Kiss of K-Sool/Korean Traditional Alcohol Tasting Event

On Thursday I finally got to feel like a girl, wearing a dress and heels. I know it sounds silly but when all you do is work, this kind of breaks are very welcomed. 

I got on the list for Kiss of K-Sool tasting event at Empire State Building (the pretext it was the 2012 London Olympic Games), and I had a pretty good time. 

First, it was this security thing that was surprising for me when I arrived at the Empire State Building. I had to get a visitor's pass from the front office, after they got my personal info from my passport,, and took a photo of me. This is how the pass looks like (and notice that is valid just for a specific period of time!).

Up in the small conference room, waiting for guests, we found a couple of Korean young ladies, along with some bottles of Sool. Slowly more people showed up, and me and my friend got more courage and started to try the wines they were offering for taste, as well as the delicious Korean food they had prepared.

The Sool we got to taste: Chamsali- Mak-deol-li (Unfiltered Rice Wine) with 6% alcohol, Red Mountain- Raspberry Wine with 16% alcohol, and Myung-jak -still a Raspberry Wine but with 13% alcohol.

Red Mountain, my friend's favorite. I found it extremely sweet.

  

Japchae noodles, rice, deep fried meat, Bulgogi, some mini fish pancakes that I don't know how to call them, fried dumplings

 If you're interested in finding out more about K-Sool, you can read about the dozens of types existent right  here. These wines are not currently available on the American market, at the event they were for sale, $10 a bottle. What I can tell you is that both raspberry wines were probably the sweetest kinds I've ever tasted in my life, along with the Shiraz wine produced in USA. The unfiltered rice wine was more bubbly, I found it refreshing if served cold, and the taste, well it was like nothing I've ever tried before. I definitely want to try more rice drinks to be able to make a comparison. 

There was music (K-Pop of course, even though I was expecting some traditional music, or something played with a traditional instrument like the gayageum, not that I wasn't thrilled to almost yell of joy whenever I recognized a Big Bang or 2NE1 song), some people even started to dance, small talk, new people (actually just 1 for me), and a very short presentation about K-Sool, and pictures. 

Overall, even though it started off a bit uncomfortable for me, I am happy for having participated, for the new things I tried, and people I met. Thank you Kiss of K-Sool!