Makku founder Carol Pak used to think she didn’t like makgeolli.
But her outlook on makgeolli changed during a trip to Korea in 2017. That trip helped Carol discover better makgeolli, and made her realize she just hadn’t been drinking the right kind. When she returned to the US, she came back as a huge fan of makgeolli.
Her newfound love for makgeolli developed into Makku, a brand born in New York and made in Korea.
Before launching, Carol spent months researching the U.S. market and found little to no demand for another makgeolli brand. But she still believed there were more potential makgeolli lovers out there, as long as they had the right introduction.
We talked to Carol about bringing makgeolli to American drinkers, why Makku fits better in the beer aisle than the wine aisle, the story behind Lady Liberty in a hanbok on their cans, and what it takes to build a category most people are still just discovering.
Let’s jump in and learn more about Makku:
K-Snax: When you launched Makku, you weren’t just launching a new beverage in America. You were helping introduce an entire category to many American drinkers. When did you first realize makgeolli could have a bigger life in the U.S.?
Carol: Prior to launching Makku, I actually spent a couple of months doing consumer research to see the potential of makgeolli in the US, and all the results showed that there was little to no demand for another makgeolli brand. So I didn’t launch Makku because I realized makgeolli could have a bigger life in the US, I just wished it would.
K-Snax: You’ve talked about rediscovering makgeolli during a trip to Korea in 2017. What did that experience unlock for you personally?
Carol: I thought I didn’t like makgeolli my whole life, but I realized that I just wasn’t drinking the right makgeolli. Just how I thought I hated beer when I was only drinking Natty Lite in college. So in that sense, although it might be a long road, I assumed there could be a lot of potential makgeolli lovers out there, as long as they had the right opportunity.
K-Snax: Makgeolli is often described as Korea’s oldest alcoholic beverage, but for many Americans it still feels completely new. How do you explain that tension between something so traditional and something still unfamiliar to a lot of drinkers?
Carol: Our biggest challenge is trying to figure out how to categorize and commercialize Makku, and we’re still figuring it out. Are we trying to introduce a brand new category in makgeolli? I think it’s too early for that as one of the only US makgeolli brands, and we have a limited budget. In the US, all imported makgeolli brands are categorized as a wine or wine product, and consumers call it a ‘rice wine.’ I always hated this as I don’t believe makgeolli and wine are consumed in the same occasions, so until we can formally create the makgeolli category and get that recognition from the TTB, which is the federal US agency that oversees alcohol, we decided to lean into the beer category. The people who know makgeolli love that we are authentic (and cute) makgeolli with all natural ingredients, and the people who don’t know makgeolli find Makku in the beer/beer adjacent aisles.
K-Snax: We loved the redesigned cans Makku introduced in 2024. What was the process behind the redesign, and what did you want the new look to communicate?
Carol: As a Korean American, I am able to bring a unique perspective to the US makgeolli market. Before Makku launched in 2018, all widely available commercial makgeolli brands were made by Korean companies who would simply export their products to US distributors. I saw a huge gap between the way their makgeolli products were branded and marketed, and the potential that makgeolli had in the US. I visit Korea often, as I have family there, so I am in tune with Korean culture, history, customs and trends, but I am rooted in America, so I am also familiar with American culture, history, customs and trends. Our tagline is Born in NY, Made in Korea, and we wanted to update our packaging to embody that. Our brilliant designer came up with our mascot, Lady Liberty – the statue of liberty wearing a traditional Korean hanbok.
K-Snax: Makku has had to do a lot at once: build a brand, educate consumers, introduce a category, and grow as a CPG company. What have been the biggest challenges in that journey?
Carol: Introducing a category has been a lot harder than building the brand from my experience. I think all of our challenges stems from this. There is no data and/or awareness around our category, so distributors, retailers, restaurants, investors, consumers – they’re all super hesitant to try/buy/invest.
K-Snax: What excites you most about building Makku right now, and about the next generation of Korean American beverage brands more broadly?
Carol: The first several years, I thought our target audience was going to be the younger Asian (skewing Korean) female consumer, and I was chasing channels where I thought that customer shopped and consumed. But we just had our 9th birthday and we are growing in retailers like Whole Foods, Total Wine, BevMo (not HMart, 99 Ranch, or other Asian markets), and our consumer is extremely diverse, but skewing 30s-60s, gender neutral. I’m really excited because this means that there is a lot of potential for makgeolli to gain widespread adoption. And of course, as you may know, Korean culture is really exploding and I’m excited to see all the Korean Americans ride the wave, regardless of which type of brands they’re creating.
K-Snax: Since we’re K-Snax, we have to ask: what are your favorite Asian snacks and drinking snacks?
Carol: Nongshim Spicy shrimp chips, Haitai baked potato sticks, Melona ice cream and banana milk!
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