Yeah, I get it. There was a bit of a fruit flavored soju fad about ten years ago in Korea, but that has pretty much completely died off. You’d be hard pressed to find soju cocktails or makgeolli dolled up in Korea outside of a few regional places that want to be known for chestnut or corn or sweet potato makgeolli.

Commercially produced makgeolli will always use artificial sweeteners because there’s still active fermenting taking place and any real sweeteners will be turned into alcohol, which will effect the taste and alcohol content. With craft makgeolli, you add a sweetener, like juice or honey or sugar, shortly before serving.

Graduated twenty years ago and still have these dreams.

Slight correction: he was nominated for the prize before being sworn in. He didn’t receive the prize until nine months after being sworn in.