18 Best Soju Brands, Ranked

Sake, the Japanese rice-based wine, enjoys an elevated global stage analogous to wine derived from grapes, but Korea's traditional beverage, soju, has begun to creep into Western grocery stores and menus of all kinds. Though an array of subtle differences demarcate the two, clear beverages, soju oftentimes is flippantly referred to as "the sake of Korea" instead of having its own moment to shine.

Though both drinks are made from rice, soju oftentimes includes other grains, botanicals, and even starches, resulting in s sweeter taste and higher alcohol content, notes Vinepair. With many popular Korean pieces of media entering the Western mainstream, like "Squid Games," BTS, and the influx of K-dramas on Netflix, it's not surprising that mainstream culture's curiosity regarding the country's food and beverage is beginning to be stoked as well. Far more dimensional than the Korean BBQ the country is known for in America, Korean cuisine contains multitudes of micro-cultures depending on region, interpretation, and venue. And to drink alongside each of these meals and occasions is a clear, clean, crisp soju also meant for every circumstance. Ranging from being meant to drink while casually out on the town, to swig while making your way through a feast, savoring while sipping gently, and shaking into an original cocktail, soju, like every other spirit, deserves the stage and consideration of the major player in the beverage world it has become in the last 10 years.

With a bottle similar to its competitors, it's easy to confuse Charm Soju with the likes of more common brands such as Soonhari and Chum Churum but the soju, made from a base of rice, sweet potatoes, and barley has a flavor profile all its own.

Both reminiscent of nougat and acorn, Charm soju carries a thicker, creamier mouthfeel that can stand up to some of the spicy dishes Korean cuisine is known for, as well as a smoothness handy for cocktails most commonly made with vodka like cosmos, and flavored martinis. A far cry from the luxury soju's we've seen crop up in the last ten years, Charm still holds a place in a grocery store aisle all its own for its uniqueness and candied, rice-milk texture. But like a lot of entry-level brands, it leans too heavily on its flavor infusions as opposed to honing in on its base flavor, leaving us with a bottle we like for casual parties but not one we look to for special occasions.

Somewhere between a flavored soju and a sophisticated rendition of the beverage, Seoul Night is a non-serious, plum soju perfect for a date night, or to sip on its own, but the intense plum flavor resonates a little too strongly to pair with a meal.

The floral, flirty taste is dry on the palette and works for a soju novice's first steps into higher-end bottles without breaking the bank on polarizing flavors. Made from golden maesil plums and double distilled cold, notes Flask & Field, Seoul Night is the newcomer with a gentle lift of flavor and reminds us of the White Claw and the boozy seltzer movement. It's light, inoffensive, low in calories, and it's easy to swig an entire bottle without realizing it. Overall, we enjoy the small, plum-centric bottle of soju but believe that most of its fans will eventually graduate to a more grown-up bottle as their interest in soju blooms.

Another relative newcomer to the soju scene is Germany's Isae Soju, the country's first and only soju manufacturer. Made from winter wheat and organic rice, Isae rejects the notion of flavor additives and other unnecessary agents in its soju. Meaning "second generation," Isae Soju represents one family's immigration to Germany in the 1960s and traces its legacy to today, where the founder produces the only traditional Korean soju crafted in the country.

Akin to the global acknowledgment of the natural wine movement, Isae shies away from artificial sweeteners or industrial additives intended to lure drinker's in with an agreeable flavor, but later leave them with a headache. We're pulling for Isae's expansion to the U.S. market, but due to Isae's small batch nature, it's difficult to track down Isae Soju stateside, but the newcomer shows promise and could be one of our go-to bottles in the coming years.

Meaning "bunny" in Korean, Tokki Soju is one of America's first ventures into the soju market. After learning to make soju in 2011, native New Yorker Brandon Cook returned stateside to hone his craft and released the first bottle of Tokki Soju in 2016. Hill's background in both rum and whiskey distilling informs his palette when creating this elegant soju label found in many upscale Korean restaurants and bars in New York and Brooklyn, where Tokki operations call home.

Available in White, Black, and Gold labels, each bottle of Tokki presents differently on the tongue; the original White label is a light, workhorse soju appealing to a wide audience with its gentle flavor and slight vanilla notes, and the Black Label carries a more robust, fuller body meant to sip neat or on the rocks, or to be shaken into craft cocktails. But Tokki's Gold Label, intended to appeal to serious whiskey drinkers, is the crown jewel; barrel-aged, golden brown in color, and 46% ABV, the Gold Label liquid owns dark cherry and chocolate notes but finishes clean with airy eucalyptus notes.

Fully embracing soju's traditional methods, and without the inclusion of flavors or gimmicks, Pungjeon Sagye Winter Soju is an aromatic alternative to the oftentimes intentionally meek beverage. Against the grain when compared to most sojus, Pungjeon Sagye Winter Soju strives for a personality all its own and isn't over-reliant on multiple filtrations or the inclusions of sugars or flavors to create a soju that sings. Unobtrusive and giving toward almost meal, Pungjeon Sagye Winter Soju compliments the flavors it's served alongside-whether in a cocktail or paired with food.

Using a nuruk (a Korean fermentation starter) that includes mung bean (prevalent in Korean cuisine), called Hyang on Gok, Pungjeong Sagye Winter Soju strives for complex, dimensional flavors as well as soju's signature clean tasting notes. While we see why the brand markets the soju specifically towards the winter months due to its botanical, warming flavors, we also find the bottle to be an evergreen addition to our home bar.

Americans aren't the only Westerners embracing soju's charms; Australia now produces its own bottle of soju, Hoju (meaning "Aussie") soju using proprietary ingredients found in the brand's native Australia.  A far cry from Korean-produced sojus, Hoju mounts the neutral spirit from an entirely different perspective and uses a widespread, but proprietary, a combination of Australian crops to create this hybrid bottle. Caught between Australian terrain, Korean culture, and contemporary marketing, Hoju emerges as a hip, thoughtful bottle of soju, if not a little on the nose.

The brand only makes the one, unflavored product meant to be enjoyed on the rocks and in cocktails, and can cost upward of $50 a bottle, which is steep for a product known for its affordability. However, its uniqueness in the market makes it a curiosity worth sipping if you encounter it in the wild. We look forward to Hoju's growth internationally and remain curious to uncover the brand's base-spirit recipe.

Once a soju solely found in Busan Korea, its popularity persisted until the refreshing bottle of soju can now be found in the United States. Like most sojus, Daesun claims its clear-beverage is both fresh and smooth, but what Daesun alone seems to add to its soju is a sweetener called thaumatin, notes Drizzly.

Derived from katemfe fruits, the low-calorie, natural sweetener acts to counterbalance any bitter notes the soju's base grain might present and clears away a sweet, vivid path for Daesun's soju to fall on the tongue. Not for sipping on its own or to be enjoyed with a meal, Daesun is intended as a lux alternative to drinking in groups and in mixed drinks. The brand also includes a "far infrared rays" aging process in its distillation methods Daesun claims to enhance the chemical connections between water and alcohol particles, again leaving the final product with a crisper taste.

Somewhat of an unofficial king of the soju market, Korea's Jinro (established in 1924) has remained the best-selling spirit brand worldwide, according to Vinepair, since 2002, and the Jinro name alone resonates and is synonymous with the rice spirit. The soju giant produces a handful of flavored soju products, including grapefruit, grape, strawberry, and plum, but it's the line of pure sojus that share space in our wine rack.

Distilled entirely from rice grain, Jinro's Chamisul or "dew" remains the brand's flagship bottle, followed by Chamisul Fresh, which includes bamboo in its distillate process for a cleaner mouthfeel. Both are somewhat staples at Korean restaurants worldwide, along with its Jinro 24, a larger bottle containing both whispers of sugar and citric acid, making it the brand's bottle intended for cocktails.

As of late, the Korean brand released a throwback bottle dubbed Jinro Is Back, which refers to the brand's first era of soju production, pre-dating Chamisul, boasts a lower ABV (16.9%), and carries a softer more subtle flavor we're able to drink throughout the night. Still, the brand's premium bottle, Jinro's Ilpoom (clocking in at 24% ABV) undergoes an extra distillation process where impurities are frozen and filtered away, leaving drinkers with a smoother, crisper, whiskey-like product we consider Jinro's very best.

Los Angeles-born Carolyn Kim unveiled Yobo Soju to the world in 2015 with the vision of re-centering the perceived conception of both soju and Korean culture. A Korean American herself, Kim struck out to rebuff "traditional" methods of soju making and chose to produce soju entirely from local grapes surrounding Northern California as opposed to rice and other grains more commonly found in the clear spirit.

The result, as reflected in Yobo's elegant bottle, is a bright, light, uplifting spirit, free of any sour, clingy aftertastes, and makes essential pairing not just for Korean food but also light meals of crudos, salads, and any other bites as finely honed as  Ms. Kim's exemplary sojus. Meaning something akin to "darling" or "sweetheart," Yobo soju might be the only essential American soju for an adult bar cart we've tasted; disarmingly cool, effortlessly chic, and undeniably sippable, Yobo Soju represents the valedictorian of soju's newest class.