It is said that during the Goyreo period in Korea, once lived a government official called Yu Kyubo (1168 - 1241) whose fondness for makgeolli and Korean alcohol was so strong, that he even failed his civil service examinations three times before finally passing on the fourth attempt. Later, in his self-composed poem "White Brew", he lamented his inability to enjoy makgeolli freely, given his then-current position as a government official. 

Part of the reason it might not have been proper for Yi Kyubo to consume makgeolli was because, back then, makgeolli was actually seen as a "commoners drink", a "cheaply-brewed" rice wine that was snubbed by the nobles and favoured by working class farmers during breaks.  

| Read more: Both Rice, Both Nice: Makgeolli vs Soju, Explained!

(Image source: Lisa Cohen)

Thankfully, these days, you won't catch many turning up their noses at makgeolli anymore. And most certainly not in a place like Odem! 

Tucked in the corner of New Bahru is Odem, Singapore's first ever craft makgeolli bar boasting the largest collection of artisanal makgeollis, made without additives. The bar offers makgeolli flights to patrons, allowing you to taste various types of makgeollis from various craft brewers - many of which are typically hard to find outside of Korea.

Upon walking into the bar, you'll notice that the walls lined with half-charred wood panels. I'm later told by the staff that this burnt effect is a nod to the use of charred timber in Korean wineries - a nice touch that instantly adds to the cozy and insulated feel of the bar. 

The first makgeolli I try is the Pulbit from Seoul Fermentary. We're off to a great start with this one! There's a great crisp effervescense and gentle milkiness, and the flavours are lush with notes of green apples, green grapes, mint and an extra delightful accent of rosemary.   

The Pulbit paired amazingly with the Savoury Donut, a popular item on their bar bites menu. The Savoury Donut had a creamy filling of shio kombu, salmon roe, creme fraîche, corn puree and smoked gochugaru. Sipping on the Pulbit between bites of the donut really brought out the herbaceous undertones in the drink, while the apple sweetness helped to accentuate the umami flavours in the donut. 

While most are familiar with makgeolli as being a milky, cloudy-style drink, there's actually another style of makgeolli called "Yakju", which is a filtered type of makgeolli historically reserved for the royalty. 

This one from Jiran Jigyo is brewed using a unique traditional method with homemade yeast, undergoing 100 days of fermentation followed by 90 days of aging. The texture here is light and silky with a touch of acidity. On the palate, there's a sweet-sour accent of green apple, sour plums and a slight savoury mushroom finish.  

Another memorable makgeolli from this night was the Byeolsan Odi Berry from Yangjudoga. There's tons of fruity grape and mulberry notes to be picked up here, complemented by a approachable milky yoghurt sweetness. What I especially enjoyed about it was that it had a subtle flavour of red rice that reminded me of pulut hitam, a type of coconut-infused rice porridge dessert from Indonesia. Really delicious! 

But perhaps the makgeolli that was most surprising was this I-Hwa Ju makgeolli, which came straight from a jar.  I must admit I had a bit of cognitive dissonance at first - as I could still taste those trademark milky rice notes of makgeolli, except in this solid jam-like consistency. But as it melted on the tongue, it started to remind me of a boozy grape yoghurt! According to the staff, you're supposed to eat this makgeolli straight off the spoon, but I could actually see this being a great way to spice up a dessert - maybe layered onto a parfait or used as garnish for a panna cotta. 

Odem is a true gem, and while I didn't try much on the food menu, I was certainly taken by the very diverse selection of makgeollis available on the menu and some of the creative flavours that many of the brewery they stock have been cooking up!  Their makgeolli tasting flights offer a good bang for your buck in my opinion, given that most if not all of the makgeollis they offer tend not to be available anywhere else in Singapore. If you're a makgeolli lover, or simply someone wanting to get to know this Korean rice wine better, Odem should be one of your first ports of call.