Makgeolli is definitely one of the weirdest Korean drinks I tried. It's fizzy. It looks like it has milk in it, and this makes a weird foam at the top. It smells like vinegar. You can taste the alcohol in it, but it's weak -  like 10%, around the same level as soju or sake. It tastes a white russian gone wrong, plus soda. Even with the small amount of alcohol, after a few sips I can already feel it in my head, a slight soju-like headache. My Chinese friend tells me it's a type of rice wine called mi jiu (米酒）in Chinese, and now that she mentions it, it does taste pretty similar to that, and has the same warming effect on my face. It's surprising how 10% alcohol can hit you quickly if it's something you're not used to.

Sorry about the out-of-focus picture -  It's the best one I could take at the time.

I saw this Apple Vinegar Drink in a supermarket in Beijing. There were a couple other varieties, so I chose the nicest looking bottle. Right off the bat, I knew this was some sort of health trend. Regardless of the fact that I thought it would taste like straight-up vinegar, I gave it a try.

The smell is pretty unremarkable, like unsweet old apple cider. Actually, that's exactly what it tastes like. It's a little sweet, but there's a strong sour and bitter aftertaste. It tastes like if you took a couple bites out of an apple, set it on the counter for a couple days, then came back and took a bite of that brown part. I haven't actually done that, I'm just guessing. The other thing about this apple vinegar drink is that it's got a little bit of a slimy texture.

Anyone who's had apple cider sit around in the fridge a little too long will know what this tastes like. It's not too bad, but it definitely doesn't taste like when you first bought it. A few sips were enough for me, I didn't get around to finishing the bottle. It doesn't help me any that it came in a combo pack with another (less attractive) bottle. My guess is they need a promotion like this to get rid of the ugly bottles, because it's hard enough getting people to drink it when the bottle looks nice.

While I wouldn't want to drink apple cider vinegar everyday, after doing some research it seems like it has a lot of legitimate health benefits. It may help with diabetes, losing weight, and pH balancing (I don't know what that means). Since the 1950's it's been revered as a cure-all for just about everything: allergies, sinus infections, flu, cholesterol, sore throat, acid reflux, acne, gout, and even head lice! I'm not so sure scientific research has been done to back up any of these claims. Anyway, dinking apple cider vinegar straight is so harsh it could cause throat problems, so if you're going to drink it anyway, maybe getting a pre-mixed drink like this one is better than mixing up a recipe yourself.