A Drink From the Korean Convenience Store, Makgeolli, Soju and Highballs

목차

• Essential Checks Before Buying Alcohol
• Korea’s Representative Alcohols: Soju and Makgeolli
• Beer, Highballs, and Other Liquors
• The Cost-Effective Combo: Enjoying ‘Somaek’
• If You Don’t Drink: Special Beverages at Korean Convenience Stores
• Convenience Store Café
• Anju: Food to Enjoy with Alcohol
• Additional Information for Foreign Travelers

Korean convenience stores are the fastest, cheapest place to explore drinks and alcohol. The major chains are GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, and Emart24, and most operate 24 hours a day. This guide is designed to help travelers easily find the drinks they want and understand Korea’s beverage culture. All prices are as of June 2026 and may vary by store and promotion. If you’re curious about Korean convenience store drinks, this is the perfect place to start.

Essential Checks Before Buying Alcohol

There are a few legal regulations and basic rules you should know before buying alcohol in Korea. As long as you’re aware of the points below, you can purchase without any trouble.

Age Limit and ID

• The legal drinking-purchase age in Korea is calculated “from January 1 of the year you turn 19” (under the Youth Protection Act). It’s based on your birth year rather than whether your birthday has passed — in 2026, anyone born on or before December 31, 2007 can buy.
• For foreign travelers, the official accepted ID is your passport. A photocopy or a photo on your phone may be refused, so it’s safest to carry your physical passport.
• Even if you look well over the age limit, an ID check is standard procedure. Always be ready to show it if a staff member asks.

Sales Hours

There are no legal restrictions on convenience store alcohol sales hours, so you can buy in most places 24 hours a day. Some local governments may restrict late-night sales by ordinance, but in major cities including Seoul, you can effectively buy around the clock.

Drinking Inside the Store

Drinking inside a convenience store is not allowed. Any alcohol you buy must be consumed outside the store. That said, many convenience stores have outdoor tables and chairs out front where eating and drinking is permitted. These spots are a popular place for Koreans to enjoy a casual drink with some snacks.

Korea’s Representative Alcohols: Soju and Makgeolli

The easiest things to find in the convenience store alcohol aisle are soju and makgeolli. They’re the drinks Koreans enjoy most, they’re inexpensive, and they come in plenty of varieties.

Soju

Soju is made by diluting a distilled spirit extracted from ingredients like rice, sweet potato, and tapioca. It’s clear and transparent, and the alcohol content of today’s mainstream products is around 15.5–16% — and with the low-ABV trend, it’s dropping slightly every year (as of June 2026). It’s characterized by a mix of slight sweetness and bitterness, and “flavored soju” with added fruit flavors is also popular. The convenience store price is about 1,900–2,000 won for a 360ml bottle, while large supermarkets are cheaper at around 1,300 won.

Brand	Features	ABV	Price (360ml bottle, as of June 2026)
Chamisul Fresh	Korea’s best-selling soju. It emphasizes a clean taste from being filtered five times through bamboo activated charcoal. The most standard soju flavor.	16% (a renewed 15.7% version rolling out from mid-June 2026)	About 1,900 won
Cheoeum Cheoreom	Known for a smooth finish thanks to being made with alkaline reduced water. A July 2025 renewal made it zero sugar and lowered the ABV.	16%	About 1,900 won
Saero	A “zero sugar” soju made without added fructose. With a smoother, cleaner taste than traditional soju, it’s been popular among younger drinkers since its 2022 launch.	16%	About 1,900–2,000 won
Jinro Is Back	A sky-blue bottle that modernizes the retro soju bottle design. Zero sugar, with a smooth and clean taste.	15.7% (lowered in February 2026)	About 1,900 won

Makgeolli

Makgeolli is a traditional Korean unrefined rice wine made by steaming rice or wheat, then fermenting it with nuruk (a fermentation starter) and water. It’s milky white in color, with a sweet and slightly fizzy, refreshing quality. Its alcohol content is relatively low at around 5–6%. Gently shake the bottle before drinking so the settled sediment mixes back in. Unpasteurized makgeolli is carbonated due to its live yeast, so opening it right after shaking hard can cause it to overflow.

Brand	Features	ABV	Price (750ml bottle, as of June 2026)
Jangsu Saeng Makgeolli	The most popular makgeolli in the Seoul area. It has a short 10-day shelf life and a strong refreshing fizz thanks to its live yeast. The green cap is the standard version (the domestic-rice version has a blue cap).	6%	About 1,600–2,000 won
Kooksoondang Saeng Makgeolli	Nationally popular alongside Jangsu makgeolli. It’s praised for a consistent, smooth taste thanks to fermentation-control technology.	6%	About 2,200 won
Jipyeong Saeng Makgeolli	Sweeter and smoother to drink than other makgeolli, making it a great choice for makgeolli beginners.	5%	About 2,300 won

Beer, Highballs, and Other Liquors

Beyond soju and makgeolli, convenience stores sell a wide range of other alcoholic drinks.

Korean Beer

• The leading lager brands are Cass, Terra, Kelly, and Krush. They’re characterized by a strong, refreshing fizz and a light taste. The low-calorie “Cass Light” has also been popular recently.
• The once-famous “4 cans for 10,000 won” formula no longer holds. As of June 2026, imported beer bundle deals run roughly 13,000 won for four 500ml cans, or 10,000 won for four 330ml cans, with variations like “3 cans for 9,000 won” depending on the store.
• For domestic beer, using bundle deals or 2+1 promotions brings it down to about 2,500–3,000 won per 500ml can. Promotion items change every month, so check the deal labels on the shelves.

Canned Highballs — The Hottest Aisle Right Now

RTD (Ready To Drink) canned highballs, which you just pop open and enjoy, have become a mainstay of convenience store alcohol over the past few years. Ever since CU introduced the industry’s first “UrFur Highball” in 2022, dozens of varieties—whisky highball, lemon tonic, Earl Grey, and more—have been competing. There are even unique products like CU’s “Fresh Lemon Highball” with a whole lemon slice inside (500ml, 4,500 won, 8.3% ABV). The ABV is generally 5–9%, making them lighter to drink than soju, and the price is around 3,000–4,500 won per can (as of June 2026). If you want something more than just soju and beer, they’re worth a try.

Wine and Whiskey

Most convenience stores have a budget-priced wine section. Prices start at around 5,000 won, with plenty of good-value wines under 30,000 won. Whiskey isn’t available at every store, but larger locations sometimes sell small-format (200ml) whiskeys or highball-mixing whiskeys for around 30,000 won.

The Cost-Effective Combo: Enjoying ‘Somaek’

Somaek is a Korean-style boilermaker made by mixing soju (Soju) and beer (Maekju). Buy one bottle of soju and one can of beer at a convenience store, and you can make it for around 5,000 won.

1. Fill an empty cup about 1/4 of the way with soju.
2. Fill the remaining 3/4 with beer. (You can adjust the ratio to taste.)
3. Give the bottom of the cup one firm tap with a chopstick or spoon, and the foam will rise up and mix everything smoothly.

If You Don’t Drink: Special Beverages at Korean Convenience Stores

Beyond alcohol, convenience stores carry many unique drinks you can only taste in Korea.

Korean Traditional Teas

There’s a wide variety of grain and root teas you can drink instead of coffee or soda. All the teas below are caffeine-free, so they’re easy on you even in the evening. Prices run about 1,500–3,000 won for a 500ml PET bottle (as of June 2026).

• Oksusu-suyeom-cha (Corn Silk Tea): A nutty tea with a corn aroma.
• Dunggulle-cha (Solomon’s Seal Tea): A nutty, toasty flavor and aroma similar to scorched rice.
• Bori-cha (Barley Tea): A tea Korean households commonly drink in place of water. Since it’s made from barley, keep this in mind if you’re sensitive to gluten.
• Ueong-cha (Burdock Tea): A distinctive, earthy aroma with a nutty, toasty taste.

Fatigue Recovery and Hangover Drinks

• Bacchus: Korea’s signature energy/recovery drink, in a small brown bottle. The version sold at convenience stores is “Bacchus F” (120ml), which has slightly different ingredients from the pharmacy version, “Bacchus D.” Along with taurine, it contains 30mg of caffeine, so take note if you’re caffeine-sensitive.
• Vita 500: A sweet-and-sour vitamin drink rich in vitamin C. Notably, it’s caffeine-free.
• Hangover Relief: Products for the morning after are always available near the convenience store checkout. The drink-type “Condition” runs about 5,000 won, while jelly-stick types like “Condition Stick” or “Sanggwaehwan Stick” run about 3,900 won (as of June 2026). These are products Korean office workers commonly buy before and after company dinners.

Korean-style Milk Drinks and Sodas

The drinks aisle of a Korean convenience store has many products with unique shapes and flavors. For products containing milk, keep this in mind if you’re lactose intolerant.

• Banana-flavored Milk: Recognizable by its chubby, pot-shaped yellow container. A national favorite that’s been loved consistently since its 1974 launch. About 1,800 won for a 240ml container (as of June 2026).
• Strawberry Milk, Chocolate Milk: Available from many brands, characterized by a rich taste.
• Milkis: A creamy soda that mixes milk and carbonation. A steady seller that’s also exported overseas.
• Achim Haessal (Morning Rice Drink): A grain drink made from rice. Nutty and subtly sweet, it’s considered one of those unique beverages you can only taste in Korea.

Sikhye

Sikhye is a traditional Korean beverage made by fermenting cooked rice grains in malt water. It’s sweet with a faint ginger aroma and a unique texture from the chewy rice grains. At convenience stores it’s sold in cans or PET bottles, with “Birak Sikhye” being the most representative brand. Since the malt comes from barley, keep this in mind if you’re sensitive to gluten.

Convenience Store Café

Most convenience stores have a bean-coffee machine, so you can get decent-quality coffee at a low price. An Americano runs 1,500–2,500 won, and a caffè latte 2,500–3,500 won (as of June 2026). If you want it iced, grab a cup of ice from the freezer, pay for it first, then pour your drink straight from the coffee machine.

Anju: Food to Enjoy with Alcohol

Convenience stores offer a wide variety of “anju” (food to go with drinks).

Instant Ramen

Many convenience stores have a machine where you can cook packaged ramen yourself. Pick the ramen you want, transfer it to the dedicated bowl, place it on the machine, and press the button—water comes out automatically and it heats up. Ramen with soju or beer is a popular pairing.

Dosirak and Gimbap

If you want a hearty meal with a drink on the side, a convenience store dosirak (boxed lunch), gimbap, or samgak-gimbap (triangle rice ball) is a great choice. A dosirak with a variety of side dishes is generally around 4,000–6,000 won (as of June 2026).

Snacks

There are also plenty of salty snacks that pair well with beer. In particular, Saeukkang (Shrimp Crackers) is a quintessential Korean snack that’s very popular as a beer snack. Since it contains shrimp, avoid it if you have a shellfish allergy.

Additional Information for Foreign Travelers

Korean Drinking Etiquette

It’s good to know a few simple Korean drinking customs.

• Pour with two hands: When pouring a drink for someone else, hold the bottle with your right hand and lightly support the base of the bottle or your right forearm with your left hand.
• Turn your head: When drinking in front of someone older than you, it’s polite to turn your head slightly to the side as you drink.

Transportation and Navigation

In Korea, Google Maps’ car navigation function is limited, but it provides accurate walking directions and public transit information. To find a convenience store, search “CU” or “GS25” in Google Maps to easily locate the nearest one.

For taxis, the Kakao T app is the standard. You can register overseas-issued credit cards in the app (as of June 2026), and if your card won’t register, choose “direct payment” and pay the driver by card or cash when you get out. The k.ride app, made by Kakao Mobility exclusively for foreigners, officially supports overseas card registration and multilingual guidance. Uber is also usable in Korea, with automatic payment via the overseas card registered in the app. When you need help, you can get interpretation services in English, Japanese, Chinese, and more from the 1330 Travel Hotline operated by the Korea Tourism Organization.

Editor’s Tip
1330 is an essential phone number for foreign travelers. You can get help in almost any situation that comes up during your trip—when you’re lost, when communicating with a taxi driver is difficult, or when you want to check the opening hours of a particular place. It operates 24 hours a day; just dial 1330 from your phone without an area code.

You can find nearby convenience store locations using the Google Maps search links below.
– Search for GS25 on Google Maps
– Search for CU on Google Maps
– Search for 7-Eleven on Google Maps

A convenience store is more than just a place to buy things—it’s where you can experience modern Korean food and drink culture the fastest and most affordably. We hope you’ll enjoy the wide range of Korean drinks and alcohol with this guide in hand.