The Spirit of Korea
Soju, a clear distilled spirit that’s less boozy than vodka, is deeply woven into Korean drinking culture — and it’s finding new fans in the U.S.
SOJU, A CLEAR distilled spirit made out of rice and other ingredients like potatoes, wheat or barley, is another Korean cultural export that is growing in popularity in the United States.
One of the top producers of soju, Jinro, was not just the leading soju brand worldwide but also the best-selling producer of any liquor brand with a sales volume with 100 million nine-liter cases sold in 2022, which out-sold brands like Smirnoff vodka, according to Statista. And market research firm Datassential named soju as one of the drink trends to watch in 2024.
Soju may be a trend in the U.S., but it has a long and interesting history, says Ji Hye Kim, chef and managing partner at Miss Kim in Ann Arbor. Kim, who has devoted endless hours of research looking into Korean culinary traditions, says soju can trace its history to Persians. In 13th-century Goryeo, the distilling technique was introduced to the Korean Peninsula during the Mongol invasions of Korea from 1231–59, when the Yuan Mongols picked up the technique of distilling arak from the Persians.
Soju used to have a higher alcohol content, around 35 percent ABV, but then the Korean government banned the use of rice for distilling. That’s when other ingredients such as grains and potatoes were used to make soju. Today soju has a much lower ABV, around 17–25 percent.
“Up until the mid-1980s, the Korean government banned the use of rice, which is the traditional grain used to distill soju,” Kim says. “They banned the use of rice [to make] alcohol because we were still sort of developing and trying to survive [as a country]. And they were, like, ‘Well, we should eat rice instead of turning it into alcohol.’ So people started making soju with different grains.”
Soju is typically served chilled by the bottle and consumed as shots or sipped neat. In Korean culture, in which one of its core values is deep respect for elders, the proper way to serve soju is to serve the older people at the table first (even if they are just a year older, they are considered an elder). And you don’t serve yourself.
While Miss Kim does have a few soju offerings, including a small batch made by a producer in New York and the popular West 32, the restaurant offers house-infused sojus.
“I want to serve something better and more distinctive,” Kim says. “We use really good spices or really good tea, and we infuse our soju [with those ingredients]. And infusing soju with different ingredients is actually very commonly done in Korea, so we took the inspiration from there to add a little more flavor and distinctiveness to our soju menu.”
Some infusions have included black sesame, chai spice, lapsang souchong and hibiscus berry tea, to name a few. The ingredients are steeped for a couple of days if using spices or as long as needed for tea.
The flavors are inspired by a number of factors, such as different items they serve like their black sesame dessert that’s a spin on mochi rice cake or doing their own take of popular versions like lemon soju, which they make with fresh lemon peels and some cane sugar.
“Soju becomes this really good blank canvas to showcase other ingredients that we love using, or we showcase the spice and tea vendors that we love. And I still feel that it’s within the tradition of Korean soju drinking and it’s a little different from what Korean restaurants offer in this area.”
Soju, with its lower alcohol content than spirits like vodka and gin, can also be used in cocktails and goes well with ingredients like flavored syrups. At the same time, since it is a less boozy spirit the key is to make sure it doesn’t get lost under a bunch of ingredients.
At Noori Pocha in Clawson, the gastropub specializes in Korean food like spicy chicken with cheese and corn cheese that pairs well with alcohol. They also kick up the cocktails a notch with an eye-catching presentation with LED lights. In the summer, flavors included strawberry, mojito and watermelon.
Noori Pocha also offers a So-Maek tower; the name combines soju with the Korean word for beer: maekju.
It’s a beloved match for Koreans.
“Koreans love drinking soju and love mixing it with beer,” says co-owner Andy Kwon. “Koreans are serious about drinking.”
Soju is readily accessible in South Korea, where the price for a bottle of soju is comparable to bottled water, Kim says.
“And I think because it’s that cheap and it’s really accessible, it worked its way into our dining culture. And I’m not knocking it, because I think it’s made our dining culture really fun and it’s definitely a huge part of our social gathering and interacting.”
Kelly Chang, chef and owner of China Café and Jia Lounge in Novi, agrees.
“Drinking brings people together and sharing stories.”
Dorothy Hernandez is a freelance journalist who frequently writes about food at the intersection of culture, entrepreneurship and social justice. Her preferred way to enjoy soju is sipped neat with a huge spread of Korean barbecue.
