8 Tips For Crafting Bar-Worthy Cocktails With Soju

Soju, Korea's beloved distilled spirit, continues to swell in popularity within the U.S. due to the drink's mild taste, lower alcohol content, and affordable price tag. Certainly, Korean media objects like "Squid Games," various K-dramas, and K-pop groups, lend an extra lift to soju's increased public interest.

Naturally, like any trend in drinking culture — pétillant naturel, mescal, hard seltzers — a sense of innovation and play comes to life for bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts when a new character enters the scene. But working with an unfamiliar spirit can create hurdles behind the bar; whereas classic cocktails like the gin martini, old-fashioned, margaritas, etc. have circulated for decades, templates for soju-based drinks are being written in the current climate.

To help nudge soju fans in the right direction (the one that leads them toward inventing homemade cocktails containing soju), we turned to the help of an expert, Ashlyn Hubenak. They're the beverage director of Han Oak, a popular Korean hot spot in Portland, Oregon. An experienced bartender specializing in Asian ingredients, rice spirits, and classic cocktail variations, Hubenak crafts beverages for both restaurants and as a recipe consultant, and is thankfully light with expertise and encouragement to even the most novice soju seeker: "Soju is very approachable in a cocktail and some even on their own," they say. "Especially in a spritz or gimlet."

Just like starting any other hobby or avenue of interest, starting simple allows for incremental growth. Instead of biting off more than you can chew and aiming your sights on a high-concept cocktail, try your hand at Korea's two-ingredient combination of light beer and soju. Somaek, a portmanteau of soju, and maekju, the Korean word for beer, find a ratio of approximately 70% beer and 30% soju comingling. It creates a delicate swoop of sweet and bitter. Not an extremely complicated beverage but one relying on the golden ticket of all bartending: balance.

While many consider soju solely a distilled rice spirit, it can be concocted from fermented barley, tapioca, sweet potatoes, and other starchy foods. A soju made from rice might carry a smooth, gentle tone, a tapioca-derived alcohol could retain a bit of the bases' sweetness, so consider that when pairing them with beer, and taste around the aisle to find the soju best suited for your intention.  Ahlyn Hubenak recommends Jinro is Back, and although they use it in cocktails, the fainter profile could amount to a smoother somaek. 

As a beer cocktail, somaeks will allow you to sample several soju brands and flavors without needing to stock up on homemade syrups, fresh juices, or other spirits. As you get acquainted with the sojus of your preference, you'll discover which bottles you enjoy most and which contain qualities you'd like blended with other specific ingredients.

Borrowing from the wine adage "what grows together, goes together," your trick to making a great soju cocktail is simply soaking in everything the Korean (or Asian) market offers — beyond the liquor shelves. So, stop aimlessly scrolling TikTok and start searching all the powders, produce, spices, and seeds. "Soju's versatility allows for many different builds," Ashlyn Hubenak encourages, "but I lean towards brighter cocktails as I think those compliment Korean food best."

Asian-focused grocery stores like H-Mart, now scattered throughout the country, house a fortune of flavors ideal for infusions, syrups, fat washes, and more. Pickled quail's egg Gibson? A yuzu bee's knees? What about a corn tea mai tai? The possibilities nearly leap off the shelves if you list a few classic cocktail recipes, open your mind, and get willing to experiment.

Describing a soju-focused cocktail at Han Oak, Hubenak tells us that a combination of vodka, soju, buckwheat, saikyo miso, and lemon ends up "quite toasty and refreshing." Bartenders know, those aren't profiles that many other spirits can muster.

In the past, I've been lucky enough to sip on a low-ABV drink with an entire Melona bar jammed into the body of a pint glass, kimchi-laden Bloody Marys, and even gim seaweed washed martinis. Not only do drinks like these play off of the flavors surrounding soju's homeland, but they'll also lend themselves to the totality of a Korean meal as their flavors intermingle.

For any cocktail wanting a sweet component, simple syrups remain a bartender's best friend; but by just slightly complicating the two-ingredient recipe (sugar and hot water), a trove of potential drink ideations springs forward. Reaching for an array of tea provides the swiftest path to distinctive syrups because, unlike working with juices or fruits, tea syrups possess a longer lifespan, and won't need multi-steps of straining.

Simply steep the tea in hot water like you would while making a normal cup of tea, and while still hot, stir the equal parts of sugar into the hot drink. Korean teas include jujube, barley, lotus root, green, chrysanthemum, and many others. Again, the type of soju you choose will be important here, so read tasting notes closely. Venturing outside of strictly Asian teas can provide elements of your own location's local flavor, and unlimited potential cocktail options by barely adding one extra step. 

While testing your tea syrups, stick to classic cocktails like an old fashioned, spritzes, or gimlets until your toolbelt feels fuller. Keep in mind any other ingredient's traits before meshing two discordant items.

Once you feel comfortable with tea syrups, try infusing sojus with fresh ingredients like lemon, vanilla bean, and herbs instead of relying on pre-flavored, often intensely artificial-tasting sojus. While popular, the pre-dosed sojus with flavors like coffee, grape, peach, etc. can not only increase the sugar content of the beverage but also interfere with your own craftsmanship behind the bar. Infusing soju with non-synthetic items allows you to decide on the intensity of flavoring and gifts you the power of creative control, so you can invent something truly unique. 

Ashlyn Hubenak agrees, "I try to incorporate the flavors I want to achieve with the ingredient itself," they say. "However, I sometimes play with lightly flavored citrus or melon sojus." Does your bestie live for the floral whisper of rosebuds? Infuse a soju with rose just for them. You can use spices for something seasonal instead. 

An easy home project with little impact on your free time, most infusions only take a couple of days to impart the outside ingredient's essence into the liquid in a totally passive way. If you feel up for a marginally more advanced infusion, try fat-washing soju with an oil, or even animal fats for drinks with an extra layer of mouthfeel.

Although flavored sojus remain a rare occurrence in my household, their market popularity far surpasses any aversion. Every brand's depiction of flavor varies, so finding a couple of core bottles to work around and having a plan as you taste your way through a catalog of sojus will set you up for success.

Though the fruit variations populate more shelf space, the coffee sojus (niche) can make for espresso martini recipes and breakfast cocktails alike. Stay mindful about what your base spirit (soju) tastes like to inform how you build your drink. A spritz will lend itself to citrus soju, for example, with soda water to balance and less meticulous measuring.If you happen to own a slushy maker, the flavored bottles can also be a simple solution to frozen drink planning for the summertime, but again, proceed with caution. In contrast, stiffer, spirit-forward cocktails may carry a whiff of something synthetic.

If you, too, have felt the artificial burn of flavored soju, don't let the experience put you off soju in general. Many Korean and Korean-American brands are producing quality, quaffable, bottles you'll enjoy. And if you still yearn for a pre-dosed soju, try Yobo's lineup. The natural infusions use real fruit juice to achieve their luscious taste.

Just because you decided to craft a soju-featured cocktail doesn't mean you have to be monogamous with the spirit — we all saw "Challengers" after all, so why not rally between spirits and use soju to play off of and compliment other alcohols?

Intimidating on paper, Ashlyn Hubenak suggests that since "soju's flavor profile can be fairly neutral and clean to slightly sweet [you should] work with spirits that will uplift or compliment and do not overpower." A heavily peered Scotch or ouzo might not appease soju's delicate nature, look to other subtle spirits to complete your drink.

Hubenak suggests, reposado or añejo tequilas, which "add a nice touch of complexity and citrus if you choose to go the margarita route. Vodka is my go-to if I want to maintain the presence of the soju while boosting the ABV a bit."

Don't look to your added spirit to bring in flavor if your soju contains combatting ones. Hubenak adds that at Han Oak, the program tends to avoid herbaceous gins, anise-forward amaris, and rich spirits like bourbon or brandy. "These highly opinionated flavor profiles can clash with or overpower the soju," they say. Remember, keep the soju the star, but like Destiny's Child, round out the group with supporting players that complement your chosen profile.

Like any bartending expedition, knowing the basics behind the bar counts for more than half the battle. Brush up on classic cocktails, invest in a beginner's bartending book, staples such as bitters, Campari, citrus, and vermouths. Discover the drinks you most enjoy then apply your expertise and preferences to your soju cocktail.

Whatever your taste, conceptualize your intention prior to experimenting. Don't walk in blindly hoping to stumble on a Negroni variation, think of how your Negroni riff will resonate with soju. What modifications can you make to lean into soju's strengths and away from what gin (or any other substituted spirits) might have required. And, consider previous advice as to how those spirits can be employed in less quantity but more impactful union with soju.

"If you're riffing on a cocktail that would typically have vodka or gin," says Ashlyn Hubenak, "reach for something more clean and neutral, or citrusy and lightly herbaceous." One such example might be using a Chamisul soju for Tom Collins. On the flip side, a soju old fashioned might be better served by changing the cocktail's intended spirit, instead. Hubenak recommends an elegant whiskey, like Nikka from the Barrel, which could be married to the Reserve bottle from soju brand West 32, which is aged in American white oak.

Whether or not you decide to whip up a soju cocktail with juice, syrup, infusion, shrub, or beyond, be mindful of fresh, local ingredients. They will buoy any cocktail above the horizon line of ordinary. This is especially true for soju due to the spirit's nuanced nature. Tracking down fresh herbs, fruits, flowers, and even vegetables is worth your time.

What's great about soju is that its clear nature lends itself to inheriting the tones of berries, beets, carrots, and other produce that easily bleed into liquid, lending not only their flavorful undertones but a visual appeal to your cocktails. 

In the summer months, a cornucopia of ingredients will be readily available but during the wintertime look to herbs like rosemary. Sweet potato, apple, or pomegranate can supplement fresh qualities to your drink. Whenever you can, steer away from adding only sodas, which will overpower your drink and cause it to lose definition. If you need slight assistance with your fruit juices, try adding a minimal amount of citric acid to the juices to add both longevity and also intensity to your drinks. It's not cheating to ask for assistance from your cabinet to complete your drink.