The world's most popular spirit— soju

Soju is one of the most consumed spirit around the world, with the biggest brand in the business (Jinro) being the indisputable top selling spirit brand— selling an incredible 94.5m cases in 2021! This sales volume beat out the second position (Seltzer brand, White Claw) by nearly 30m cases, talk about popular!

With Korean culture being popularized around the world, most people would have tried or at least known about the drinking culture revolving around Sojus. Today, we are going to explore 10 unique ways and combinations to drink your bottle of Jinro Soju!

Soju COcktail recipes

Soju Bomb (aka Somaek)

Image taken from Jigger and Pony

Starting with a simple yet one of the most popular soju combinations, the soju bomb is a simple combination of Soju and Korean beer (we use Hite beer!). The formula for a perfect glass of Somaek is seven parts beer and three parts soju. Have the beer ready in a glass, hover your soju in a shot glass above the beer glass and drop it in once you're ready to drink then enjoy the bubbly goodness that is a soju bomb!

Yogurt Soju (or Yakult Soju)

Image taken from Geoffreview

Another combination that is well known outside of Korea is the Yogurt soju which is essentially a mix of cultured milk drink, Soju and Sprite.

The ratio for the perfect Yogurt Soju is 2 part Sprite, 1 part Soju and 1 part Yakult. Mix the three ingredients and you will have a sweet and easy to drink cocktail! This delicious mix might be dangerous since you will not be able to resist gulping down a ton and may end up drunk before you know it!

Soju Screwdriver

A twist on the classic cocktail Screwdriver, typically made with orange juice and vodka. This version replaces vodka with soju and the taste is completely different! Mix 1 part soju with 4 parts orange juice and you will get the Korean Screwdriver. We find that using soju makes the cocktail smoother and the taste of the soju adds an additional layer of taste with the alcohol punch.

Soju Coffee

Image taken from philstarlife

If you ever need a pick-me-up, have a glass of Soju Coffee and you will have enough energy to last through the day! This mixture is made with 1 part soju and 4 parts coffee (you can use a coffee of your choice, either black or milk coffee works well). Black Soju Coffee will result in a bitter cocktail and Milk Soju Coffee will taste creamy, whichever you prefer!

Soju Sangria

Image taken from Seth Lui

A traditionally wine-based cocktail, this Soju variant is one for you if you like your cocktail sweet and tangy yet still pack a punch! Mix 2 parts of grapefruit juice with 2 parts of lemon juice and 2 parts of Jinro's chamisul soju to get the Soju Sangria!

The alcohol content balances out the sourness of the fruit juices resulting in a sweet and fruity mix.

Subak Soju (Watermelon Soju)

Image taken from Maangchi

The soju cocktail with the best visual appeal! Get half a deseeded watermelon, muddle the fruit and add roughly half a bottle of soju, ice and stick some straws in it & enjoy! A sweet and refreshing drink that is made to enjoy for the hot and sunny days in Singapore.

Energizer Soju

Image taken from Prime Liquor

The reason why this drink is called energizer is simple, one full glass and you will feel the rush and be energized enough to party the rest of the night away! The Energizer consists of Jinro Soju and an energy drink, most commonly used is the Redbull. The ratio of soju and Redbull is 1 to 1, so fill up half your glass with soju and the other half with Redbull and gulp it down to feel the energy boost immediately!

Cojinganmek

Image taken from eatbooksg

This is a variant of the popular Somaek that we mentioned at the start of this list. This adds coca-cola to the mix to great a bubbly cocktail that adds a sweeter finish to the classic Somaek.

For this recipe, we use 7 parts beer, 7 parts coca-cola & 3 parts soju for the perfect balance of the trio. Those with a sweet tooth will definitely prefer this version, give it a try!

Soju Food Pairing

The best way to enjoy your array of soju cocktails is with delicious Korean Anju, which translates to Korean drinking snacks/ side dishes. Savory and fried foods like Korean pancake or friend chicken are excellent choices to pair with a soju drinking night.

Spicy food lovers might prefer having their drinks with Korean Anju that are on the spicier side like the Korean Tteokbokki (spicy rice cake).

Image taken from allrecipes. Yum!

If all that visually appealing cocktails and Korean snacks has whetted your appetite, you're not alone! Can't wait to try out the cocktails in this list? Head down to www.3mk.sg and grab several bottles (or cartons) and whip them up yourself now!