From mass-market to artisanal: These makers are reclaiming the soul of Korean soju

For decades, soju has been known as Korea’s cheapest drink; ubiquitous, industrial and almost invisible in its character. Walk down any street in Seoul and you’ll find it: rows of bright green bottles stacked in restaurant fridges, recycled in alley bins, or clinking in baskets under metal tables.

At just under S$2 (US$1.55) per bottle (an average 360ml bottle at a major supermarket costs about 1,400 won or S$1.30), soju represents one of the most consumed spirits in the world. Jinro Soju has topped Drinks International’s annual list of best-selling global spirits for years, notching up sales of 65 million 9-litre cases in the 2013 list.

Soju, Korea’s national drink, is everywhere, and yet, in the ways that matter, it is often unseen. For most, soju is a social lubricant, a symbol of release – not a beverage that is typically savoured. It’s functional and affordable, taken in shots rather than sips.

The clear drink is often miscategorised – not quite a wine nor spirit, as its cheapness has come to define it. But historically, soju was seasonal and ceremonial, brewed slowly with three ingredients – rice, water and nuruk (traditional Korean fermentation starter) – and aged with intention, and rooted in place.

So, behind the fluorescent hum of the convenience store lies a quieter story, one that predates mass production and marketing budgets. In kitchens, cellars and purpose-built distilleries, a handful of makers are returning to soju’s origins. Not by rebranding it for a luxury audience or mimicking Western spirits, but by refusing to let its true form die out.

Among them are two very different producers – Sulsaem, a modern distillery committed to reviving traditional methods, and Samhae Soju, the sole inheritor of a spirit once revered in the Joseon Dynasty. Their paths are distinct – one born from contemporary rediscovery, the other from legacy – but their philosophies are surprisingly aligned. In a market driven by speed, scale and sameness, both brands have chosen to anchor their work in memory, method and meaning.

THE RETURN TO INTENTION