North Korea Claims to Have Invented Hangover-Free Alcohol

Kim Jong Un
Kim Jong Un can now party without having to worry about feeling the effects the next morning. KCNA KCNA/Reuters

First Kim Jong-Il claimed to have made 11 hole-in-ones in a single round of golf, now the nation his son presides over claims to have invented a type of liquor that is 30 to 40 percent alcohol and completely hangover-free.

According to North Korea's state-run newspaper, the Pyongyang Times, "Koryo Liquor," as it is called, not only "exudes national flavour," it is also "suave." Most importantly, though, the revolutionary new beverage "preserves national smack," as is stated in the article's headline. The development was originally reported by U.K.-based North Korean site NK News.

The miracle hooch is reportedly made from Kaesong Koryo insam—an aged, medicinal ginseng—and "scorched rice." The latter ingredient is included in place of sugar, which explains the absence of next-morning effects. According to the piece in the Pyongyang Times, the liquor is "highly appreciated by experts and lovers" and "has already been registered as a national scientific and technological hit."

It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that North Korea is at least claiming to be operating on the cutting edge of alcohol science. Just as Kim Jong-Il's love of the Chicago Bulls was inherited by his son, so too, it seems, was his love of high-end alcohol. The elder Kim was a huge fan of cognac, and reportedly bought $800,000 of Hennessey every year. That's enough to build up an entire nation's tolerance. A 30 to 40 percent ABV might just be par for the course in the PRNK.

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Ryan Bort is a staff writer covering culture for Newsweek. Previously, he was a freelance writer and editor, and his ... Read more

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