommended, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity.  Better sooner than later, after all.  I am very thankful for the support of my partner, and proud of my accomplishments.  In the downtime from the blog, I have been co-moderating the Susubori Academy Makgeolli brewer's group on Facebook.  This was another great opportunity for me, and I've been able to connect with a ...

Currently brewing is a candidate from the brew schedule. Omija makgeolli! Omija ( Schisandra chinensis) is a small red berry that is commonly used in Korean cuisine to make omijacha, or simply omija tea. Omija directly translates to "five-flavor-berry". 

Great things are happening in the world of makgeolli! I am excited to announce the launch of a makgeolli brewing certificate program, taught by the great people of the Susubori Brewing Academy in Korea.   Susubori has teamed up with Makgeolli Mamas and Papas Korea (MMPK) and Makgeolli Makers to provide inspired and detailed instruction for English speakers. Susubori has been leading the way in traditional Korean brewing classes taught in English for the past three years, and they've just announced their next round of courses. Now the course material has been formalized into a curriculum that ranges from your first single-stage brew to advanced infusion techniques and even distilling to make soju! The entire course is separated into two modules: Makgeolli Brewing Foundations, and Practical Applications & Analysis. If you are in Korea or are planning to visit and would like to attend one of the classes at Susubori Academy, check the link below for registration, dates, a...

Currently brewing is a comparison between two brands of nuruk: a "market" nuruk purchased stateside and an artisan nuruk produced in Busan. Initial notes on the nuruk itself: To review, nuruk is the fermentation starter used for makgeolli and other kinds of traditional Korean beverages. It consists of fermented grains or rice and is home to a diverse set of micro-organisms. The "market" nuruk was purchased at H-Mart in the US under the brand Haeoreum. It has a pungent earthy aroma that is somewhat tangy on the nose. I would definitely describe the smell as moldy, but not foul or rank. It does not smell like decomposition. You may even describe the smell as reminiscent of a cellar or attic, but remember: no two smell alike. It definitely has an older scent than the Busan nuruk. The Busan nuruk was acquired from a friend, and I don't think it is available to purchase in the US. The aroma is a combination of earthy and woody, but neutral. There is n...

I haven't posted in a while, but a lot of good things have been happening. I've been doing a lot of travel for work, and talking to some wonderful people from the makgeolli brewing community in Korea. As part of those discussions the following two brews came about: An Iyangju using added yeast, and a Danyangju using nuruk only. Both brews used 100% sweet rice and a sweet rice starter. I'll explain each one below. The starter. The starter used is a bit of a trade secret (shhh), but I will tell you this. It uses rice flour, nuruk and water. That's it. Freshly made starter  Had I developed this starter on my own I'd share more specific details with you, but this was shared with me by a friend requesting confidentiality. The starter was made and let sit for 24-48 hours, depending on the progress. I added yeast to one starter and it took off and was about a day ahead of the nuruk only starter, which took about 72 hours. This was expected and be...