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# Soju, Korea's little-known spirit
- URL: https://jiggerdaily.com/soju-korea-worlds-best-selling-spirit/
- Published: 2025-04-29T12:10:29.000Z
- Updated: 2025-05-13T17:12:39.000Z
- Description: Ever heard of soju? Chances are you haven’t, even though it’s the world’s top-selling spirit. South Koreans knock back hundreds of millions of liters every year, leaving little for export, one reason the drink still flies under the radar elsewhere.
- Author: Laurent Cuvier
- Tags: Spirits

## Several Types of Soju

### Modern Soju

When we talk about soju, we first need to be clear about what we mean. In fact, soju comes in several styles; the most common is modern (or diluted) soju, dominated by the **Jinro** brand.

These bottlings begin with an industrial neutral spirit (think a vodka-style base), often distilled from cassava or sweet potato. After dilution, the spirit is lowered to 16–20% ABV before bottling.

Sweeteners and flavorings have also become commonplace in recent years.

![](https://distilnews.fr/content/images/2025/04/jinro-soju.jpg)

### Traditional Soju

At the other end of the spectrum lies traditional soju, which makes up barely 1% of total sales. Rooted in centuries of tradition, it’s made in a single-run pot still and is usually rice-based. The rice is steamed and then fermented with *nuruk* (an enzymatic starter) that converts starch into sugar and then alcohol. The resulting rice wine (*wonju*) can also be enjoyed after dilution ; at that point, it’s known as *makgeolli*.

Unsurprisingly, traditional soju (much like Japanese *honkaku shochu*) is far more expressive and aromatic than diluted soju.

![](https://distilnews.fr/content/images/2025/04/makgeolli-brewing-class-filtering-wonju.jpg)

## Availability in Europe

In Europe, you’ll sometimes find soju in Asian grocery stores, mostly the mass-produced versions, with [**Jinro**](https://distilnews.fr/soju-jinro-grande-distribution-france/?ref=jiggerdaily.com) out in front.

Tracking down traditional versions is trickier, but the effort is well worth it!

![](https://distilnews.fr/content/images/2025/04/fbelladona-yxjrygrbjsw-unsplash.jpg)

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