The Popular Korean Soju Brand You Can Now Find At Costco

You don't have to go to your favorite Korean BBQ restaurant or H-Mart to find soju. You can simply go to Costco and pick up a box of the popular Korean soju brand, HiteJinro. While only 17 Costco locations in the U.S. sell HiteJinro soju, the brand has plans to sell its soju in five more outlets, all in California. The current 17 locations include Costco branches located in Chicago, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and New York. To see if your local Costco warehouse is selling HiteJinro soju, first call customer service to check or search on Costco's website. 

While this soju maker did not appear on our list of the 18 best soju brands, HiteJinro is one of South Korea's leading beer and spirit companies. The soju comes in an iconic green bottle with a fruit — such as green grapes, plum, strawberry, or peach — and the company's cute frog mascot on the label. Depending on the soju's flavor, the bottle cap's color is either green or red. If the flavor is grape, the cap is green. 

Don't be fooled by the adorable bottle design. Soju is not a weak drink by any means, and if you've never had it before, you can compare it to a milder vodka with some sweetness. Made from fermented barley, wheat, or rice, soju is a distilled alcohol. Fruit-flavored soju are still strong and can be enjoyed as shots. Drink it cold with friends while enjoying delicious South Korean food. 

With South Korean culture continue to gain immense popularity in the U.S., it's no surprise that more Korean brands and products are becoming available at Costco. Both Costco and Trader Joe's sell frozen kimbap (or gimbap), a Korean seaweed roll made with rice and cooked ingredients like veggies and fermented daikon. Costco also sells beef bulgogi mandu (Korean dumplings) and other frozen Korean-style dumplings by Bibigo. Along with soju, snacks, and frozen dumplings, you can also find tubs of Jongga kimchi at Costco in the U.S. and instant ramen. So next time you're navigating the people and aisles of Costco, keep an eye out and you might just discover your new favorite South Korean treat to enjoy along with soju.