Korean soju is trending at the world’s best bars. How a new generation of artisans is taking craft versions of the distilled spirit global

Soju is synonymous with cheap green Jinro bottles, but a surge in demand from some of the World’s 50 Best Bars has led to more production from craft distillers

From artisans whose drink features at bars in Asia and New York to a US importer of K-pop star Jay Park’s brand, we look at those putting craft soju on the map

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Tokki Soju’s Black Label soju is used at some of the World’s 50 Best Bars. As craft versions of the Korean distilled spirit go global, we look at some of the artisans leading the charge. Photo: Tokki Soju

Published: 5:15pm, 9 Mar 2024

When Uno Jang was growing up in South Korea, his go-to drink was the soju bomb – a shot glass of soju dropped into a large beer mug and then chugged.

Now, as creative director of Jigger & Pony in Singapore (14th on the World’s 50 Best Bars list), Jang has updated his old standby.

The Korean Boilermaker is made by mixing hop-infused craft soju with carbonated mineral water, a splash of rye whiskey, pear eau de vie and passion fruit syrup.

The cocktail is served with an L-shaped cocktail stir that raises and lowers a large, rectangular ice cube to produce the frothy head of a freshly drawn beer. It’s one of the most popular drinks on Jigger & Pony’s menu.

Uno Jang, creative director of Singapore bar Jigger & Pony. Photo: Instagram/@jiggerandponysg

Soju is experiencing surging demand at top bars and restaurants around the world. The oft-maligned Korean spirit is typically derived from fermented rice but can be made from such other grains as wheat, barley and corn – or starches like sweet potato – and has an average alcohol by volume (ABV) of 20 per cent.

Unlike the most available brands, which have a neutral, grain alcohol taste, finely crafted sojus often have savoury notes like those of mushroom and hazelnut.