Sojutini

If you believe every Korean drama series then everyone in Korea loves to drink soju. Whether they are young or old, male or female, rich or poor, the alcohol in the green bottle is their poison of choice. It is a strong pungent alcohol that the Koreans say can save their soul from a despicable past. For the Koreans, soju takes them to a high that can’t be reached by any other drugs. It is the magic potion that can instantly heal broken hearts.

Every foreigner would think that every soju in the green bottle are the same but it turns out that there are different brands of soju in the market today. But what really is this alcohol in the green bottle? Connoisseurs dismiss it as low-grade vodka made for desperate drunkards.

The cheap and popular soju is made of 95 percent ethyl alcohol base mixed with water, flavors, and sweeteners. Authentic soju is made from pure vapors via distillation process but

it is quite expensive and comes in a ceramic bottle. The distilled soju or jeungryusik soju vary in tastes and aromas. The diluted alcohol or hiseoksik soju smells and tastes like ethyl alcohol.

In 1995 the revised Liquor Tax law changed the Korean soju production. It allowed the manufacturers to add additives such as oligosaccharide, sugar substitute, and asparagine, amino acid found in animal proteins.

Koreans who are used to drinking soju can distinguish the differences in flavors of various brands of soju. The domestic market usually reflects what type of flavor is more popular in that particular time. The older drinkers prefer the 50 proof Jinro soju, which was first introduced in the 1920s. Nothing much has changed with this brand. The bottle still sports the original logo and toad mascot on its label. But it looks like the end is near for the 80 plus year old brand because consumers now want lower alcohol content and mild taste.

At present one of the bestselling soju brands is Chamiseul, which is the first one to add stevioside to the mix. Stevioside comes from a South American plant and acts as a natural sweetener. The brand was launched in 1998 and it features a milder flavor.

There are several soju brands that cater to the contemporary soju drinkers. They are packaged in bright green medium-sized bottles, 42 proof, and have clean and healthier images. Soju companies state that their sales also depend on their image and concept. New brands come and go. They usually brag about their manufacturing process and the ingredients they added. This is different in the old days when soju was primarily used for medicinal purposes.

Soju production in Korea started in the Goryeo Dynasty when the Persian distilling process arrived in the country via the Chinese Yuan Dynasty and Mongolia. The product was then called araki, a popular Mongolian term. Soju was made from grains and was expensive at that time.

Koreans produced several traditional alcoholic drinks at home until the Joseon Dynasty when the Andong Soju became Korea’s most sought after alcoholic drink. A rice shortage in the country led to the temporary ban of soju production but it was immediately lifted and local distilling returned back to normal.

Soju distilling thrived until it was stopped by the Japanese-controlled government in 1907. It passed a new liquor law that imposed heavy tax on domestic spirits. At that period of time Korean liquors were debarred in favor of whiskey, sake and beer.

When Korea was liberated from Japan, there were a couple of breweries still producing

various alcoholic beverages. It was after the Korean War in the early 1950s when the market was conquered by the inexpensive diluted alcohol.

Then in 1965, the Korean government banned the use of rice for making soju because of the rice shortage in the country. Distilleries tried to use tapioca and sweet potatoes to make the alcohol base then used water and additives to dilute the final product. In 1999 the ban was dropped.

The resulting product sold well in poverty-stricken Korea. In 1973 the government had to merge small breweries into one per province. Because of this move, a brewery had the monopoly of its local market. The strict rules have loosened as time gone by and products can be sold outside the boundaries. But only small quantities can be exported to other provinces. For instance, the Hallasan and C1 brands are distributed exclusively in Jeju Island and Busan but they are found in a bar and restaurant in Seoul.

Jinro is established in 1924 and is still the biggest brand in Korea at present. It has a 55 percent of the local soju market in the country. It exports its alcohol to 50 countries. The remaining 45 percent is shared by the nine other soju makers namely Daesun of Busan, Kumbokju of North Gyeongsang province, Muhak of South Gyeongsang province, Hite of North Gyeongsang province, Bohae of South Jeolla province, Doosan of Gangwon province, Hallasan of Jeju Island, and Sunyang of Chungcheong province.

In the 1990s Jinro introduced a premium brand Chamnamutong Malgeun Sul, which is translated as clean soju aged in Oakwood barrel. This is the company’s attempt to revive the old tradition of making soju. The company also had the Legend brand, with the product made by a Korean master blender.

There were new soju brands, such as Gombawu and Gimsatgat, which cost three to four times higher than regular soju. These were distilled sojus with mild flavor. But by 1999 all high-end soju brands died. This was caused by the economic crisis of 1998 and people didn’t have enough money to spend on expensive soju.

But at present there’s a revival of sorts for high-quality soju. Consumers and manufacturers are now aware of the quality of Korean soju. Stores and restaurants are stocking up on high-end soju. Original distilled soju come in classier bottles and dropped the alcohol content to 17 to 21 percent from the usual 35 to 40 percent.

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