Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mike in brasil]

As I�ve never been to Korea and like to hit the sauce, especially distilled alcohol, I was wondering if some of you out there could answer my questions about soju.

What does it taste like?

How does one drink it? Straight? On the rocks? Does it come in dift flavours?

TIA


As of late my favorite drink is rum, ice, lime and some gassy water - mmmm delish!!!

[Seoultrader]

Think of Vodka with sweetener in it and about 22% alc. It's generally consumed straight in somewhat oversized shot glasses, although some bars offer mixes such as Lemon or Cucumber soju. The Lemon soju is (for my taste at least) quite appealing as it's not as sweet.

Some bars catering to foreigners (mainly in Itaewon or around some of the bigger USFK installations) came up with Jungle Juice, otherwise known as Kettle. It's a Cool-Aid-ish concotion generally containing soju (1 bottle), some gin & vodka, some 7-up and fruit flavor mix (recipes vary). Tastes like punch and can be very sneaky. 3-5 kettles should put most folks into a state of comfortable inebriation.

[danyuk]

Point is its cheap as...........under $1 US per bottle, just smaller than a bottle of bud. Dont rate the hangovers on this stuff, however. As I write I am feeling the effects and I still have 6 more classes. Damn.

[Zyzyfer]

Straight, it kinda reminds me of paint thinner.

[FierceInvalid]

[danyuk]

this is getting way hard not to pop in the shop and buy a bottle of korea's finist!

[makushi]

I already posted this on another thread about drunk foreigners...but i figure it fits here too...

Ah...at last a topic that I can speak with some authority on....drinking soju for the uninitiated is akin breathing ether...I love to take a newbie out and watch how discomboobulated they become after just a few bottles...

You need to build up a tolerance to soju (I have my own seven step method) otherwise you risk slipping falling prey to its mischevious ways everytime you step outside your door.

After our recent move back from the states and not having been under the spell of soju for over two years, I went with a friend to get some sashimi. We ended up drinking soju for 3-4 hours straight. I felt fine until I tried to stand up...by the time I got to my feet, I didn't even know what direction the door was in. I left my planner, my cell phone, and my jacket at the restaurant and then got extremely upset cause my friend accused me of being drunk. (picture drunk korean men)

I will spare you the rest of the gory details, but suffice it to say I woke at noon the next day with a headache from hell, an empty wallet, and a really pissed off wife.

Now due to a regular regime of strenous training I am back in form and soju is my friend again. One bottle in 15 minutes? Nothing...that's typical fare when me and the boyz are out for samkyupsal and they start passing the cup.

Anyway, I don't want to get into a pissing contest...just sufffice it say that you definitely need to get experienced with soju before you push the quantities up....we all know how to handle our beer and whiskey...but soju hits our system in a different way.

Last thing, unless you are into extreme self-abuse....don't mix soju with any other alcoholic drinks...try it at your peril. (the sole exception I can think of is baeksei-ju...which when mixed 50/50 with soju is called o ship seiju and can be quite tastey and medicinal IE good for your stamminers )

Other than that I think there is something to be learned from the girls who work/drink all night in the room salons...most of them are pretty tiny but can drink like all get out...I notice that most of them are drinking pretty large quantities of that canned tea at the same time they are drinking all our $300 scotch

I don't know how they do it...because many of them hold day jobs...but the drinking doesn't seem to slow them down...maybe it's the tea or?

Cheers!

[JackSarang]

I compare Soju to Gin. I can't drink either straight. But, the flavoured soju's you can get in many hof's are quite appealing to me.

You can get: Lemon, Grape, Apricot, Apple, Plum.. etc.. its just soju mixed with something and you order it in a pitcher and do shots. You simply cannot taste the soju and most places the flavouring its quite delicious. But you get very drunk.

Also, being drunk on purely Soju is quite a different experience than being drunk on beer or other spirits, its unique. I describe it as rather mellow with a tanging buzz. I've never vomited off Soju, but then, I don't vomit off much, being an all too experienced drinker.

Most Korean men do straight shots and some of them are 2-3 bottle men, however, if you're already slightly buzzed and you're eating spicy korean anju, soju somehow compliements it very well. Also, when I'm eating any sort of kalbi dish or samgyupsal, I like to order Chung-ha, which is Korean Saki (rice wine), it goes very well.

Getting ripped in Korea is so ridiculously cheap. Also, if you like beer, its very easy to get drunk on Korean draft pints. Its called saeng mekju (Fresh beer) but its 6% and loaded with sugar. Normal cass in the bottle is 4.5 or 5% I forget.. but when you order Cass on draft its saeng mekju... 6% sugarified knock you on your ass beer. I distinctly remember one night when 6 of us heavy university drinkers had 3 pints of Saeng mekju at the local jokki jokki and all of us passed out an hour later... off 3 pints.. crazy stuff. Its the damn sugar. But hey, at 1500 won a pint you can't go wrong.

Drinking in Korea is lovely, 24 hr corner stores that sell you liquor and last call in bars at 7am.

Too bad they're nazis about hash.

[JackSarang]

[katydid]

[makushi]

[mike in brasil]

Hey guys, I see I struck a chord with this question. I know I won�t be drinking alone if/when I get to Koreer.

Another question:


what is soju made from?

thanx for your answers. . . . .

anybody out there ever try mojitos?

[Cthulhu]

JackSarang wrote

[Zyzyfer]

[schwa]