Add These Soju Bottles to Your Bar Now (2024)

Best Overall: Hwayo 41

Region: Korea | ABV: 41% | Tasting Notes: Sweet rice cake, Oil

“Before Hwayo, there wasn’t much pure rice soju other than from very small distilleries,” says Kim. Using local rice and a combination of pot and pressurized stills, Hwayo achieves a traditional soju with a “clean, refined flavor.” Though its higher ABV makes it co*cktail-worthy, Kim suggests sipping it neat or over ice to experience “all the purity of the rice.” Koo finds it “very round” with a clean, sweet vodka-like aroma. “The first note coats your tongue, and the finish lingers because of the sugar,” he says. “It’s what rice cake would taste like in liquid form.”

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Best Budget: Jinro Chamisul Fresh Soju

Region: Korea | ABV: 16.9% | Tasting Notes: Vodka-like, Clean, Muted

There’s a reason that Jinro—the brand that sold 86.3 million cases in 2019—is the world’s biggest liquor brand. “These literally cost like a dollar in Korea,” says Koo. So what’s stopping anyone from drinking it? At less than 17 percent alcohol, it’s “very clean and easy drinking,” he says. “Think of very soft vodka: There’s almost no taste.” Its cost and approachability makes it “perfect for sharing,” Koo notes. “It’s always meant to be consumed while sharing food with a group of people.”

Best for co*cktails: Hemosu Pine Forest

Region: Korea | ABV:40% | Tasting Notes:Herbal, Spicy pine, Aromatic honey

According to Koo, this aromatic soju is produced by distilling spruce and pine needles with the rice, then topping the distillate with a pine needle tea. The result is a soju with a drier, spicier pine finish.

“It’s not gin,” he says, “but it has very herbaceous botanical notes that work really well in a martini.” Koo’s go-to is a 2:1 Hemosu and blanc vermouth formula with a touch of sesame oil as a garnish. Kim agrees that “a pine-infused soju can replace any gin co*cktail because the pine showcases a refreshing juniper-like characteristic.”

Related: The Best co*cktail Shakers, According to Experts

Best for Beginners: Chum Churum

Region: Korea | ABV: 17% | Tasting Notes: Lactic acid, Anise, Soft, Clean

“Any green bottle that’s really, really cold is great for beginners,” says Koo. “But one cool thing about Chum Churum is they use alkaline water.” So when you shake the soju bottle, as per tradition before opening and sharing it, “the softer this one will be,” he says. “When I drink it with my friends, it’s very easy. No one’s going to dislike it.”

Best Flavored: Chum Churum Soon Hari Yogurt Soju

Region: Korea | ABV: 12% | Tasting Notes: Yogurt, Candy, Light, Sweet

Koo recalls that, when he was young, a favorite treat among children was a yogurt drink that came in tiny orange bottles. Once he was drinking age, his friends used to mix that yogurt drink with soju for house parties. “Now there’s this flavored version, and it’s incredible,” he says. “It tastes like candy, and it’s such low proof, I can drink it any day.” Served as a highball with a touch of soda or tonic water, Koo says, “I’m all about it.”

Best American: Tokki

Region: New York | ABV: 33% | Tasting Notes: Mushrooms, Earth, Fruit, Flowers

Tokki is the United States’ first soju, made using only organic sticky rice, reverse-osmosis water, and a Korean-style nuruk for the yeast starter. It is the handiwork of New Yorker Brandon Hill, who earned a degree in artisanal fermentation practices in Seoul. It is closer, says Kim, to a traditional soju than anything in a green bottle. Hill is so dedicated to the art that, word has it, he’s moving the distillery to Korea.

Best Aged: West 32 Reserve

Region: New York | ABV: 32% | Tasting Notes: Citrus, White pepper, Baking spice

Rested for six months in re-used bourbon and rye barrels, this New York-produced bottle gets Thomas Oh, general manager at Chicago’s Perilla, “excited to share the versatility and range that soju can offer.”

Its “light whiskey profile,” “great texture,” and interesting character work well in co*cktails, he says. “It has aromatics of lemon, pear, baking spices; and layers of spice and white pepper on the palate,” notes Oh, but it finishes “smooth and clean.”

Related: The Best Flavored Vodkas

Best Innovative: Yobo Soju

Region: New York | ABV: 23% | Tasting Notes: Crisp, clean, grape fruitiness

Named after a Korean endearment (like “honey” or “sweetheart”), this unique soju, says Chun, is “quite interesting.” Produced in New York’s Finger Lakes region using local wine grapes, it’s technically a brandy, “but since there is no regulation on soju here, they can call it soju,” says Chun. Declaring it “very clean but with grape fruitiness coming through,” Chun says it’s “great for any fruit-based co*cktail, though it’s easy to drink mixed with soda, too.”

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