Picture this: you're seated in a bustling Korean barbecue restaurant, and chewing on a piece of succulent, perfectly grilled beef slice. The delicious taste of honeyed, soy sauce and smokey char coats your tongue. At the very moment, you take a swig of an ice-cold clear liquid that your friend hands to you. It's clean, crisp, lightly sweet and smooth, cutting through the oiliness of the meat with a sharp twang that awakens the senses.

That liquid is Soju, one of the world's most consumed spirits and Korea's national drink. 

In today's guide, we bring you the lowdown on this ancient Korean spirit that's been getting a second wind - thanks to the ongoing Hallyu wave spreading across the globe. Read on to find out what is soju, how's it made, and - if you're looking for a gateway into the world of soju - which brands to keep a look out for.

What is Soju?

Soju is a Korean distilled alcohol that is typically made from a blend of rice and other grains like wheat and barley. Korean laws are not too strict about what grains a soju must be made from, and as a result, some producers do produce soju from a wide variety of different grains, such as even sweet potato and cassava!

Soju typically appears in clear, colorless form. Typically, soju carries a clean, smooth and viscous taste with a mild sweetness. Increasingly, flavored sojus are becoming more commonplace, popularized by HiteJinro, maker of popular soju brand Chamisul. These sojus can carry a range of flavors, from green grapes, to melon, to strawberry.

Pssst… name of the drink, “Soju”, actually translates to mean “burned liquor” in Korean. Yet despite the mildly concerning connotations of a potential burning, stinging sensation that comes with soju, this spirit is actually relatively lower in ABV (the majority of soju tends to be lesser than 20%!) and goes down smooth. This smoothness is no doubt a part of why this drink has been so popular in Korea, and increasingly, elsewhere too!

How is Soju Made?

The traditional process of making soju is pretty fascinating, and even generates another popular byproduct – called makgeolli, or rice wine – along the way! 

Step #1: Making the Fermentation Starter 

The process begins with Nuruk, 누룩, which is a fermentation starter that is made from ground wheat, rice and barley. Nuruk has been around in Korea since the 3rd century CE during the period of the Three Kingdoms. To prep the fermentation starter Nuruk is mixed with water to achieve a soft consistency, before it is loaded into a mold and shaped into a large “wheat cake”. This was historically done with a brewer’s foot!

Once molded, the brewer removes the wheat cake from the mold and leaves it alone to ferment. After a few weeks, after moisture has evaporated, the wheat cake is now solid once more, and it is then pounded into a powder mixture.

Step #2: Fermenting the Rice

With the Nuruk at the ready, the brewer then begins by washing and steaming white rice. It is allowed to cool before it is mixed with the nuruk powder and some water to form the mash. The mash is then left in a brewing vessel to ferment for another two weeks. This mixture is now called wonju.

Step #3: Filtering the Mash Layers (And Creating Makgeolli!)

After sitting and fermenting for a while, at this point the wonju - or fermented mixture - starts to separate into layers. This is where it gets even more interesting!

(Image source: HyesunHouse)

Wonju typically seperates and settles into two layers. The top layer is golden and clear, and is called the cheongju or yakju. The bottom layer is a cloudier white-ish mixture called takju, where most of the rice sediments settle.

The top cheongju layer is what eventually gets distilled into soju. Historically, different classes of citizens were enttield to consume different layers. This top layer was reserved for the upper class of nobles called the Yangban in Korea. Meanwhile, the lower takju layer is what is diluted to become makgeolli, a Korean rice wine that was historically seen as a cheaper alcoholic beverage consumed by the commoners and farmers. Make no mistake though, makgeolli is just as delicious in its own right!

At this stage of the soju making process, the Cheongju layer is filtered out and put aside for future processing.

Step #4: Distilling the Cheongju into Soju

The Cheongju mixture is now taken aside and placed into a traditional distillation apparatus called the sojugori. The sojugori is placed over fire and the Cheongju mixture is distilled into soju.

(Image source: Wikiwand)

Unlike your traditional metal distillation stills many of us are more familiar with, the sojugori is an hour-glass shaped still made from ceramics. It’s uniquely divided into three main chambers. The Cheongju is placed in the bottom chamber and allowed to evaporate. The top most chamber acts as a condenser – the rising alcohol vapors condense on the underside of the colder top lid, before dripping down into a collection vessel through a spout. Interestingly, the different sections that make up the sojugori can actually be separated. To prevent any leakages and gaps, the brewers will even apply a flour paste to create a seal between these sections. 

Eventually, the distilled soju is collected and rested in barrels or other containers to be aged, before it is bottled for consumption!  

Modern Soju Production

 Of course, the method just described is that of the more traditional style of soju production. These days, modern soju producers have started to lean more industrial in nature, incorporating the use of metal copper pot stills or vacuum distillation in order to churn out the necessary quantities to meet demand. It’s also not uncommon for producers to add flavorings or sweeteners to the final distilled alcohol, or to dilute it further with water.

Why Each Province in Korea Has Their Own Favourite Soju Brand 

Unless you’re native to Korea, to an untrained eye, it might be difficult to differentiate between different brands of soju. This is because many different soju producers typically use the same green-tinted bottles to bottle and retail their soju, resulting in somewhat uniform packaging with only the label designs to differentiate from one another.

Yet, Korea is actually home to a ton of different soju brands. Many of which actually originate from a different province, and each often enjoying a certain home-ground advantage their respective origin provinces.

This is due to 1973 law decreeing that only one soju brand could be sold in each province, instituted by the Korean government to prevent excessive competition. Hence for a long time, Koreans in each province were typically exposed to only one brand of soju. In 1996, this law was deemed unconstitutional and soju makers were allowed to sell their brands across the whole country. Regardless however, Koreans in each province still continue to retain some long-standing preference for their homegrown soju brands.

Start Drinking Here: Popular Soju Brands You Need to Know

Most people’s first encounter with soju outside of Korea is usually with HiteJinro’s Chamisul and Lotte’s Chum Churum, hailing from Seoul and Gangwon regions respectively. The range of available soju brands, of course, extend beyond this. If you’re looking to spread your wings and explore more of what the world of soju has to offer, here are a few of the most popular soju brands you should know.

참이슬 Chamisul, a.k.a. “Pure Dew”, by Hite-Jinro (From Seoul) 

Perhaps the most popular soju brand right now, Chamisul by Hite Jinro has become so synonymous with the category that it’s been nicknamed “gukmin soju”, a.k.a. nation’s soju. Chamisul differentiates from other soju brands by filtering its soju not once, not twice, but four times through bamboo charcoal to ensure a cleaner, crisper taste without impurities.  

Chum Churum 처음 처럼, a.k.a “Like the First Time”, by Lotte (From Gangwon)

Produced by Lotte, Chum Churum often vies for market share leadership in soju against Chamisul. The brand touts the use of alkaline reduced water to create the soju, giving Chum Churum a smoothness of flavor and texture when drunk. It’s made from rice, potatoes, sweet potato and tapioca.

C1 Blue시원 블루, by Daesun Distilling (From Busan)

C1 soju from Daesun is made from a blend of distilled rice, barley and tapioca, and from natural bedrock water flowing from Mount Samgak-san. The brand’s claim to fame is the silkiness of its texture, which it credits to it’s adoption of SOVIA, which means Sound Vibration Aging Process, to stabilise the fermentation process.

Yipsejoo 잎새주, a.k.a. “Leaf Liquor”, by Bohae (From Gwangju and South Jeolla)

Yipsejoo is a sweeter style of soju produced by Bohae Brewery. You may notice maple leaves on its label, which are no doubt a reference to the addition of organic Canadian maple syrup to the soju. When drinking Yipsejoo, remember to shake the bottle beforehand. This makes the soju taste sweeter!

O2Linn, by The Mackiss Company (From Daejeon)

O2Linn is often nicknamed “Oxygen Soju”, as the brand markets itself on being the soju that contains three time as much oxygen dissolved in it than most any other soju out on the market. This presumably enables the consumer to sober up faster, and results in a greater clarity and freshness of its taste.

Joeun Day 좋은 데이, a.k.a. “Good Day”, by Muhak (from Ulsan)

Made from alkaline water from the deep bedrock of Jiri mountain, Good Day Soju is produced by Muhak Distillery in Ulsan. It was one of the first soju producers to differentiate base on their lower-alcohol options with its 16.9% abv bottlings. It’s flavored Blueberry soju was particularly popular among university students in Korea.

So-Ju Now Know!

There’s an old Korean saying: “soju is sweet because life is bitter”.

If you’re reading this and already mentally preparing to go on an epic tour around South Korea to taste-taste different types of soju from each province, count us in! In the meantime however, until flights are yet booked, why not head down to your local liquor store or KBBQ joint the next time you’re looking for a pick me up? This spirit has certainly worked its mood-boosting magic for many before you, and it will surely do so for many after!

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Ever wondered by most soju brands are bottled in green bottles? Read here!

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@lotusroot518