South Koreans love their soju (소주), and for good reason. The country is famous for the national drink and boasts a drink culture that is second to none. But how strong is soju?
The popularity of soju in Korea is a result of the drink’s versatility. It is not only a beverage that can be enjoyed on its own, but in a variety of cocktails like somaek and cojinganmek.
But it’s important to know the strength of what you’re drinking if you’re planning a night out. So is soju strong? And if so, how strong is it? Keep reading to learn more!
Is soju strong?
Compared to other types of alcoholic drink, soju is a mid-strength spirit. The average strength of soju is around 20% alcohol by volume (a.b.v.), with flavored soju varieties typically being between 12% and 16%.
Brands marketed as Original are usually between 17% and 20% a.b.v., and Fresh branded soju is standardly at 17%.
This means that it’s less strong than standard spirits that other countries might claim as their national drink, like vodka, rum, and whiskey. However, it’s stronger than lots of other alcohol that you might choose in a bar or restaurant, such as beer, most wines, and alcopops.
The only way to know whether soju is strong is to compare it against other drinks. We’ve got further detail on how soju measures up against a range of popular beverages and spirits below.
However, if you want to read more about soju’s alcohol content, click here to find our article all about it!
Is soju stronger than beer?
Yes, soju is (mostly) stronger than beer. However, there can be some overlap depending on what you’re drinking.
As you can see above, widely available varieties of soju usually come in at a strength of between 12% and 20% a.b.v.. However, more unusually (e.g. in rarer or craft soju) it can be stronger than this.
Beer, on the other hand, is weaker than this. Most commercial beers you find in a bar will clock in between 3.5% and 5.5%.
This is why you tend to drink beer in bottles or pints – whereas with soju, if you drank that much that quickly, you’d probably end up quite unwell.
However, as those of us into craft beer will know, it’s not particularly unusual these days to find stronger craft ales at 12% or even higher. Typically, these will be served in smaller measures such as a third of a pint.
You’ll most likely have to go to a specialist bar to find this though. So if you’re drinking at a standard bar or restaurant, you can be fairly sure that the soju you get there will be stronger than the available beers.
Is soju stronger than vodka?
No, soju isn’t stronger than vodka. Compared to the percentages outlined above, vodka is stronger than soju, as vodka is usually at least 37.5% a.b.v. (75 proof), such as Smirnoff sold in the UK.
But often, vodka is even stronger than that. In the US, bottled vodka must be at least 80 proof, or 40 percent alcohol by volume, by law.
Given this is a minimum, it is often even stronger than this. 40% is also the standard strength for vodka in Russia and other Eastern European countries.
Therefore, unless you have a very unusually strong bottle of soju, it’s almost certain that vodka is stronger than soju.
Is sake or soju stronger?
Generally, soju is stronger than sake. Sake is generally between 15% and 17% a.b.v. according to the Sake Brewers Association.
As we’ve noted in our article on the alcohol content of soju, most regular varieties of Original or Fresh soju are between 17% and 20% a.b.v.. This means that if you are in a liquor store looking at both sake and soju, chances are that the soju will be stronger.
However, as you might have read above, flavored soju is typically weaker, at between 12% to 16%. This means that ordinarily, sake will be stronger than these fruity varieties.
Is soju stronger than tequila?
According to Wikipedia, tequila is normally between 38% and 55% alcohol by volume. Like vodka, it must be at least 40% a.b.v. to be sold in the United States. This means that tequila is stronger than soju.
Is soju stronger than whiskey?
As regular whisky drinkers will know, whisky comes in a wide variety of strengths. The European Union have established that the minimum strength of whiskey is 40% abv.
This applies both to Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey. (Note the extra ‘e’ in the Irish version; my Irish friends get surprisingly animated about this!)
However, cask strength whiskeys are often much stronger, even approaching 70% a.b.v. in some cases. These are generally diluted with water by the drinker, rather than regular bottled whiskies which are diluted by the distillery.
This means that whiskey is stronger than soju – and in some cases, much, much stronger!
Is soju stronger than Red Horse?
Readers outside of the Philippines might not be familiar with Red Horse. Its brewers, San Miguel, describe it as an “extra strong beer with an extra strong kick”.
This is confirmed by its alcohol by volume, which at 6.9% makes it stronger than most beers you would find on draft in other countries.
So – as we’ve established above – soju is usually stronger than beer, and Red Horse is no exception. Even the weakest flavored soju brands are nearly double its strength, and Jinro and Chamisul Original are over three times as strong.
Conclusion
In conclusion, soju is strong compared to beer and wine, but less so than many spirits. It’s usually around 20% alcohol by volume, but is often less if you choose Fresh or flavored varieties.
However, many countries have minimum strength rules for spirits such as whiskey and vodka. This means they must be at least 40% alcohol by volume, without being considered a different type of spirit (such as schnapps).
This doesn’t apply to soju, meaning that there is a wider variety of strengths on the market, more akin to beer.
1 thought on “Is soju strong? Get the answer here!”
Comments are closed.