What is Soju?

Soju is a Korean spirit, traditionally distilled from rice although it can also be made from other grains and starches including sweet potatoes. It is often compared to vodka in terms of flavour, but tends to come in at a lower alcohol percentage.

Whilst it is neutral in style, like vodka, it tends to have a milder, sweeter flavour and is lower in alcohol.

History of Soju

It's origins lie in the 1200s, when the Mongols, having learnt distillation from Persian Arak, brought over this knowledge during their invasion of Korea. At this time it was more of a home-brew but distilleries popped up not long after. In some regions of Korea, Soju is still even referred to as Arak-ju.

Despite gains made by beer, whisky and wine in Korea in recent years, Soju still remains stalwart, largely thanks to its low price and availability in stores. For example, in 2006 it was estimated that the average Korean adult had consumed 90 bottles of the stuff that year alone!

Make sure though that you don't confuse it for Chinese Baijiu or Japanese Shochu!