Sparkling Sweet Potato Dongdong

Description

From the same Urisul Brewery sparkling series in Gyeonggi-do, this dongdongju-style makgeolli swaps corn for sweet potato (goguma) concentrate and extract, creating a distinctly autumnal character. The aroma is roasted baked sweet potato — caramelized skin edges and warm starchy center — layered over a gentle rice ferment base. On the palate at 6% ABV, the body is creamier than its corn sibling, with the sweet potato adding a dense, almost velvety quality that recalls freshly baked goguma from a winter street vendor's drum oven. Sweetness is warm and rounded rather than sharp, and the finish carries a faint roasted-root earthiness before clearing into mild carbonation. The sparkling quality adds necessary lift, preventing the dense sweet-potato notes from becoming cloying. Compared to standard fruit-flavored makgeolli, this sits in a unique niche — comforting and seasonal rather than bright and tart. Serve at 5-8°C with sweet potato tempura for thematic resonance, or with jeyuk-bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork) where the root-vegetable sweetness cools gochujang fire.

Ingredients

Rice, Purified Water, Nuruk (Steamed Grain), 고구마 농축액, 고구마 추출물 등

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings