Captain Q returns after 11 years — can it shake its notorious hangover reputation?

"Drink it and you won't wake up for two days."

Captain Q has long carried a reputation as the liquor that ruins your next day — and then some. The nickname stuck because of its notorious hangover, which supposedly left drinkers unable to get out of bed the morning after. Now, 11 years after production stopped, Captain Q is coming back. The question is whether it can shed that infamy and establish itself as South Korea's go-to casual spirit.

According to Lotte Chilsung Beverage on Thursday, the new Captain Q is made with 99 percent authentic Caribbean rum, with only caramel coloring and sugar added — a formula entirely different from the original product.

"The new Captain Q uses pure rum distillate, giving it a smoother, more refined flavor," a Lotte Chilsung Beverage official said.

When Captain Q first launched in 1980, it contained about 19 percent rum distillate. After 1991, however, the company replaced the rum with neutral spirits and flavorings to replicate the taste. The result was a sweet, harsh diluted soju-like drink with a rum aroma — bitter on the finish, with a sharp burn going down.

There is, however, no clear evidence that Captain Q actually caused worse hangovers than other drinks. Industry insiders say hangover severity depends on how much a person drinks and how they drink, and that blaming Captain Q specifically for worse hangovers — when the same amount of alcohol is consumed — is an exaggeration.

"Back then, Captain Q was popular among young people who didn't have much money," an industry official said. "There was a heavy drinking culture at the time, and young people who had never tried imported spirits would down large amounts of Captain Q in one sitting — that's likely how the bad reputation took hold."

Despite its current image, Captain Q was a sensation in the 1980s and 1990s. It sold about 10 million bottles in its first year alone. At a time when imported spirits were expensive and hard to come by, the drink won over consumers by offering the feel of a Western liquor at an accessible price.

In 1985, the brand expanded its reach with a 180-milliliter pocket-sized bottle, drawing in travelers, picnickers, university students on group trips and office workers looking for a casual drink. Captain Q helped popularize Western-style spirits in South Korea, but sales eventually declined as drinking culture shifted, and production was halted in 2015.

The relaunched Captain Q is generating interest for combining affordability with a 99 percent rum distillate formula — promising both value and taste.

"It's great on its own, but you can also mix it with sparkling water like a highball or pour it over ice for a more casual drinking experience — either way, it tastes excellent," a Lotte Chilsung Beverage official said.