Soju has table manners. None of them are difficult, and following them makes the whole meal better.
The basics
- Serve it cold. Straight from the fridge, in the small glasses that come with it.
- Never pour your own. You pour for others; someone pours for you. This is the whole social mechanism — it keeps people paying attention to each other.
- Two hands. When pouring for or receiving from someone older or senior, use both hands, or steady your pouring arm with your free hand.
- Turn away for the first drink. With elders at the table, it is customary to turn your head slightly away as you drink.
- Empty glasses get refilled. If you want to slow down, leave a little in the glass.
The bottle-opening ritual
You will see people give the bottle a sharp twist, then flick the neck with a finger. It came from an era when sediment collected in the neck. It does nothing now. People still do it, and you can too.
Somaek — the beer bomb
Pour beer into a tall glass about two-thirds full, drop or pour in a shot of soju, and drink it in one go. The usual ratio is roughly 3 parts beer to 1 part soju. It tastes lighter than either drink alone, which is exactly the trap.
Pace yourself honestly
Soju is 16–20% ABV and goes down like water alongside food. A 375 ml bottle holds roughly seven small glasses. It is easy to drink far more than you intended because the glasses are small and someone keeps filling them. Eat while you drink, and know your own limit.
Next: what to eat with it