Soju

Soju (Hangul: 소주; hanja: 燒酒) is a distilled beverage containing ethanol and water. It is usually consumed neat.

Considered "Korea's most popular alcoholic beverage" in 2014 Jinro soju was the largest selling alcohol in the world with sales of 71 million cases world wide. Most brands of soju are made in South Korea. While it is traditionally made from rice, wheat, or barley, modern producers often replace rice with other starches such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, or tapioca.

Soju is clear and colorless. Its alcohol content varies from about 16.7% to 45% alcohol by volume (ABV) for traditional Andong soju, with 20% ABV being most common. However, by using freeze distillation, ABV can be increased to the desired percentage. There are two different ways to produce soju: the classic way of distilling soju that uses the single distillation method, and the modern way of diluted soju that uses the chain distillation method. Distilled soju usually has a higher ABV of 30–35% than diluted soju with ABV of 21–30%, and therefore a stronger smell. Its popularity is in part due to its relatively low price in Korea: A typical 375 mL bottle of soju costs the consumer 1,000 to 3,000 South Korean won. Soju is exported to 80 countries and is in the top market share of diluted alcohol market. Statistically, soju ranked number one in world sale records of the diluted alcohol market in 2002.