For those who can stomach it, drinking soju neat is an authentic Korean experience. Experiencing the Korean ritual of sharing bottles of soju is something altogether different to what you might have experienced before. But it’s not all about the experience, it’s also about how alcohol affects your body. If you’re not used to drinking, having shot after shot of soju can hit you pretty hard. But just how much soju does it take to get drunk? Read on to find out…
How many shots of soju does it take to get drunk?
Based on the standard Korean shot glass size of 50 milliliters (ml), it is likely to take in the region of 7 shots to start getting tipsy.
By the time you’ve got up to the region of 14 shots, most people will be fully drunk.
Then the more you drink after that, unsurprisingly, the more drunk you will get.
Once you’ve got to 21 shots or more, the usual issues that arise from a heavy night on the tiles, like slurred speech and trouble walking, are likely to start manifesting themselves.
However, there’s an important caveat. This number will differ from person to person. Factors such as your gender, height, weight, metabolism, and food and drink intake prior to and during drinking will all affect how quickly you get drunk.
Of course, the alcohol percentage of the soju that you’re drinking will also affect this. Flavored soju, and ‘Fresh’ varieties of soju, is generally less alcoholic than standard soju, so you will need to drink more shots of this to get drunk.
How many bottles of soju does it take to get drunk?
It will take one bottle to have a light buzz; after two bottles you’ll be merry. Once you’ve downed three bottles or more, you may well be struggling to focus your vision properly. Four? You might be on the floor.
The standard size of a bottle of soju is 350 ml. We’ve used that as our basis here. But, of course, other bottle sizes are available. So you might have to do a little bit of maths if you have larger bottles available in your local bar or liquor store. (It’s probably worth doing that before you start drinking.)
Soju is also classically drunk with friends, sharing the bottles around. It might be difficult to track exactly how many bottles you’ve drunk if that’s the case for you.
How many shots of soju are recommended to drink?
The Korean Medical Association recommends that men drink a maximum of three to four shots of soju per day. For women, the number is lower at two to three shots of soju per day.
They also recommend that you drink “slowly and moderately over a period of 2-3 hours, with water and/or food”. If you’re drinking soju like most people, it’s unlikely that you’re only going to have one shot an hour.
But that’s the medical recommendation. Do what you will with that information…
Does soju make you drunk?
Yes – soju can make you drunk. It is an alcoholic drink, so if you drink enough of it or past your limits, of course it can make you drunk!
Because it’s got an average alcohol by volume of around 20%, and is typically drunk in shots, the sheer quantity you might get through in one sitting means it’s likely to get you drunk relatively quickly.
Of course, if you’re drinking it in other ways, such as in cocktails, you’re likely to drink it slower and so not get drunk quite as quickly. Some of the most popular ways to drink soju in cocktails include mixing it with beer; Yakult; and Coke. If you click on each of those words, you can read more about each type of cocktail.
Depending on how you mix the cocktail, you’ll get drunk slower or faster. How quickly you get drunk from cocktails will depend on how much soju you put in the drink compared to the amount of mixer. Clearly somaek, the cocktail made with beer, will be more alcoholic than the others!
Conclusion
In conclusion, while there’s some debate about how much soju it takes to get drunk, the consensus is that it’s best to stop at three bottles in one session. Any more than that and you’re likely to be struggling – not to mention ending up with a massive hangover!
But don’t forget, the end result can be affected by the body type of the person drinking it. Lighter people are more likely to get drunk off less soju than heavier people. This will also vary by the strength of the soju that you are drinking, as well as your metabolism, and what you have eaten before and during your soju session.