Soju: where to start with South Korea’s national spirit

From K-pop to kimchi, there has been a boom in “all things Korean” in recent years, said the Financial Times. Now, soju is having a moment, with the “signature green-glass bottles” of fermented rice wine appearing on supermarket shelves around the world.

The distilled spirit dates back around 2,000 years to the Three Kingdoms period of Korean history. Traditionally, it was crafted from fermented rice but it can also be made from other starchy ingredients like sweet potato and tapioca. With an alcohol content ranging anywhere from 12 to 25% abv, it’s often sweetened resulting in a spirit that tastes like an “easy-drinking version of vodka”.

In Korean culture, sharing a bottle of soju with friends is a “time-honoured ritual”. It’s commonly used in cocktails; one of the most popular is somaek: a shot of soju dropped into a glass of beer.

Typically served chilled in shot glasses, artisanal soju can be sipped neat and makes an excellent accompaniment to grilled meats, stews and seafood, said Good Housekeeping. It’s also “fantastic” in a soju and tonic or dirty martini and makes a refreshing lower-abv alternative to gin and vodka.

The biggest brand by far in the UK is Jinro, Korea’s bestselling soju, said The Guardian. It’s been popping up at music festivals across the country as the distiller attempts to tap into a younger audience; you might spot it served in a paper cup and topped up with ice.

Soju has also started featuring on trendy cocktail menus. Câv in Bethnal Green, east London, for example, mixes peach soju into a gimlet while Bristol’s Bokman has crafted a heady concoction of gin, sweet vermouth and berry soju.

But you don’t have to go to a fancy bar to sample the spirit. A bottle of “eternal favourite” Jinro’s green grape soju can be bought for £6 at Tesco; expect a “crisp, crunchy” drink with a subtle sweetness and hints of green grape and apple. Or consider splashing out on a premium bottle of Hwayo soju. The perfect accompaniment to fish dishes, it has delicate notes of melon and is “incredibly smooth”.