How to pour
a soju in
Place the bottle in the refrigerator for at least two hours. In Korea, soju is served chilled, somewhere between 4 and 8 degrees, and at that temperature its sweet, slightly mellow character stands out most. Chill the glasses too if you have them handy, so the first round stays at the right temperature longer.
Open the bottle at the table. Many people first turn the loosened tab of the cap away or tap the neck a few times with their wrist. That is a table tradition and part of the story, not a technique that changes anything about the drink itself; it does not make the bottle open any differently.
Never pour for yourself. You fill the other person's glass, and someone else fills yours. If you are pouring for someone older, hold the bottle with both hands, or with one hand while supporting your wrist or forearm with your other hand. Fill the glass to just below the rim.
Accept the glass with both hands when someone older than you pours for you, and hold it until they have finished pouring. At many tables, it is customary to turn your head slightly away for the first sip. Then place the glass on the table; when a glass is empty, the table knows it can be refilled.
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The story
Soju comes from Korea and is a clear distilled spirit. It was originally distilled from rice, but modern bottles often contain sweet potato, tapioca, or barley, or a mixture of these. The drink is highly purified and then diluted to somewhere between 16 and 25 percent ABV, with many bottles landing around the middle of that range. As a result, it tastes fairly neutral, with a sweet note that partly comes from added sweetener. It is rarely served on its own: soju belongs with food, with a group, and with a way of pouring that is just as established as the recipe.
The right glass
The Korean soju glass is small, straight, and thick-walled: about 5 cl, so you empty it in one or two sips and can then have it refilled. A glass with that name is not included in this range. The closest match is a straight shot glass of 5 to 6 cl with a heavy base, such as those found in the shot glasses collection; if you want a slightly heavier, cut glass for the table, also take a look at the digestif glasses.
Bormioli Rocco Dublino Shot Glass 5.7 cl (3 pieces)
RCR Laurus Shot Glass 6 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 35,90.
The right tools
For a glass of soju, you need nothing besides the glass itself: open the bottle and fill the glass. The bar tools below only come into play when you mix soju, for example in somaek or a fruit cocktail: a jigger for measuring and a shaker for chilling by shaking. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 37,85.
What does this go with?
Soju does not yet have its own page in our drinks guide. These are the pages that come closest: clear spirits that, like soju, are served chilled and poured into a small glass, plus the sweeter category that the flavored bottles resemble. On each drinks page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Alongside the standard clear bottle, the shelves also feature flavored versions with peach, green apple, yogurt, or grapefruit. These usually contain less alcohol than regular soju and taste noticeably sweeter. There is also somaek, a contraction of soju and maekju, the Korean word for beer: a glass of beer with a splash of soju mixed in. The ratio is a matter of taste and is decided at the table. Want to read more? View all drinks and brands.
Serving tip
In Korea, soju is almost always enjoyed with food. It goes well with Korean barbecue, fermented dishes such as kimchi, and spicy stews, because the cold, fairly neutral drink cuts through the richness and heat. Put the bottle on the table instead of pouring for each person individually, and serve small amounts at a time so the glass stays cold.
Good to know
What soju is made from
Traditionally made from rice. Most bottles today contain sweet potato, tapioca, or barley, either alone or in combination; the label states which raw material was used. The spirit is highly purified, leaving little flavor from the raw material, and then diluted with water to the percentage stated on the bottle. Many brands add a sweetener, which explains the smooth, slightly sweet finish.
How strong soju is
The common bottles contain between 16 and 25 percent alcohol. That is lower than vodka, gin, or whisky, which generally come in at around 40 percent, and higher than wine. Flavored versions are often at the lower end of that range. The percentage is always stated on the label, so check there: it varies between brands and between bottles from the same brand.
Soju is not sake or shochu
Sake comes from Japan and is brewed, not distilled; it usually contains around 14 to 17 percent alcohol. Shochu also comes from Japan and is distilled, from ingredients including barley, sweet potato, or rice. Soju comes from Korea. Shochu and soju are similar in production technique, but the common Korean bottle is more highly purified, more often sweetened, and served differently.
Table manners
You do not pour for yourself: you fill someone else's glass and wait for someone to fill yours. When serving someone older, hold the bottle with both hands, or support your pouring arm with your other hand, and accept the glass with both hands as well. The glass stays on the table when empty; that is the sign it can be refilled.
Flavored soju
Peach, green apple, yogurt, and grapefruit are the flavors you encounter most often. They are sweeter and usually lower in alcohol than the regular version. It is still the same base drink, with flavoring and additional sweetener, and it is served in the same way: chilled, in the same small glass.
Somaek, soju with beer
Somaek is a contraction of soju and maekju, meaning beer. You pour beer into a glass and add a splash of soju. Because soju has a fairly neutral taste, the beer remains recognizable and it mainly changes the mouthfeel. The ratio is not fixed; it is determined at the table.
Frequently asked questions
What is soju?
A clear distilled drink from Korea. Traditionally made from rice, it is now often made from sweet potato, tapioca, or barley. It is highly purified and therefore fairly neutral in flavor, usually with a sweet note, and generally contains between 16 and 25 percent alcohol. It is served chilled in a small glass.
What percentage of alcohol is in soju?
The standard bottles contain between 16 and 25 percent alcohol, so considerably less than vodka or whisky and more than wine. Flavored versions with peach, green apple, or yogurt are usually at the lower end of that range. The exact contents are listed on the label.
How do you drink soju?
Chilled from the refrigerator, in a straight glass of about 5 cl, with a meal. You do not pour for yourself: you fill the other person's glass, and someone else fills yours. When serving someone older, pour and receive with both hands. The empty glass stays on the table, so everyone knows it can be refilled.
Is soju the same as sake?
No. Sake is Japanese and is brewed from rice, water, koji, and yeast, much like beer is brewed, and usually contains around 14 to 17 percent alcohol. Soju is Korean and is distilled. Soju is not the same as shochu, the Japanese distilled drink, either: the technique is similar, but the origin, purification, and serving methods differ.
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