Mak Girls tells upbeat real-life makgulli success story
by javabeans
A real-life story about teenage girls inventing stuff and becoming successful: Aww, yay. A real-life story about teenage girls inventing delicious makgulli-related stuff and becoming successful: Aww, can I be you?
There’s a movie in the works punnily titled Mak Girls (in Korean, that reads very close to makgulli) that is based on the true story of a group of high school girls who, in 2010, developed and patented their own method of making makgulli. The two girls, both in their second year and 17 years old at the time, figured out a way to make an “instant makgulli” by adding water, similar to a cup of instant ramyun, thereby cutting the fermentation process by days. (Precious days! Days that could be spent drinking, not waiting!)
(If anybody’s looked into home-brewing the stuff, you may have stopped halfway through the instructions and thrown up your hands in defeat, because making makgulli takes work, yo. Especially for how many materials and how much time it takes to ferment even a small amount, which can be downed a heck of a lot quicker than that.) The students won a prize at the national science fair, as well they should. Cheers to them! By now they should even be able to legally drink the stuff.
The movie takes a light-hearted comic approach and stars Hong Ah-reum (God of War, Dream) as one of the students, pictured above (in the middle) with fellow student and friend Kim Mi-young (Sunny, Monstar). The heroine will have a youthful romance (which may explain the casting of Teen Top idol Changjo) while also helping out her father’s family business.
The teachers will also have an active presence in the plot, with comic veteran Im Won-hee (Syndrome, Dating Agency Cyrano, I Am the King) playing a biology teacher who provides his endless knowledge as he helps the girls develop their makgulli. Go Eun-mi (Empire of Gold) will have a loveline with him as his former classmate and fellow teacher.
Sounds sweet and fizzy—just as a movie about makgulli should. Mak Girls will film and release this year.
Go Eun-mi, Im Won-hee
Via Chosun
Tags: Go Eun-mi, Im Won-hee
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1 Mawiie
January 18, 2014 at 12:28 PM
Instant makgeolli? Damn! I just made a batch yesterday and the sterilization of the equipment is always such a chore! But hey! if I made it, I have the excuse to drink the whole thing since it's my hard work :P *chugs*
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jules
January 18, 2014 at 1:00 PM
Ha, the moment I read the words 'making makgulli', I thought of you.
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jules
January 18, 2014 at 1:02 PM
(and, really, who needs an excuse? ;))
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Javabeans
January 18, 2014 at 1:31 PM
PLEASE share your recipe! I've looked online and they are all so teeeeedious that i can't bring myself to actually do it. (Not when the bottles are so conveniently sized and purchased!)
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Mawiie
January 18, 2014 at 1:48 PM
I used this recipe here: http://mistermakgeolli.com/?p=4
I'm not sure if it's authentic, but it does the job :P I think the traditional recipe calls for steamed rice, but I just used a regular rice cooker.
For some reasons, I forgot to dilute it with extra water and ended up with something so strong that we had to do shots instead. A good mistake, I'd say ;)
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john
January 18, 2014 at 3:23 PM
I made some last year using that recipe and was pleased with the results. Seeing this has motivated me to make another batch. Need to buy some vodka for sterilization process.
My wife and I made some mead (honey wine) that is delicious.
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Javabeans
January 18, 2014 at 5:10 PM
See, already that's so much wooooooork.
Ready-made bottles for me!
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robin
January 24, 2014 at 11:32 AM
@javabeans I have made it once using the mistermakgeolli guidelines. It's not as difficult as he makes it seem by laying out all his experiments. It just has two points that are tedious - washing the rice and straining the finished mash.
If I wouldn't sound like a creeper, I'd invite you to brew it with me sometime since I live in Ballard. Just throwin' that out there. (You have met me briefly, though. I'm the one who made the harvest punch at the Ballard library meet-up.)
I'll be making another batch soon so it will be ready for the K-Drama Seattle club (created at the meet-up) GoStop party in Feb. I plan to make it at least a few times a year since I'm allergic to aspartame and all the commercial brands use it (because it doesn't continue to feed the ferment).
Cynthia
January 18, 2014 at 2:14 PM
Lol! I just read through the recipe. It included these two words; "temporary re-ignition" as a caution. Methinks it's wiser to buy than brew!
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2 browncoat_78
January 18, 2014 at 1:23 PM
Instant makgeolli?! I must know how to make this now! Because ordering it online is too expensive and while I have the patience to brew beer all day makgeolli is just too much. I mean who has the patience to make nuruk? I really need this recipe.
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john
January 18, 2014 at 3:46 PM
I bought my nuruk at the "world mart". The brand was Rhee Brothers and is labeled as Enzyme Powder according to the sticker.
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robin
January 24, 2014 at 11:37 AM
Yep, same. The bag I bought is labeled Enzyme and also has 누룩 on it in pretty script. Assi brand. No need to make nuruk from scratch unless you're a purist. I think makgeolli is muuuch easier than beer.
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3 ziggystardust
January 18, 2014 at 1:26 PM
Sounds like Sunny with booze, I'm so in. What an awesome true story, I love when young girls show how smart they are.
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4 Mrs.Jang Guem Suk
January 18, 2014 at 1:41 PM
Changjo I loveeeeeeeeeeee himmmmmmmmm so freaking much Ahhhhhhhhhh me watching this
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5 fab
January 18, 2014 at 1:47 PM
I will never never touch it let alone consume it..
But hey, a sweet successful story will never fail to entertain. Especially when I am not feeling successful myself :/
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6 canxi
January 18, 2014 at 2:20 PM
Wow, that's awesome! O: Would love to watch.
Also want to try makgulli!
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7 Sajen
January 18, 2014 at 4:42 PM
Can this get outsourced to Japan, the Japanese don't have the same bizarre and frankly annoying need to add pointless love stories to everything.
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8 Melissa
January 18, 2014 at 5:35 PM
Why.
Why.
WHYYYYYYYY.
As much as I love Teen Top, I don't see the need to add a pointless loveline. Can't they just focus on the two girls inventing instant makgulli? If they make the inventing take a backseat for the romance... *shakes fist*
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9 PeepsLeAwesomePotato
January 19, 2014 at 12:19 AM
Um... Call me a sceptic but does instant makgeolli taste the same as properly brewed ones? Is the 'broth' thick and smooth? Does it fizzle the same?
Ain't no one's touching my makgeolli with bicarbonate of soda or something. I take my alcohol seriously.
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10 keidey
January 19, 2014 at 12:56 AM
This story sounds really sweet. Can't wait!
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11 Ciara
January 19, 2014 at 1:21 PM
This sounds like a cool movie! I hope that more movies that showcase girls doing amazing things are made. I've never tried makgulli, so hopefully I'll try some soon. :P
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