Bottles of Hansan Sogokju / Courtesy of Hansan Sogokju 'Sit-down drink' from Baekje era offers glimpse of 1,500 years of history By Lee Hae-rin 'Sogokju' is a Korean seasonal delicacy with the longest history as a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage made in the mountainous village of Hansan in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province. A light brown-colored, sweet-smelling, sticky rice-based beverage with a silky texture, it is known to have at least 1,500 years of history. Sogokju is known to have been a popular drink for the royal family of the Baekje Dynasty (18 B.
C. to 660 A.D.
). Ancient records show that it has been handed down since the 918-1392 Goryeo Dynasty, and is said to be delicious only when made with water from a well at the foot of Geonji Mountain in Jihyeon-ri in Hansan. A field of reeds in Hansan, South Chungcheong Province / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization It is also said that after the fall of Baekje, Hansan residents drank sogokju at the stream to appease their resentment.
Each brewery that produces sogokju in Seocheon has different manufacturing methods, so their taste is slightly different. In 2015, it was used as the official dinner drink for a trilateral summit between Korea, China and Japan, while it was also selected as a holiday gift from the president and a special dinner drink at the presidential office that year, establishing itself as a representative traditional Korean alcoholic drink. Hansan Sogokju is known as the so-called "sit-down drin.