Hansan Sogokju
KoreaSouth Chungcheong · SeocheonHansan Sogokju: The Baekje Rice Wine Nicknamed the Can't-Stand-Up Drink
Sogokju, brewed in Hansan-myeon in Seocheon, South Chungcheong, is a glutinous rice wine said to date back to the Baekje kingdom. Here is the legend of Baekje refugees, the recipes left in Joseon cookbooks, the story behind its nickname, how it survived colonial-era and postwar bans, and how to enjoy it in Hansan.
A Drink Said to Be Brewed by Baekje Refugees
Hansan sogokju is a traditional rice wine brewed in Hansan-myeon, Seocheon County, South Chungcheong. Tradition says it was a Baekje court drink, and that after the kingdom fell its people brewed it to ease their grief. In 2001 the Seoul Shinmun wrote that locals near Jurya Fortress in Hansan, a base of the Baekje restoration movement, brewed it to soothe the pain of a lost kingdom. Money Today relays the idea that the refugees brewed it in white mourning clothes, hence the name from so (white) and gok (malt), and also an alternative reading using so (small), for a wine made with little malt. These are local traditions rather than written history. What is clear is that the people of Hansan have long brewed this wine and think of it as "the wine of Baekje."
Recipes Left in Joseon Cookbooks
Sogokju appears clearly in writing during the Joseon dynasty; its method is said to be recorded in books such as Dongguk sesigi, Gyuhap chongseo and Siui jeonseo. The Seoul Shinmun described Hansan's method in 2001: malt cakes are made from wheat harvested in June and left to ferment in the shade until autumn; nonglutinous and glutinous rice go in at a ratio of 2 to 8, along with dried wild chrysanthemum, soybeans and malt powder. After about 100 days, once the wine has pooled, a woven strainer called a yongsu is pushed in to draw off the clear wine. A 2004 article adds ginger and red chili. Other sources describe it as just glutinous rice, malt and water, so it is fair to say each family and brewery has its own variation. As one brewer put it, "even the same wine tastes different depending on who brews it."
The Nickname: the Can't-Stand-Up Drink
Sogokju's nickname is anjeunbaengi-sul, roughly "the drink that leaves you unable to stand." The story goes that a daughter-in-law kept dipping her chopsticks into the jar to check whether it was ready, got drunk without noticing, and ended up crawling around because she could not get up. In 2004 the Seoul Shinmun warned that first-timers often take its soft sweetness for low strength and drink too much. Because it is brewed with only about half the usual water, it reached 18% alcohol, high for a clear rice wine, and since the yeast uses only about half the sugar, the rest stays behind as sweetness. Wild chrysanthemum adds a deep fragrance. At the time it came as an 18% wine and a 43% spirit distilled from it. Strength now varies by brewery, so check the label, and sip slowly rather than trusting the sweetness.
A Family Drink Kept Alive Through Bans
Sogokju survived several close calls. According to Money Today, the colonial Government-General's liquor tax decree of 1916 treated even home brewing without a licence as bootlegging, and the Grain Management Act of 1965 banned brewing with rice. Even so, households in Hansan are said to have kept brewing it quietly. In July 1979 Hansan sogokju was designated South Chungcheong Intangible Cultural Property No. 3. The Seoul Shinmun (2001) reports that after the designated master, Kim Yeong-sin, died in 1997, her daughter-in-law U Hui-yeol carried on the craft, and U was named a Korean food master in 1999. Money Today says Seocheon now has about 70 sogokju breweries, a remarkable number for one small rural area.
Enjoying Sogokju in Hansan
To enjoy sogokju properly, go to Hansan-myeon. Seocheon County has held the Hansan Sogokju Festival every year since 2015, a good chance to compare wines from several breweries; dates change each year, so check the county's notices. Competition is lively too: according to Money Today, four Hansan sogokju products made South Chungcheong's "Top 10 Chungnam Liquors" for 2025. Hansan is also famous for ramie fabric (Hansan mosi), so a visit to the ramie museum pairs well with a wine stop. In 2004 the Seoul Shinmun noted that you could taste and buy sogokju at the local products shop next to the museum; check how it operates now before you go. Just remember the nickname. If you are driving, leave the tasting to your companions and take a bottle home as a souvenir.