5 Unique Soju Cocktails That Are Worth A Sip... Or Two
Traditionally, soju is made from rice. Today, it is more commonly made from wheat, sweet potatoes, or tapioca. Like many other types of alcohol, there are countless brands of soju such as Chumchurum, Chamisul, and C1 Blue; however, Jinro is named the best-selling soju brand in Korea. To drink soju, it is poured from a bottle to a smaller glass, but people are beginning to find creative ways to incorporate this popular Korean liquor into their drinks.
This brewery in Los Angeles, California, called Brew Kitchen Bar, continually changes up their soju cocktail drink menu to fit the season. In the summer, they featured a unique strawberry milkshake soju cocktail and blueberry kiwi soju spritzer.
Another fun soju cocktail is watermelon soju. By hollowing out most of the watermelon, you essentially have a bowl for soju. Who doesn’t love an easy clean-up? Most people just pour soju, blended watermelon flesh, and ice straight into the hollow watermelon and call it a day; however, this Hawaiian restaurant takes it even a step further. Chingu Hawaii, located in Honolulu, adds Pop Rocks and Fruity Pebbles to the mix for a fruity and fun surprise.
In addition to a small selection of milk tea drinks, Boba Bear’s location in Koreatown, Los Angeles offers a selection of soju cocktails. Due to the drink’s success at the 626 Night Market, the butterfly lemonade (featuring butterfly tea, lemonade, and soju) has recently made it onto the Ktown location’s menu. Boba Bear also has a couple other locations overseas: one in Seoul, Korea and one in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. While the Hong Kong location does not offer any soju options, the location in Seoul offers refreshing soju slushies where you can customize your drink by mixing up to two of five fruity flavors.
This next soju cocktail is cheap and easy to make. All you need is a bottle of soju, Chilsung cider (or Sprite), and a Melona bar. Melona is a famous ice cream popsicle in Korea. Currently, Melona comes in five flavors: honeydew melon, strawberry, mango, banana, and coconut. Like with any alcoholic beverage, the soju to cider ratio depends on preference; however, to create this soju cocktail, you generally add 60% soju and 40% Chilsung cider (or Sprite) to a cup. Insert a Melona bar of your choice to the cup and allow the bar to melt into the soju and cider. As a result, you get a light, creamy, and refreshing soju cocktail.
Barn Joo 35’s Midtown location in New York, New York offers 5 soju cocktails ranging from combinations of aloe vera and peach to passion fruit with coconut rum and triple sec. The Midtown Forsythia is the Midtown location’s signature soju cocktail, consisting of soju, St. Germaine, lychee juice, orange juice, and a whole lychee. For added decoration and aesthetic, each soju cocktail also comes with their signature ice pop.
When it comes to a versatile liquor such as soju, the flavor combinations are endless. Do you have a favorite or even signature soju cocktail? Let us know if you have any soju cocktail suggestions.
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