Tōkki Soju: The Ultimate Bottle Guide

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In the world of Korean soju, the green bottle has always reigned supreme. And while it may be the most recognizable, there is more, and better, out there. That's where Tōkki Soju comes in: founded in 2016, Tōkki (pronounced toe-key), is a New York City-born spirit, but has all the markings of a traditional Korean soju, from the ingredients and production to how it's best enjoyed.

A distilled spirit typically made from grains such as barley, rice, or wheat, soju is a spirit on the rise. According to a report from market research firm Datassential, soju is found on 0.9% of menus in the United States, which is up 31% over the last four years. While this may seem like small potatoes overall, brands like Tōkki are helping to bring soju to the mainstream, introducing a unique and flavorful spirit to the masses.

To learn a bit more about Tōkki, we spoke with the company's founder, Brandon Hill. We covered some of the history of soju, as well as what makes Tōkki a special and worthwhile spirit. In addition to tasting notes, we've got some information to help you determine if Tōkki deserves a spot on your home bar, or if you'll be ordering it next time it pops up on a cocktail or restaurant menu.

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer and distributor.

Korea has a long, rich history of making soju from rice, dating back to the 13th century. But it really starts with the name, which comes with its own set of complex origins. In the book "Soju: A Global History" by Hyunhee Park, Park goes into the origins of the name soju. In Korean, it uses the same Chinese characters as the Chinese liquor shaojiu, and is very similar to the characters used in shochu, a Japanese distilled liquor. According to Park, "The existence in East Asia of three variations of a traditional liquor of similar make, all bearing the same written name, suggests a shared origin in cross-cultural exchange."

Additionally, people in Korea, China, and Japan have frequently referred to soju as arak, a type of distilled alcohol common in the Middle East and Mediterranean. According to Park, exploring the origins of soju means traveling outside the confines of the Asian continent, as the production and technology used can be seen throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia at one time or another. While soju is inherently a Korean-made spirit, its story is far-reaching, showing how different cultures and societies benefited from sharing this "cultural object," as Park refers to it.

Tōkki is doing its own work to be a cross-cultural product by staying true to Korean production standards. And while soju is unique on the global stage, Tōkki seems designed to appeal to Western spirits standards as well.

It can be easy to write soju off as a spirit that looks and acts like sake or vodka — it is commonly referred to as Korean vodka after all. That may be true for a lot of the commercial soju on the market today, Tōkki isn't a standard commercial soju. It is meticulously handcrafted without any artificial sweeteners or flavoring agents, giving it a clean, fresh flavor that amplifies the taste of the rice without being overly sugary or synthetic tasting.

Starting with the White Label, the flavor is light and crisp, with notes of vanilla and lightly toasted nuts. The mouthfeel is light and a little creamy, with a smooth finish. Stepping up a few notches to the Black Label is when the flavor really starts to change. Laced with heavier notes of vanilla, nutmeg, and molasses, and with a richer mouthfeel, there's also a distinct fiery pepper note that comes in sharply and lingers for a while.

The Gold Label shows off barrel-aging with a deeply complex and unctuous flavor, rich with notes of caramel, butterscotch, dark chocolate, and gently charred oak. With the Garnet Label, which is aged in oak barrels and finished in sherry casks, flavors of dried cranberries and cherries, ripe peach, and toasted pecan combines for a smooth, full-bodied spirit.

Because each Tōkki soju varietal has a different ABV level, each one is designed to be enjoyed in its particular way. Starting with the White Label at 23% ABV, Brandon Hill recommends pairing it with food or simply drinking it neat from a shot glass, either slightly chilled or at room temperature. For food pairings, reach for more savory items, like a salty bar snack mix or a crisp and juicy Korean fried chicken, allowing the sweet and mellow flavor profile to tone down each rich and salty bite. 

For a slightly higher ABV, Tōkki Soju Black Label can replace rum or vodka in classic cocktail favorites, such as a mojito or a classic vodka martini. At The Portrait Bar in the Flatiron neighborhood of Manhattan, Tōkki Black Label is used in a cocktail called the Mapo District, a Seoul-inspired cocktail. Made with Tōkki, sesame-oil washed Laphroaig, cucumber, lemon, and pineapple-vanilla cordial, the soju lends rich, full-bodied notes of vanilla and sweet rice pudding to balance the cocktail's smoky, nutty flavors.

Moving up to the barrel-aged varietals, Gold and Garnet, Hill suggests treating these more like a whiskey than a traditional soju. Enjoy them neat or with an ice cube like you would your go-to whiskey of choice. Or, mix them into a whiskey cocktail that highlights the spirit and its sweeter, more fruit-forward flavor characteristics, like a whiskey highball or a Manhattan.

To get the best possible understanding of Tōkki Soju in the larger soju market, it's helpful to put it up against another soju made in New York City, West 32. Crafted without any chemical sweeteners or artificial additives, West 32 is available in two varieties: Original and Reserve. 

Both West 32 options, similar to Tōkki's portfolio, are carbon filtered, however, the Original is bottled at 19.9% ABV, considerably lower than Tōkki White or Black Labels. The West 32 Reserve, like Tōkki Gold and Garnet, is barrel-aged, but again, bottled at a lower 32% ABV, as opposed to Gold and Garnet's 46%. Flavor in mind, West 32 has a more subtle, muted taste; Tōkki is far bolder.

Another noticeable difference between these two brands is the price point. The White Label Tōkki is approximately $30 a bottle, West 32 sits at a far lower price point at only $16. Similarly, the Reserve costs about $20, while the barrel-aged options from Tōkki go as high as $60.

Ultimately, the difference between these two brands comes down to how you drink them. West 32 is approachable and well-suited as a swap in for vodka-based cocktails or in the traditional Somaek cocktail, made with soju and beer. Tōkki, however, is a more sophisticated and versatile option, ideally meant to be enjoyed neat, but also as a savvy spirit upgrade in any number of classic cocktails.

Fermentation is a crucial part of alcohol production; it's the process by which yeast is used to convert sugar into alcohol, turning your grape juice into a fine wine. The fermentation step is just one of the ways Tōkki is sticking to traditional Korean techniques for soju production by using nuruk, an enzyme unique to Korea, during its soju fermentation. According to Makgeolli Lab, nuruk is one of the most important elements of Korean alcohol production, especially when it comes to soju. The enzyme comes from mold and yeast that grows from crushed wheat.

Nuruk is a necessary ingredient in soju production, especially for Tōkki, but it's not the only. According to Makgeolli Lab, ipguk is another widely used enzyme used in soju production. Nuruk is the more traditional of the two but often is perceived as having less consistent of a result comparatively. Nuruk can be made from different grain sources, providing different flavor notes depending on how it's made, which helps Tōkki maintain its distinct fermentation profile.