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Meet SWRL: The World’s First Makgeolli Hard Seltzer
What if the next big thing in beverage alcohol wasn’t born in a brewery, but from centuries of Korean tradition? That’s the spark behind SWRL, a modern take on makgeolli—the beloved Korean rice liquor known for its creamy texture, cloudy appearance, and unmistakably comforting flavor.
For founders Inji and Haley Kim, SWRL isn’t just a drink; it’s a cultural invitation. “We want to make the world more welcoming through culture,” says Inji. And for the beverage innovators, alcohol is that bridge, bringing generations, people, and cultures closer together.
Inspired by the explosive growth of Korean culture worldwide—from K-pop to K-dramas to seaweed snacks—the duo set out to create something equally approachable and authentically Korean. Their idea? Transform makgeolli into a sparkling, zero-sugar, low-calorie hard seltzer that highlights the beverage’s traditional character while appealing to a global audience.
We don’t often find ourselves curious about something new anymore. But that all changed when we learned about the world’s first makgeolli hard seltzer.
Born in Korea, launched in New York City, and rooted in rich tradition, SWRL is here to swirl curiosity, spark discovery, and share a delicious taste of Korean culture with the world.
Who Created SWRL?
SWRL Co-Founders Haley and Inji Kim | Photography courtesy of SWRL
SWRL Founders Inji and Haley met at university. A classical music composition graduate, Inji worked in Samsung’s global marketing and advertising company, while Haley majored in business and worked for a major international tech platform.
Seven years after graduating, Inji says she called Haley and said, “We’ve got to do something cool and fun!”
Inspired by the power of culture, Inji says she looked at Korea’s liquor market, which had grown immensely, current bev-alc trends (read: hard seltzer), and wondered how she could combine all three.
One word came to mind: makgeolli.
The sparkling Korean rice liquor is “super popular in Korea, but almost nobody knows it globally,” shares Inji. “A lot of people are drinking hard seltzer instead of beer these days, so I really loved the concept of [making something] low sugar, low calorie, low alcohol, and super light and refreshing.”
Launched in 2023,* SWRL became an instant hit in Korea’s biggest convenience and drug stores and premium online market.
But during a consumer accelerator program at Stanford, Inji realized something.
“It was easier and more powerful when I described our product to Americans,” she told us before hopping on a plane from Seoul to New York City.
Inji recognized that Korean culture—K-pop, K-drama, and even flavors from Korean dishes—had exploded worldwide, especially in the States.
*Editor’s Note: Originally started under a different name in Korea, SWRL has since rebranded and launched in New York City with the goal of being more approachable to an American audience.
First, What Is Makgeolli?
Although many Korean culinary dishes and influences have made it to the States—i.e., kimchi, gochujang, bibimbap, and Korean fried chicken, to name a few—makgeolli remains relatively unknown.
A traditional Korean rice liquor, makgeolli, actually contains real rice, making it cloudy, unfiltered, and completely unique.
“It’s usually really thick, sweet, and heavy,” explains Inji, highlighting the beauty of this historic beverage is its texture. “It’s very creamy, so it has a unique texture compared to all other drinks.”
Inji remembers first trying makgeolli at university.
“It’s a ritual to drink makgeolli at parties,” she explains. “We’d go to this playground in the university, and we’d always drink makgeolli.”
She adds, “How can I say this? The vibe was really great!”
What Is SWRL?
Photography courtesy of SWRL
The world’s first makgeolli hard seltzer, SWRL is refreshing, a little creamy, and brewed with a wholly unique fermentation process that sets it apart from flavor-filled seltzers crowding today’s shelves.
“It’s a fermented rice hard seltzer, so it’s cloudy and unfiltered, but super light and refreshing with that light creamy texture,” explains Inji.
With SWRL, Inji and Haley hope to bring that cultural vibe and tradition to a global audience in a more approachable way—super light, zero sugar, low calorie.
Because makgeolli commonly contains a bit of rice, you traditionally swirl a bottle before drinking.
SWRL encourages you to “overcome your curiosity and realize there is something fun, delightful, and very delicious [in the can],” says Inji. “Then something unexpected.”
What Are the Flavors?
Photography courtesy of SWRL
To make SWRL, Inji says they developed a unique makgeolli fermentation recipe. Usually, with makgeolli, fifty percent of the fermentable sugars remain, giving you that sweet, creamy rice liquor. With SWRL, Inji and Haley turn one hundred percent of the sugar into alcohol, “which makes it super light and much drier,” says Inji.
For flavors, Inji says they want to develop an approachable line with some Asian influences.
Mixed Cherries leads SWRL’s lineup. Inji, who discovered that twenty-five percent of all hard seltzers were cherry-flavored, wanted a crowd-pleasing option. “So even though people have no idea what makgeolli seltzer is, cherry isn’t something super weird,” says Inji.
If Mixed Cherries draws consumers in, the Yuzu and Pine Needles keep them intrigued. Actually a super popular flavor in Korea, pine needles may seem strange to an American palate. But is it really any different than adding spruce tips to an IPA, for example? With this flavor, “We want to tell them, here’s a little surprise,” says Inji.
Earl Grey gives that milk tea flavor. When Inji and Haley launched initially in Korea, people loved the Earl Grey, so they wanted to introduce it to Americans as well.
Of course, the brand’s signature and most-popular flavor, Original, gives people “a hint of that makgeolli flavor,” says Inji, admitting this is the one she’s most proud of because it’s a lighter, healthier, zero-sugar alcoholic beverage that goes well with tons of foods and most closely represents the traditional Korean rice liquor.
Where Can You Find SWRL?
SWRL launched in New York City two months ago. Inji says they consciously chose New York City for several reasons.
“Our product is something between makgeolli and hard seltzer,” explains Inji, “and New York is super popular with fusion culture; people really love to try something very new, very experimental.”
So far, she says, people in New York have loved the flavor and the concept.
In the future, Inji hopes to expand nationwide, setting their sights next on Texas and California “because there are a lot of people curious about [Korean] culture,” she says.
For now, if you’re outside of New York, you can purchase SWRL online, with shipping to forty states, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
What’s Next For SWRL?
Photography courtesy of SWRL
Inji says they’re working on a non-alcoholic makgeolli recipe to debut next year. Beyond that, they’ll focus on launching in New York and expanding their message across the States.
The bigger they grow, the more SWRL’s message remains the same: to make the world more welcoming, one delicious sip of Korean culture at a time.
SWRL isn’t just a new drink—it’s a new way to experience culture.
“We believe culture can connect people,” says Inji. “Alcohol is the gateway. It makes people happy and closer to each other.”
By reimagining traditional makgeolli, Inji and Haley have created something both deeply rooted and refreshingly modern. With flavors that balance familiarity and discovery, SWRL invites drinkers to swirl, sip, and open themselves up to something unexpected.
As Inji says, “We’re very excited to introduce more people to Korean culture through SWRL!”
Editor’s Note: This piece was written in collaboration with our friends at SWRL
About The Author
Grace Lee-Weitz
Currently Drinking:
Fort Point Beer Co. KSA
Grace is the Senior Content Editor for Hop Culture and Untappd. She also organizes and produces the largest weeklong women, femme-identifying, and non-binary folx in craft beer festival in the country, Beers With(out) Beards, and the first-ever festival celebrating the colorful, vibrant voices in the queer community in craft beer, Queer Beer. An avid craft beer nerd Grace always found a way to work with beer. After graduating with a journalism degree from Northwestern University, she attended culinary school before working in restaurant management. She moonlighted as a brand ambassador at 3 Sheeps Brewing Co. on the weekends before moving into the beer industry full-time as an account coordinator at 5 Rabbit Cerveceria. Grace holds her Masters degree in the Food Studies program at NYU.
