Binggrae Coffee Milk: A Tasty Milk Drink from Korea

Milk drinks are extremely popular in South Korea and combine classic milk flavor with many different aromas. Best known is Binggrae Banana Milk, a genuine cult drink since the mid-1970s, striking for its sweet banana note and its characteristic bottle shape. Over the years a whole row of flavors has grown from it, standing side by side in the fridge.

In 2015, Binggrae drinks with a coffee flavor came onto the market. Binggrae Coffee Milk is exactly that "Milk Coffee" version: sweet and mild, with the milk out front and the coffee aroma above it. Anyone expecting black filter coffee gets something else here - more a cold milk coffee to drink down than a strong espresso.

It is best drunk well chilled. One pack holds 200 ml in a practical drinks carton, which you can finish straight from the pack, pour into a cup or pour over ice cubes into a glass - cup and glass show up in the product pictures too. It suits breakfast, a break in between, or a cold companion to a slice of cake.

In Korea, ready-filled milk drinks like these are a firm part of the convenience store range and get drunk on the go, on the way to work or after school. Cold coffee drinks have a firm place in everyday life there anyway, all year round and not only in summer. The fridge shelf of milk drinks is one of the first things visitors to Korea notice.

A carton is therefore an uncomplicated chance to simply try Korean everyday culture - alone, for a K-drama night, or together, lining up several varieties side by side to compare. If the coffee version appeals to you, the banana version is worth a try next: same basic principle, an entirely different character.