Comments on: New Feature: Drink of the Month - Soju http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/ Musings on Starters, Mains, Desserts and Second-Helpings... Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:24:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Marc @ NoRecipes http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-906 Marc @ NoRecipes Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:23:18 +0000 http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-906 I got married in Korea last year (I'm not Korean), and as you can imagine there was lots of celebratory Soju. It goes really well with salty/spicy things and there are a ton of "bars" that serve Soju with Anju or small plates of things such as fried chicken (if you've never tried korea fried chicken, it's indescribably good), squid with gochujang (hot sauce), and odeng (fish cakes cooked in broth). The trendy clubs also do fruit Soju's that are basically Soju mixed with fruit juice (warning: this makes it so drinkable, you'll be passed out before you know what hit you). I got married in Korea last year (I’m not Korean), and as you can imagine there was lots of celebratory Soju. It goes really well with salty/spicy things and there are a ton of “bars” that serve Soju with Anju or small plates of things such as fried chicken (if you’ve never tried korea fried chicken, it’s indescribably good), squid with gochujang (hot sauce), and odeng (fish cakes cooked in broth). The trendy clubs also do fruit Soju’s that are basically Soju mixed with fruit juice (warning: this makes it so drinkable, you’ll be passed out before you know what hit you).

]]> By: White On Rice Couple http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-901 White On Rice Couple Sun, 06 Apr 2008 13:39:34 +0000 http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-901 Yes!! You write about soju! This is a great ode to a fabulous spirit! We've got so much soju right now, it's pretty crazy. You guys really gotta come down and help us drink it all. We've have an extensive collection of soju cocktails and unfortunately, drink faster than we can post about them. One of our favorites is a grapefruit soju cocktail, yum! Yes!! You write about soju! This is a great ode to a fabulous spirit!
We’ve got so much soju right now, it’s pretty crazy. You guys really gotta come down and help us drink it all.
We’ve have an extensive collection of soju cocktails and unfortunately, drink faster than we can post about them. One of our favorites is a grapefruit soju cocktail, yum!

]]> By: Annemarie http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-893 Annemarie Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:11:50 +0000 http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-893 Ah, shochu. My first glass was such a revelation. Whenever I come home to visit NYC, I always head out to a little Japanese shochu bar with my brother and spend hours working through their offerings. Good times, good times. Ah, shochu. My first glass was such a revelation. Whenever I come home to visit NYC, I always head out to a little Japanese shochu bar with my brother and spend hours working through their offerings. Good times, good times.

]]> By: Brian http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-888 Brian Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:09:01 +0000 http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-888 Koreans get loud frequently. Thankfully it's easy to tune out when 9 words out of 10 sound like gibberish to my ears. Back to the Soju: I haven't seen any of it here over 20%, but the word on the street and among the foreigners is that North Korean soju is typically around 40%, and brought back by people who are willing to shell out around $400 to tour the hermit Kingdom. When you get a physical here, they ask you to measure your alcohol consumption in bottles of soju per week or drinking session. Not only is it sold in 350 mL bottles, at actual grocery stores you can pick up a 5L bottle for around $15. That is more for the purposes of alcoholism than any taste preference. It is sometimes mixed with mekju, or cheap Korean beer. The combination is called So-mek. While I am certain there is good soju, I haven't had any, nor do I have any indication that the $3 bottle is significantly better than the cheap one. Drinking in any form appears to be the Korean national sport, and they all seem to be very, very bad at it. That's about all I know about it, so enjoy it if you can get it. Koreans get loud frequently. Thankfully it’s easy to tune out when 9 words out of 10 sound like gibberish to my ears. Back to the Soju: I haven’t seen any of it here over 20%, but the word on the street and among the foreigners is that North Korean soju is typically around 40%, and brought back by people who are willing to shell out around $400 to tour the hermit Kingdom. When you get a physical here, they ask you to measure your alcohol consumption in bottles of soju per week or drinking session. Not only is it sold in 350 mL bottles, at actual grocery stores you can pick up a 5L bottle for around $15. That is more for the purposes of alcoholism than any taste preference. It is sometimes mixed with mekju, or cheap Korean beer. The combination is called So-mek. While I am certain there is good soju, I haven’t had any, nor do I have any indication that the $3 bottle is significantly better than the cheap one. Drinking in any form appears to be the Korean national sport, and they all seem to be very, very bad at it.

That’s about all I know about it, so enjoy it if you can get it.

]]> By: admin http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-884 admin Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:24:53 +0000 http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-884 Rita and Courtney - go for it and let us know what you thought (but make sure you check Brian's Comment #5 first!). Peter - Great questions. You'd think we would've thought about that first being a food blog, huh? I think you will have to be given a shout-out for next month's DOTM if we add those things. Thanks for the suggestion and I'll have to get back to you on those answers. This weeks been an absolute biotch work-wise... but I"m on it this w/e. Brian - SO great to hear from you. We love when people who actually live within the culture we're writing about comment. I would absolutely imagine there being cheap-ass soju to buy (that is dangerous) just like any other liquor here! but I guess it's like bums drinking 40's? (40-oz malt liquor) But I also can tell you, after splitting 2 bottles with my husband and eating a S&ITLOAD of korean food, I was kind of feeling drunk. I can't imagine how it would feel to have a 'night out' with soju. I could die. Although, I do remember a table of very, very loud koreans with about 10 bottles of soju on their tables that night at the restaurant. They seemed like they were having a blast (could've been early into their soju-drinking!). We hope you stop by again. amy Rita and Courtney - go for it and let us know what you thought (but make sure you check Brian’s Comment #5 first!).

Peter - Great questions. You’d think we would’ve thought about that first being a food blog, huh? I think you will have to be given a shout-out for next month’s DOTM if we add those things. Thanks for the suggestion and I’ll have to get back to you on those answers. This weeks been an absolute biotch work-wise… but I”m on it this w/e.

Brian - SO great to hear from you. We love when people who actually live within the culture we’re writing about comment. I would absolutely imagine there being cheap-ass soju to buy (that is dangerous) just like any other liquor here! but I guess it’s like bums drinking 40’s? (40-oz malt liquor) But I also can tell you, after splitting 2 bottles with my husband and eating a S&ITLOAD of korean food, I was kind of feeling drunk. I can’t imagine how it would feel to have a ‘night out’ with soju. I could die. Although, I do remember a table of very, very loud koreans with about 10 bottles of soju on their tables that night at the restaurant. They seemed like they were having a blast (could’ve been early into their soju-drinking!). We hope you stop by again.

amy

]]> By: Brian http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-883 Brian Fri, 04 Apr 2008 04:14:25 +0000 http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-883 Just a warning from a foreigner living in Korea, Soju tends to vary here between 1000-3000 Won per bottle here, (~$1-3) so it can cost less by ABV that most gas station bum wines like Thunderbird. Also, Soju mixed with any other kind of alcohol can produce one of the worst hangovers you've ever had. Take it slowly and don't let it sneak up on you. It can turn a great night into a terrible one. Also: Koreans tend to get completely destroyed on the stuff and make an ass of themselves on the street. Just a warning from a foreigner living in Korea, Soju tends to vary here between 1000-3000 Won per bottle here, (~$1-3) so it can cost less by ABV that most gas station bum wines like Thunderbird. Also, Soju mixed with any other kind of alcohol can produce one of the worst hangovers you’ve ever had. Take it slowly and don’t let it sneak up on you. It can turn a great night into a terrible one. Also: Koreans tend to get completely destroyed on the stuff and make an ass of themselves on the street.

]]> By: Kevin http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-882 Kevin Fri, 04 Apr 2008 01:04:50 +0000 http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-882 I have been wanting to try soju for a while now. I keep seeing it on Korean TV programs. I have been wanting to try soju for a while now. I keep seeing it on Korean TV programs.

]]> By: Peter http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-879 Peter Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:09:09 +0000 http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-879 Thanks for the FYI guys...I've never heard nor tried Soju but now I must. Any cooking uses? Pairings with food? Drink recipes? Thanks for the FYI guys…I’ve never heard nor tried Soju but now I must.

Any cooking uses? Pairings with food? Drink recipes?

]]> By: Rita http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-877 Rita Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:47:34 +0000 http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-877 i have one in my fridge...courtesy of my flatmate hehehe i tried not to get my hands on it tho...afraid tat i might finish it ^_^ i just went to a fab japanese place here in hk recently, there's a loooooong list of different fruit soju...i wanted to try all of em (lucky i didnt) :) i have one in my fridge…courtesy of my flatmate hehehe i tried not to get my hands on it tho…afraid tat i might finish it ^_^

i just went to a fab japanese place here in hk recently, there’s a loooooong list of different fruit soju…i wanted to try all of em (lucky i didnt) :)

]]> By: courtney http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-875 courtney Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:18:58 +0000 http://www.weareneverfull.com/new-feature-drink-of-the-month-soju/#comment-875 I had some a few years back and I liked it. Its on my shopping list . I had some a few years back and I liked it. Its on my shopping list .

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