Soju
Also called Korean soju, 소주, diluted soju, distilled soju
Korea's clear spirit, by volume one of the most consumed in the world. Most bottles are 'diluted' soju: column distilled neutral spirit cut to around 16 to 20% ABV and lightly sweetened. Traditional soju is pot distilled from rice and stronger. The base of somaek, soju dropped into beer.
- clean neutral spirit
- faint sweetness
- rice
- light pear
- soft grain
- short finish
Origin
Distilling arrived in Korea with the Mongol armies of the 13th century, with Kaesong, Andong and Jeju as early centers, and soju was documented by about 1375. Traditional soju is pot distilled from rice; the modern diluted style is column spirit of about 95% ABV cut with water to around 20% and sweetened. A 1965 ban on distilling rice pushed producers to sweet potato and tapioca and was lifted in the 1990s. Jinro began mass production in 1924 and remains the largest brand, now exporting bottlings as low as 16.9%.
Common uses
- somaek (soju bomb in lager)
- soju with fresh fruit or yogurt soda
- a soju highball with tonic and lime
- neat and chilled with food
Pours that use it
Sources
- Soju (Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails), Oxford University Press · secondary source, retrieved 2026-10-11