Korean Soju Guide for First-Timers: Brands, Etiquette & What to Order

Walk past any bar in Hongdae and you will see them: green bottles on every table. Soju is Korea's national drink — cheap, social and surprisingly easy to love. But standing in front of a menu full of unfamiliar brands, most travelers freeze. This guide covers what soju actually is, which bottle to order first, the etiquette that matters, and the food that makes it shine.

# What exactly is soju?

Soju is a clear distilled spirit, typically 16–20% ABV — about half the strength of vodka. Modern mainstream soju is smooth and faintly sweet, designed to be drunk chilled, neat, in small glasses over food and conversation. A bottle holds about seven shots, which is why Koreans share it across the table.

# The main brands, decoded

• Chamisul Fresh (참이슬) — the best-seller. Clean, crisp, the default choice nationwide.
• Cheoeum Cheoreom (처음처럼) — slightly softer and milder; a smooth alternative.
• Jinro (진로) — the retro revival in a sky-blue bottle with a toad mascot. Light, a little sweet, very Instagram-friendly.
• Saero (새로) — zero-sugar, ultra-clean finish. Popular with younger drinkers and a great first bottle.

Good news: they are all inexpensive. At RAWISM every brand above is 5,000 KRW a bottle — order two different ones and run your own taste test.

# Etiquette: the 3 rules that actually matter

1. Pour for others first. Filling your own glass while ignoring the table is the one real faux pas.
2. Receive with two hands when someone older or senior pours for you.
3. Keep the rhythm gentle. Koreans pace soju with food and talk — it is a marathon, not a race.

Among friends in Hongdae nobody is grading you. Pour for each other, clink glasses, and you have already passed. For the deeper customs — toasts, drinking games, soju-bomb culture — see the Korean drinking culture guide.

# What to eat with soju

Soju's clean profile loves fresh, savory food. The classic pairing is Korean raw beef — seasoned yukhoe or thick-cut mungtige, served cold. The cool, rich beef and the crisp shot reset each other perfectly. It is the pairing Korean drinkers have sworn by for generations.

# Where to try it

RAWISM stocks Chamisul, Cheoeum Cheoreom, Jinro and Saero (all 5,000 KRW) alongside fresh Hanwoo raw beef — a 5-minute walk from Hongik Univ. Station (Hongdae), Exit 3, at 262-4 Donggyo-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Open Tue–Sun, 18:00–23:00. Planning a full evening? See the Hongdae at night guide.