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

The rice-based drink can replace gin or vodka in traditional cocktails for a refreshing twist on the classics

A green bottle of soju being poured into a shot glass.
Soju: an 'easy-drinking' vodka alternative
(Image credit: Alamy / Jakgapong Pengjank)

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".

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Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.