Makgeolli, the milky and often sweet traditional rice wine from Korea, was chosen for its price, not flavor.

In 1989, when Kim entered college, half a gallon of makgeolli cost about 40 cents. He and his friends would sit around a table, pouring makgeolli from a brass kettle into individual brass bowls, as is tradition.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/makgeolli-korean-rice-wine-explainer-cmb/index.html