The traditional Korean rice wine "makgeolli" is posting rising sales. Makgeolli has for the first time in 16 years surpassed the ten percent level in the nation's total liquor output. According to National Tax Service data, makgeolli output rose close to 60 percent last year, year-on-year, to account for 12 percent of national liquor production.

Makgeolli is Korea's traditional unrefined rice wine made from rice mixed with leaven. The name makgeolli means that it's just been freshly brewed. Good makgeolli is imbued with sweet, sour and bitter flavors with a refreshing taste. It was a drink for farmers as it quenched their thirst after a good day's work.

Obviously, being rice wine, it's also nutritious. The alcohol concentration is six to seven degrees. As Koreans increasingly focus on health and wellbeing, makgeolli is enjoying a renewed spotlight along with surging sales. Foreigners have also adapted to the taste and exports are rising fast.

Manufacturers played a big role in this makgeolli renaissance. Through extensive research, they sophisticated the taste and also developed technologies to extend the shelf life. These efforts were critical to revitalizing the makgeolli market. A recent report about various anti-carcinogenic substances contained in the rice wine has also helped boost the popularity.

According to the Tax Service data, the liquor output in Korea grew three percent last year to 3.4 million kiloliters. The domestic liquor market is as large as 7.9 trillion won, and beer and the Korean distilled liquor "soju" take up 77 percent.

An average South Korean adult in 2010 consumed 66 bottles of soju (360 milliliters per bottle), 100 bottles of beer (500 ml) and 14 bottles of makgeolli (750 ml). The bottle sizes are all different though with the soju bottle the smallest and makgeolli the largest.

The output of soju edged up a mere 0.07 percent to 931-thousand kiloliters while that of beer fell two percent to 1.9 million kiloliters last year. Meanwhile, both the output and export volume of makgeolli have gone up sharply. Output rose 58 percent and exports some three-fold in 2010.

By country, shipments to Japan jumped over 200 percent to take up 80 percent of total makgeolli exports overseas. Also for the first time in five years, makgeolli exports exceeded imports of the Japanese liquor "sake."

The National Tax Service attributed the spike in makgeolli consumption and exports to the Korean pop culture phenomenon sweeping Japan and the rice wine's enhanced quality by way of using 100 percent Korean rice only. The agency expects this trend to continue for a while.