During my first trip to South Korea, I discovered Korean pouch coffee drinks being sold at convenience stores. I loved how you can buy a cup of ice with them, pour, and enjoy while touring South Korea on foot. They were just 1,000 KRW six years ago, too. I tried several flavors from plain and sweet Americanos to hazelnut. They've actually become trending on TikTok lately, too. But they also had colorful counterparts that made me so curious in the past few months.
Since summer is almost here, I thought it was finally time to take the plunge and see if all the hype was worth it. These portable, ready-to-drink beverages have taken social media by storm. It must be for good reason, right? Read on for my experience:
How much are South Korean pouch drinks and where can you buy them?
Each pouch costs around P50 to P100. I bought different kinds at a GrabMart store called FunHan and added some alcohol, so I can mix, match, and possibly concoct refreshing cocktails. But, they're also available on Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shops. If you can drop by actual South Korean grocery stores, you find them there, too. Buying in bulk might save you some coins, depending on the store's offers. Be sure to canvas your options!
Sweet and fruity: What are the different flavors of Korean pouch drinks?
There are plenty of varieties to choose from, and I made sure to get the most popular ones like Peach from Cantabile and Blue Lemonade from Caffe Bene. I also got the tropical faves, mango, and pineapple to compare them to local juice drinks. The omija adealso caught my eye, and it turns out that omija is a traditional South Korean tea made from magnolia berries.
Then, I saw a Shine Muscat drink and HAD TO try it (the real ones are so expensive, so this liquid version will do for now!) I couldn't help but get an Americano, too, but sadly, there was no watermelon ade in the store (I'll keep an eye out for it next time!)
What can you mix with South Korean pouch drinks?
To complement the sweet drinks, I got various alcoholic beverages, sodas, and sparkling drinks. I really got excited with my haul, and I loved the ~*aesthetic*~ packaging of each drink! Honestly, you can pair the chilled sweet drinks with whatever you like or have them as is (but I suggest adding lots of ice.) Personally, I was just curious and wanted to experiment with boozy versions! Here are the cocktails I made (cue: my mixologist era…)
I started with a one-note drink: Shine Muscat ade with green grape soju for a kick and Welch's grape soda to make it bubbly. It was really just like drinking grape juice, so I finished the whole glass very quickly. Yum!
Spiked Pine-Lemonade
I tasted the pine bud drink I found first and fell in love! It had a unique earthy yet citrusy taste. It was obviously a perfect pair to the blue lemonade and green grape concoction.
Grapes Galore Cocktail
Having tried plain and banana makgeolli before, I got curious about the grape-flavored one. Thank goodness it wasn't disappointing! It mixed well with the soju, Shine Muscat ade, and splash of my new fave pine bud.
Sparkling Berry Drink
For a quick break, I created a mocktail (a non-alcoholic drink). Thinking pink and red things usually go together well, I really wanted to combine the omija ade with pomegranate juice and the hibiscus-flavored sparkling water I found. The trio was lovely!
Lemon-Coconut Colada
Now this one was a risk! I wondered if the pineapple ade would go well with the coconut Melona ice cream. I didn't have rum, so I made do with brandy and added the citrusy juice for good measure. It was a pleasant surprise but an acquired taste—a truly ma-effort and memorable cocktail you can serve at summer parties.
Boozy Coffee
Of course, I had to try the coffee with booze. I regret not getting the sweet americano kind! I later added some condensed milk to improve the taste (blame my Spanish latte obsession). A topping of sweet cream might have been good, too.
Tutti Frutti Beer
I originally ordered a sweet Jeju beer, but got this Kabrew Beer Gyeongbokgung Royal Pride I.P.A instead. I didn't have time to exchange it, so I just tried it with three fruit flavors: the peach and mango ades plus this cute strawberry soda. They definitely made the beer appeal more to my sweet tooth! In hindsight, I should've bought banana milk and tried to mix that in, too!
Mango Beer
Lastly, I tried mango beer using mango ade, mango kombucha, and beer. I remember seeing a Mango Lingo canned mango beer with Song Joong Ki's face during my first South Korea trip. I imagined it to taste weird back then, but it was oddly nice. This cocktail was, too!
The final verdict: Most of these South Korean ades tasted fresher and less artificial compared to local ready-to-drink juices. Except maybe the mango, which tastes the same wherever for me. I usually hate overpowering pineapple juices, too, but this one suited my palate. The coffee tasted weak for me though—I think most South Korean coffees are, which makes it easy to sip on cups of iced Americano all day.
So, if you're looking for a fun and fresh way to switch up your beverage game, give South Korean pouch drinks a try! They're sure to be a hit with your taste buds, those of your friends, and maybe those of your Instagram or TikTok followers, too.
