Inside the buzz around South Korea's premium soju

'K-소주'에 취하는 세계인… 한국산 고급 증류식 소주 시대가 열린다

One of the best-known alcohol products of South Korea, soju is steadily making a bigger name for itself, not just here, but in overseas markets.
This time, the focus is on, a more expensive type of the drink, set to hit the global market.
Our Lee Soo-jin takes us inside a local distillery to find out why.

The buzz is in the bottle, and at this local distillery, it's a "distilled" soju buzz.

"From France’s champagne to Mexico’s tequila, there are countries that have signature alcohol products.
For South Korea it's soju, which has been making a name for itself worldwide."

The value of soju exports surpassed the 100 million U.S. dollar mark for the first time in 10 years in 2023.

But what's behind its growing global popularity?

"I think it was K-dramas. I feel like it's really good and they have different flavors as well."

"I had heard a lot about it through word of mouth like my friend that I'm here with and my sister who are very into the Korean culture."

There are two main methods for producing soju, one that makes "distilled soju," considered to be a more traditional variety, and the other is "diluted soju," which is more commercially available in the famous green-tinted bottles.
But local companies believe that it's the lesser-known distilled soju that'll drive exports in the future,.. because of its higher quality.

"We're currently exporting to 25 different countries and planning to focus on expanding these because we believe that demand for premium distilled alcohol will continue growing."

One of the reasons causing the difference in quality is the type of raw ingredients that are used.

Diluted soju is often made from imported tapioca which is cheaper than distilled soju's locally-produced rice that's steamed under pressure, before undergoing two rounds of fermentation.

And once the fermentation processes are completed, the distillation process is carried out, just once for distilled soju.
On the other hand, diluted soju is made from a concentrate that has been distilled several times to increase the alcohol content.

While higher alcohol content means that more soju can be produced from the concentrate, the numerous distillations cause it to lose its natural flavor, making the addition of artificial sweeteners necessary, unlike distilled soju.

And here the quality is further enhanced by preserving the soju in traditional earthenwares for three months to maximize the flavor.

With local distilleries like this targeting consumer behavior that's shifting to rank quality above price, distilled soju and its traditional processing methods are expected to get more recognition worldwide.
Lee Soo-jin, Arirang News.

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2024-05-21, 18:00 (KST)

Видео Inside the buzz around South Korea's premium soju канала Arirang News