Korean Soju has traditionally been distilled from rice, but since the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War, and throughout the economic growth period, soju with added starches such as potatoes, wheat, barley, sweet potatoes, and tapioca has been produced. Originally, soju referred only to distilled soju, but in the 1960s, when rice-based brewing was banned, diluted soju replaced distilled soju, and both types of alcohol came to be referred to as soju. Today, soju commonly refers to the inexpensive and popular diluted soju.
Soju is colorless and transparent, with alcohol content ranging from 16.8% to 53%. Before the 1990s, most soju had an alcohol content of over 25%, but with the trend of low-alcohol beverages, the popularity of low-alcohol soju has been increasing. In 1977, the government-led consolidation of soju companies followed the principle of “One Province, One Company,” but this system was abolished after the establishment of the Sixth Republic in 1988.
Since the 2000s, Korean soju has been the best-selling distilled liquor in the world for 20 consecutive years.
The word “soju” means liquor made by distillation. The original name for soju appears in Chinese literature as ‘아자길’ (阿刺吉) or ‘아리걸’ (阿里乞), which are translations of the Arabic word ‘Araq,’ meaning distillation and sweat. In North Pyongan Province of Korea, it is called “아랑주” (Arangju), and in the Gaeseong region, it is known as “아락주” (Arakju), which reveals its traces. It is also called “화주” (Hwaju) because it ignites when lit, “노주” (Noju) because it is made by collecting one drop at a time, and “한주” (Hanju) because it is made by sweating.
History:
It is said that the knowledge of soju was brought to the Korean Peninsula during the reign of King Chungryeol of Goryeo when Kublai Khan, in his expedition to Japan, passed through. Especially, the regions of Kaesong, which was the Mongolian garrison, Andong, where there was a forward base, and Jeju Island saw the development of soju production. The “History of Goryeo” records that during the reign of King Gongmin, General Kim Jin of Gyeongsang Province enjoyed soju, gathering courtesans and subordinates, becoming a soju enthusiast (소주도) – this is the first record of soju in Korea.
In Korea, soju started to become known around the Mongolian garrison in Andong and the trading hub of Kaesong, which were occupied by the Mongolian army during the Goryeo Dynasty. However, at that time, soju was perceived as a luxury drink enjoyed by the wealthy because it was a distilled liquor with a complex manufacturing process, making it expensive. It was also called medicinal soju because it was only used as medicine for commoners. There were various types of soju, and unlike today, it was made purely from grains, which gave it a good taste.
The origin of soju dates back to the 13th century during the Goryeo Dynasty, when the Levantine distillation method was introduced around the time of the Mongol invasions (1231-1259). During this period, Mongols, who had acquired the distillation techniques of Arak from the Levant, Anatolia, and Persia during their invasions, established distilleries around the capital city of Gaegyeong (modern-day Kaesong). Soju is still called Arakju in the surrounding areas of Gaeseong. Andong Soju, which is the direct ancestor of modern Korean soju, originated in the Andong region, where the Mongol army was stationed.
Traditionally, soju is made by distilling fermented grains. The raw liquor (청주) is typically fermented for about 15 days, and then the distillation process involves boiling matured raw liquor in a pot with a soju ring placed on top. By the 1920s, there were over 3,200 soju breweries on the Korean Peninsula.
In 1965, to alleviate the shortage of grains, making soju from rice was prohibited. Until 1965, diluted soju with 30% ABV was mentioned as a distilled beverage with 35 ABV. Instead, soju was made using ethanol (95% ABV) distilled from sweet potatoes and tapioca, mixed with flavorings, sweeteners, and water. The final products are sold under various soju brand names. All domestic soju companies sell ethanol. Until the late 1980s, saccharin was the most popular sweetener in the industry, but it was replaced by stevioside thereafter.
Although the ban was lifted in 1999, cheap soju continued to be made in this way. Diluted soju is showing a trend of decreasing alcohol content. The ABV of 30% decreased to 25% by 1973 and to 23% by 1998. Currently, soju can have an ABV of 17% or less. Some regions started extracting soju from grains from 1999. Traditional handcrafted Andong soju has an ABV of about 45%. Hwayo is a brand with a range of 17% to 53% ABV.
In the 2000s, Korean soju began to dominate the global distilled liquor market. Jinro Soju became the world’s best-selling distilled liquor for 20 consecutive years. Other two soju brands, “Chum-Churum(처음처럼)” and “Good Day(좋은데이),” were in the top 10, and the remaining three soju brands were in the top 100 in the world in 2016.
Fruit soju has been produced since 2015. When cocktails were first introduced to Korea, soju was added to taste fruit extracts or juice.
Types:
Soju can be broadly classified into traditional soju and modern soju, depending on the ingredients and manufacturing methods.
Traditional Soju :
Traditional soju is distilled by fermenting both nuruk (누룩, a fermented starter made from malted barley) and starchy ingredients, resulting in a unique flavor. In the southern regions, rice is used as the starchy ingredient, while in the northern regions, barley, sorghum, or corn are used. Traditional soju is typically divided into regular soju and medicinal soju.
Modern Soju :
With advancements in brewing technology, modern soju differs significantly from traditional soju as koji (고지, mold) is used instead of nuruk, and column stills are used instead of traditional pot stills. Modern soju is divided into distilled soju and diluted soju.
Distilled Soju :
Distilled soju traditionally uses a device called a “soju kettle” (소줏고리) for distillation. This device consists of two parts: a lower and an upper part. The lower part contains the alcoholic solution, which is placed in a large pot with a ring on top, and water is poured into the upper part. When the pot is heated, the alcohol vaporizes before the water because alcohol has a lower boiling point. The collected vapor is what becomes soju.
Around 1920, koji made from black mold (흑국균) cultivated on starchy ingredients began to be used instead of traditional nuruk. Initially, both traditional nuruk and koji were used in equal proportions, but gradually only koji was used. This is distilled using a single still. Distilled soju uses black mold or its variant white mold as nuruk, while yellow mold or cultivated yeast is not commonly used.
Diluted Soju :
Diluted soju is made by distilling a solution made from starches such as sweet potatoes and tapioca and then diluting the resulting distillate with water. Almost all soju available on the market today is made by dilution.
In 1965, as part of the government’s food policy, the use of grains for soju fermentation was banned, leading to the disappearance of grain-based soju and the development of diluted soju. Diluted soju uses pure ethanol (주정) with a purity of over 95%, obtained by fermenting and continuously distilling grain materials such as rice, barley, and sweet potatoes. To adjust the alcohol content, water is added to the ethanol, and various artificial additives are included in production. Recently, inexpensive tropical crops like tapioca have been used for fermentation to obtain ethanol. Since all the aroma disappears during the process of obtaining ethanol, the choice of raw material is not important. Currently, soju is produced and sold with alcohol content ranging from 15.5% to 35%. In fact, soju in its undiluted state, made only from ethanol and water, has a bitter taste and is difficult to drink. Therefore, artificial sweeteners like aspartame are added to give it a sweet taste and mask the bitterness and sourness. Unlike other food categories, alcoholic beverages do not need to disclose the ingredients of additives. This is because the regulations for labeling alcoholic beverages specify that “additives that should be labeled are substances that must be labeled with their names and purposes according to the Food Sanitation Act,” allowing alcoholic beverages to receive special treatment, not requiring all ingredients to be listed. On the other hand, in other countries, diluted soju, produced with cheap raw materials and flavored with additives, is not seen as a typical alcoholic beverage and is hardly produced. The problem lies not only in the ingredients but also in the fact that the widespread availability of inexpensive diluted soju has changed Korea’s drinking culture significantly.
Regional Soju
In the 1970s, due to excessive competition among soju companies, the government established the principle of “One Province, One Soju Company,” but this principle was abolished in 1988. However, despite the abolishment, it is still difficult for soju from other regions to be distributed, so each region still maintains its own characteristics.
- Seoul: Chamisul by Jinro is representative. In 2012, it was renewed with Fresh (17.8%) and Classic (20.1%).
- Gangwon: Chum-Churum (처음처럼, 17.5%) is the representative soju. It was first released by the former Doosan Liquor BG and is currently produced by Lotte Chilsung Beverage.
- Chungbuk: Cheongpung (청풍, 17.5%) is representative, manufactured by Sion Soju. It boasts a smooth taste as it contains asparagine.
- Chungnam: O2lin (17.8%) is representative, manufactured by Max Kies Company. It is called oxygen soju because it has three times more oxygen.
- Jeonbuk: Hite by Jinro (하이트, 19%), and Chum-Churum are representative. For exports, there are three types of Hite Blooming.
- Gwangju, Jeonnam: Leaf Soju (잎새주, 18.5%) is representative, manufactured by Bohae Brewery. It does not contain artificial sweeteners, using 100% natural extracts.
- Daegu, Gyeongbuk: Cham Soju (참소주, 16.9%) is representative, manufactured by Geumbokju. Cham Soju introduces advanced high-purity precision filtration methods.
- Ulsan, Gyeongnam: White (화이트, 19%) and Good Day (좋은데이, 16.9%) are representative, both manufactured by Muhak Comprehensive Liquor Company. Good Day creates a clean taste through Clean Air and Charcoal Ceramic Filtration.
- Busan: C1 (17.5%) is representative, manufactured by Daeseon Brewing. C1 Premium Soju introduced the Acoustic Maturation Vibration Method, playing music during the manufacturing process.
- Jeju: Hallasan (한라산, 21%) is representative, manufactured by Hallasan Soju. It uses natural spring water drawn from 80m below the sea without chemical treatment.
Fruit-Flavored Soju
- Chum-Churum Smoothie(처음처럼 순하리): Considered the pioneer of fruit-flavored soju, it comes in flavors like yuja (유자, 14%), peach (복숭아, 12%), lime (라임, 15%), and apple (사과, 12%).
- Good Day(좋은데이): It offers flavors like grapefruit, peach, blueberry, pomegranate, pineapple, and yuja, all with an alcohol content of 13.5%.
- Chamisul(참이슬): Varieties include dew on grapes, dew on grapefruit, and dew on strawberries (overseas). They all have an alcohol content of 13%.
- Smooth Cham(순한참): Flavors include grapefruit, yuja, grapes, and blueberry, all with an alcohol content of 14%. Recently, a Mojito Banana with 10% alcohol content has been released.
- Brother Soda(부라더#소다): Comes in soda, raspberry, green apple, banana, grapefruit, mango, yogurt flavors, and limited edition strawberry flavor, all with an alcohol content of 3%.