Around 2014 (by Pat)
1.
Some years ago I wrote about the elaborate creation of boilermakers in Daegu, involving falling shot glasses and typhoons. Last week in Seoul I saw a combination and ritual I had not seen before.
We were having dinner with Han Angel at one of the sit on the floor restaurants in the alleys of Seoul. She had ordered soju and coke and made herself a Korean cocktail of the two. A number of young folks were at the table next to us, also with soju and coke, but they prepared it very differently.
First, a soju glass (think shot glass) was filled with soju and placed inside a small beer glass. Another soju glass was then filled with coke and placed inside the beer glass, inside the first soju glass. Lastly, the beer glass was filled with beer and the whole combination chugged down. Koreans seem to be endlessly creative when it comes to drinking.
2.
When Koreans get together, the evening tends to last long. First, they have dinner. (Or they meet at a coffee shop before dinner.) This first step is called il-cha. (“il” means one) Some drinking may begin at this stage.
The second step, 2-cha(yi-cha), is a drinking place. It could be coffee first, then, move onto alcohol – or you skip the coffee. Either way, you get a bit tipsy at this stage.
The third step, 3-cha(sam-cha), is typically a noraebang(karaoke). Belt out and digest & clean your soul! This is not an alcohol-free environment, either.
Then the evening can go on and on. Bar hopping. We have experienced up to 6-cha.
Small Wide World 