What Kind Of Alcohol Is Soju?

In the past century, soju, a traditional and delicious Korean import, became increasingly difficult to nail down with precise categorization. Made of distilled rice or other starches such as sweet potatoes, tapioca, or wheat, modern soju is essentially grain alcohol with a few twists. It's developed a life and taxonomy of its own, becoming one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages in the world.

Soju has a 2,000-year history, over which it's evolved from a potent, 35% ABV rice liquor to the now popular 20% diluted grain alcohol with sweeteners and added flavors. In 1965, producers began distilling batches of 95% ABV soju and diluting it. But it wasn't until 2007 that they seized the growing market for weaker, sweeter drinks that are just as good straight as they are in a cocktail. Most modern soju are, at their core, diluted grain alcohols with ABVs and flavor profiles similar to those of most liqueurs, particularly if they have fruit like cherry or plum added to them.

Soju's moderate alcohol content gives it a soft, heady flavor similar to vodka but without the burn. It has a particularly smooth mouthfeel that coats the tongue in a bouquet of distilled rice. When consumed straight, it offers enough booze to catch a buzz but not so much you'll worry about getting to work in the morning. However, you can also use Korea's low-proof, rice-based soju in cocktails in ample amounts to ensure you'll taste the booze mixing with all your other ingredients.

If you want to learn how to drink like a proper Korean, you have to understand the flavor profile of soju. Without additives, it's a crisp, clear, smooth liquor with enough kick to notice but not so much you'll feel a burn. However, many popular soju brands add fruity flavors like lychee and apple to create something more palatable to most people and better suited to cocktail recipes. In Korea, soju may be consumed as a nightcap, alongside salty and savory small plates, or even mixed with beer at raucous, all-night parties.

When drinking soju straight, it's best enjoyed chilled and sipped or shot from 2-ounce glasses. The National Institutes of Health defines a standard drink of 20% alcohol to be 3 ounces, so each shot of soju is about two-thirds of a drink. Given the low alcohol content, it's generally not recommended to consume it on the rocks. Instead, try it in a cocktail!

Even without additional flavors or sweeteners, soju is ideal for fruity cocktails. A simple mix of fruit juice and soju is as delicious as it is easy and watermelon and soju, in particular, is highly popular. Simply blend watermelon flesh and strain out the juice to use as your mixer. As a rule, you can substitute vodka for soju in most cocktails, though they will be weaker unless you add more soju. Just add double the amount of soju to compensate for it having half the alcohol of vodka.