'Knockout drink' returns after 11 years, and young Koreans can't get enough

Captain Q returned to store shelves last month after 11 years, drawing interest from nostalgic older consumers and younger Koreans curious about its reputation as a knockout drink. Lotte Chilsung Beverage relaunched the liquor with its original bottle design and a recipe made with 99 percent Caribbean rum and oak-barrel aging. The product has been difficult to find, and accessories from a promotional package have appeared on secondhand marketplaces for far more than their original price. The renewed interest has also prompted attention to other discontinued mass-market liquor brands.

Lotte Chilsung Beverage first launched Captain Q in 1980, when the company was known as Lotte Liquor.

Captain Q was discontinued in 2015 as the liquor market shifted toward premium products.

The limited-edition promotional package, including the liquor, originally retailed for 19,800 won, while some accessories have been listed separately for 350,000 won.

Napoleon was launched in 1976 and discontinued in 2017, while Very Nine Gold was launched in 1976 and discontinued in 1991.

Whisky enthusiast Choi Seong-sik said Captain Q’s reasonable price and appeal to young people’s curiosity contributed to its popularity.

Published Nov 4, 2026 12:10 am KST

Captain Q, which has represented Korea's mass-market liquor industry since the 1980s, has enjoyed a surge in popularity following its relaunch, Oct. 8, 11 years after production was discontinued. Courtesy of Lotte Chilsung Beverage

Captain Q, the legendary liquor brand, has made a comeback after 11 years, sparking a nationwide craze.

For middle-aged and older consumers who enjoyed it in the past, the relaunch evokes nostalgia. For younger generations who never got to try it, the brand has become an object of curiosity, fueled by notorious hangover tales that have evolved into entertaining internet memes. The product is now so hard to find that it is reportedly changing hands on the secondhand market for several times its retail price.

Captain Q was first launched in 1980 by Lotte Chilsung Beverage, then known as Lotte Liquor, and is considered one of the original mass-market Korean liquors. Such products were developed at a time when liquor imports were restricted. They were essentially imitation spirits made by blending neutral alcohol (ethanol) with coloring, flavoring and small amounts of liquor concentrates to mimic the taste and aroma of imported spirits. Captain Q was one such product, containing a small amount of rum concentrate. Its affordable price made it particularly popular among college students and ordinary consumers. However, as the liquor market shifted toward premium products, production was discontinued in 2015. The brand returned to store shelves last month.

The relaunched version retains the original bottle design to preserve its retro appeal, but features a significantly upgraded recipe. It is now made with 99 percent Caribbean rum and undergoes oak barrel aging to enhance its flavor and aroma. Many consumers have also noted that the notorious hangovers once associated with the drink appear to be absent from the new version.

Promotional items from a Captain Q package listed on a secondhand trading app / Captured from Karrot

Although about two weeks have passed since its launch, the buzz shows no signs of fading. Social media platforms continue to see a steady stream of purchase reviews and information on where to find the product. Captain Q has also consistently ranked among the most searched items on convenience store apps' inventory-checking services.

The craze has even extended to a limited-edition promotional package released ahead of the official launch. Some of its accessories, including drinking glasses and commemorative coins, have recently appeared separately on secondhand marketplaces for 350,000 won. That is more than 17 times the original retail price of 19,800 won ($15) for the entire package, including the liquor.

What makes the latest Captain Q craze particularly noteworthy is that it is being driven largely by members of the MZ (Millennials and Gen Z) generation, many of whom have never tried the drink. Despite declining alcohol consumption among younger people and a slowdown in liquor sales, the combination of the "newtro" (new and retro) trend and the brand's unusual hangover folklore appears to have piqued their curiosity.

Choi Seong-sik, 31, a whisky enthusiast, said he had long been curious about Captain Q because it was frequently referred to among drinkers as a "knockout drink."

"I think it is popular because it is reasonably priced and appeals to young people's curiosity," he said.

The entire stock of Captain Q package sets are sold out at a supermarket in Seoul, Oct. 30, despite a limit on the number each customer could purchase. Korea Times photo by Woo Tae-kyung

The manufacturer has also welcomed the unexpected enthusiasm. A Lotte Chilsung Beverage official said consumer responses had been far more positive than initially anticipated.

"We find it meaningful that interest in a brand with such a long history has translated into positive responses to the actual product and purchases," the official said.

The success of Captain Q is also prompting renewed interest in other mass-market liquors that once enjoyed widespread popularity.

Notable examples include Napoleon, launched in 1976 and discontinued in 2017, and Very Nine Gold, launched in 1976 and discontinued in 1991. Although no manufacturers have officially announced plans to bring these brands back, expectations are growing over whether the retro craze sparked by Captain Q could revive other long-forgotten favorites.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

Captain Q 酒在停产 11 年后于上个月重返货架，吸引了怀旧的老消费者和好奇其“劲爆”名声的年轻韩国人的目光。乐天七星饮料公司重新推出了这款酒，沿用了最初的瓶身设计，并采用 99% 加勒比朗姆酒和橡木桶陈酿的配方。这款酒一瓶难求，促销包装中的配件在二手市场上的售价也远高于原价。这股重新燃起的热潮也引发了人们对其他已停产的大众酒类品牌的关注。

乐天七星饮料公司于 1980 年首次推出 Captain Q，当时该公司名为乐天酒业。

随着酒类市场向高端产品转型，Captain Q 于 2015 年停产。

这款限量版促销套装（包括酒水）最初的零售价为 19,800 韩元，而一些配件则单独出售，售价为 350,000 韩元。

Napoleon 于 1976 年推出，2017 年停产；而 Very Nine Gold 于 1976 年推出，1991 年停产。

威士忌爱好者崔成植表示，Captain Q 价格合理，迎合了年轻人的好奇心，这也是它受欢迎的原因。

发布于2026年11月4日凌晨12:10（韩国标准时间）

自上世纪80年代以来一直是韩国大众市场酒类代表的Captain Q，在停产11年后于10月8日重新上市，并迅速获得了极高的人气。图片由乐天七星饮料公司提供。

传奇酒类品牌 Captain Q 时隔 11 年重返市场，引发全国热潮。

对于过去曾享用过这款产品的中老年消费者来说，此次重新上市唤起了他们的怀旧之情。而对于从未尝试过的年轻一代来说，这个品牌则成为了他们好奇的对象，尤其是那些臭名昭著的宿醉故事，这些故事后来演变成了有趣的网络迷因。如今，这款产品一瓶难求，据说在二手市场上，它的价格已经是零售价的数倍。

Captain Q最初由乐天七星饮料（当时名为乐天酒业）于1980年推出，被认为是韩国最早的大众市场酒类之一。这类产品诞生于酒类进口受到限制的时期。它们本质上是仿制烈酒，通过将中性酒精（乙醇）与色素、香精和少量浓缩酒混合制成，以模仿进口烈酒的口感和香气。Captain Q就是这样一款产品，其中含有少量朗姆酒浓缩液。其亲民的价格使其在大学生和普通消费者中广受欢迎。然而，随着酒类市场向高端产品转型，Captain Q于2015年停产。该品牌已于上个月重新上架。

重新推出的版本保留了原有的瓶身设计，以延续其复古魅力，但配方却进行了大幅升级。如今，它采用99%的加勒比朗姆酒酿造，并经过橡木桶陈酿，以提升其风味和香气。许多消费者也注意到，新版本似乎不再像以前那样容易导致宿醉。

二手交易应用上列出的 Captain Q 套装中的促销物品 / 截图来自 Karrot

虽然上市已过去两周左右，但热度丝毫未减。社交媒体平台上持续涌现大量购买评论和产品购买信息。Captain Q 也一直稳居便利店应用程序库存查询服务的热搜榜前列。

这股热潮甚至蔓延到了官方发售前推出的限量版促销套装。套装中的一些配件，包括酒杯和纪念币，最近在二手市场上以35万韩元的价格单独出售。这相当于整套酒品（含酒）原价19800韩元（约合15美元）的17倍多。

最近Captain Q的热潮之所以格外引人注目，主要是因为其主要推动者是千禧一代和Z世代，其中许多人从未尝试过这款酒。尽管年轻人饮酒量下降，酒类销售也出现下滑，但“新复古”潮流以及该品牌关于宿醉效果的独特传说似乎激起了他们的好奇心。

31岁的威士忌爱好者崔成植表示，他一直对Captain Q威士忌很好奇，因为饮酒者经常称其为“劲头十足的酒”。

“我认为它受欢迎是因为它价格合理，而且能引起年轻人的好奇心，”他说。

10月30日，首尔一家超市的Captain Q套装全部售罄，尽管每位顾客限购了一定数量。韩国时报记者禹泰京摄

制造商也对这意料之外的热情表示欢迎。乐天七星饮料公司的一位负责人表示，消费者的反应远比最初预期的要积极得多。

这位官员表示：“我们认为，人们对一个拥有如此悠久历史的品牌的兴趣能够转化为对实际产品的积极反馈和购买行为，这很有意义。”

Captain Q 的成功也重新激发了人们对其他曾经广受欢迎的大众市场酒类的兴趣。

值得一提的例子包括1976年推出、2017年停产的拿破仑（Napoleon）和1976年推出、1991年停产的Very Nine Gold。虽然目前还没有任何制造商正式宣布计划让这些品牌回归，但人们越来越期待Captain Q引发的复古热潮能否让其他早已被人遗忘的经典品牌重焕生机。

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。