What does soju taste like?
Soju tastes clean, smooth and slightly sweet, like a watered-down vodka with a soft, almost sugary edge, and the flavored versions taste like fruit candy.
Soju
clean, smooth, slightly sweet
Soju is Korea's most popular drink, a clear spirit usually sold in green bottles at around 13 to 17% alcohol, so it's less than half as strong as vodka. Most mass-market soju is neutral spirit (from grains, sweet potato or tapioca) diluted and lightly sweetened, which is why it goes down so easily. It has a faint alcohol bite but very little flavor of its own. Flavored sojus, like grape, peach, green apple and yogurt, taste like candy and hide the alcohol even better. Traditional distilled soju is stronger and more complex, but rarer here.
Where you’ll see it
By the bottle at Korean restaurants and barbecue spots, poured into small shot glasses for the table. Also in somaek (soju mixed into beer), soju cocktails and slushies.
Order it if you want something light and easy to share at Korean barbecue, without a strong spirit taste.
Quick questions
- Is soju stronger than sake?
- About the same. Standard green-bottle soju is around 13 to 17% and most sake is about 15 to 16%. Traditional distilled soju can be much stronger.
- Does soju taste like vodka?
- Like a softer version of it. Soju is lower in alcohol and slightly sweet, so it's smoother and less harsh than vodka.