K-drama fans are probably already well-aware of the existence of soju, which is Korea's flagship drink of choice — it's the one that gets poured out of the green bottle in drinking scenes. Soju is a neutral spirit that tastes sort of like vodka. Originally distilled from rice, these days it's made from other sources such as sweet potatoes.
One of the fun things about it is that modern day versions come in lots of flavors like melon, strawberry, peach, and grape along with unexpected ones like calamansi and mint chocolate (which I've tried, to mixed internal opinions). And because it comes in so many flavors, it makes for a perfect ingredient to play with in your home cocktail-mixing sandbox. Soju generally has an alcohol-by-volume (ABV) content of 12% to 20% (though some versions can be much stronger) and is normally enjoyed chilled and neat.
Soju is great or tteokbokki. But because of its wine-like alcohol content and the fruit flavoring, it's an ingredient you can use as the base of a lighter type of cocktail. Soju and beer make for a naturally good pairing Because soju isn't as heavy on the alcohol as vodka (I suddenly had flashbacks to , shudder), you can use it to mix some easygoing drinks that won't bowl you over after your first sip .
One popular way to drink it in Korea is in a somaek, which is a combination of soju and beer. In fact, the name 'somaek' is a portmanteau of 'soju' and 'maekju', which means beer. You simply start with a 2-ounce pour of soju and top it .
