Makgeolli goes by many names and there are many regional differences. But the common characteristic is that they are made from rice. Makgeolli is a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage made from grains such as sweet rice,regular rice, barley and wheat, or malt.
The common, milky colored makgeolli is sometimes called nongju or farmer's alcohol. This alcohol was commonly made by farmers and enjoyed during their midday break.
This was usually around 4pm.

It was simply served in metal kettles and served in tin bowls for drinking. They would enjoy this with some kimchi and tofu or with savory, fried pancakes. Farmers enjoyed eating this because it would break the monotony of the day working in the fields. Plus the makgeolli is very nutritious. The farmers could get some energy from the food, spend time with friends and then they would go back to work in the fields.

As Makgeolli is made by fermenting grains with a yeast called nuruk. After you brew for a while the different parts of alcohol separate and the grains settle on the bottom. If you siphon off the clear liquor, it is called Cheongju. Makgeolli which means "not distilled" is a cloudy alcohol which has the alcohol and grains mixed together. You can further distill the cheonju and then you can get soju- which is a much stronger alcohol. Soju is around 40 proof while makgeolli is generally 5-10 proof which is like a beer.

A popular version of makgeolli is called "dong dong ju." Dong-dong means floating but some jokingly refer to the alcohol as poo alcohol because they say it is the leftover wastes of rice. This type of alcohol is more yellow in color. The taste is a bit sweeter and may have bits of rice floating on top. It tends to be a stronger in alcohol content as well (around 10%). Dong dong ju had a bad reputation in the past since it was considered an uncultured drink, however, it is quite fashionable to enjoy this at different makgeolli houses.

If you want to try and make your own make makgeolli at home, it isn't that hard. You'll need rice, a large container that you can cover like a glass jar, and nuruk or yeast. Nuruk can be found in large disks that look like a frisbee at Korean supermarkets. You can also found it already ground.
You'll need 4 parts rice and 10 parts water. I find it's best to use about 1 kilogram of rice because my large jar will only fit about double that portion of water.

You first soak the rice for 2 hours and then you steam the rice until is about 80% finished. I then lay the rice out on a table spreading it out on wax paper to let it cool. It should cool completely this way.

I then take the nuruk cake and break it with a wooden mallet to break it down and then mix it with water to make a cloudy, muddy mixture. You can save time and energy by buying the nuruk already ground.

Then I add my cooled rice into my jar and then add the water that has been mixed with nuruk. I over it with a towel that I soak in water and seal it with a rubber band so no bugs will get in. I let this sit in a cool, dark area. Twice a day, I will mix the mixture with a wooden spoon. After two days, I take the towel off, mix the mixture with a wooden spoon and then cover with the lid to the jar and let it sit for another two days. Afterwards, you will have delicious makgeolli.

This process of making makgeolli might make this quite sour. Also, the nuruk is still chunky so you should filter the alcohol through a cheesecloth before serving. So I like to doctor it up by taking part of the makgeolli that is finished and mix it with some water and a bit of sugar that I have distilled in hot water. You can dilute and sweeten it to your taste. I usually add about 1 tablespoon per liter. Also, put your makgeolli into the refrigerator for a couple hours before sharing with friends. Another thing you can do is to add some omija berries to the rice wine which will add a tart flavor and a pretty pink color.