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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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 Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 1:42 am Post subject: Beware of soju |
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Cheaper booze also tends to intensify hangovers. Inexpensive beer, wine and liquor are more likely to have higher congener content -- congeners are the "chemical soup" that results from the fermentation or distillation process, Schaefer explains. "The more expensive liquors are often filtered and triple or more distilled -- thus, cleaner alcohol, less junk," he says.
"As we age, we may be unable to avoid chemical changes that could be wrecking the efficiency of our liver, and we should avoid lousy intoxicants, as they are guaranteed to cause digestive or metabolic discomfort," Schaefer adds. |
http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/17/6284505-why-do-hangovers-seem-so-much-worse-as-we-get-older |
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chasmmi
Joined: 16 Jun 2007
Location: Ulsan
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| Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 1:59 am Post subject: |
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Tis true.
From now on only Baekseju and Makgeolli for me. |
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koreatimes
Joined: 07 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 3:59 am Post subject: |
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I never drank regularly until I was 34, and that took some time getting used to. The Koreans and a New Zealander got me into it. When I moved to China, I found one store with soju and drank that a few times, but they ran out. So, since then, I haven't had any and I prefer beer.
What do people get out of a higher hit? With beer I can moderate my intake and some nights I don't need a lot. I don't see the point in eating more so you can drink more. I feel if you drink and eat less, then you will end up better. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 5:34 am Post subject: Re: Beware of soju |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| Quote: |
Cheaper booze also tends to intensify hangovers. Inexpensive beer, wine and liquor are more likely to have higher congener content -- congeners are the "chemical soup" that results from the fermentation or distillation process, Schaefer explains. "The more expensive liquors are often filtered and triple or more distilled -- thus, cleaner alcohol, less junk," he says.
"As we age, we may be unable to avoid chemical changes that could be wrecking the efficiency of our liver, and we should avoid lousy intoxicants, as they are guaranteed to cause digestive or metabolic discomfort," Schaefer adds. |
http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/17/6284505-why-do-hangovers-seem-so-much-worse-as-we-get-older |
Great so you just discovered that drinking hard booze is bad for your liver and general health.
To avoid you being shocked out of your chair WT: water is wet, yeah I know shocking. |
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weso1
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 7:24 am Post subject: |
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Here's another shocker: Most soju isn't even made from rice anymore.
You need a heavy carbohydrate to get alcohol (I have no idea how this works, I'm just repeating what I read) and since potatoes are much cheaper, the soju companies switched to them years ago. A cheaper carb means a cheaper, less pure, alcohol.
Which further proves: soju sucks.
Sake on the other hand, it still made from real rice. In Japan, if a company uses another carb to make sake, they can't legally call it sake, and they have to put it somewhere on the label what they used to make it with.
I'm not a drinker at all. But even I can tell the difference. Sake is smoother, tastes better, and I feel good when I drink it. Soju is rough, foul tasting, and makes me feel like sh*t. Sure it costs 1/4 as much as sake does but hey, quality > quantity. |
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r122925
Joined: 02 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 8:41 am Post subject: |
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| weso1 wrote: |
Here's another shocker: Most soju isn't even made from rice anymore.
You need a heavy carbohydrate to get alcohol (I have no idea how this works, I'm just repeating what I read) and since potatoes are much cheaper, the soju companies switched to them years ago. A cheaper carb means a cheaper, less pure, alcohol.
Which further proves: soju sucks.
Sake on the other hand, it still made from real rice. In Japan, if a company uses another carb to make sake, they can't legally call it sake, and they have to put it somewhere on the label what they used to make it with.
I'm not a drinker at all. But even I can tell the difference. Sake is smoother, tastes better, and I feel good when I drink it. Soju is rough, foul tasting, and makes me feel like sh*t. Sure it costs 1/4 as much as sake does but hey, quality > quantity. |
Something that I find a bit odd is that all food products in Korea contain a highly detailed label that lists all ingredients, nutrition information, etc.... except alcoholic beverages. Apparently someone somewhere has decided that we don't need this information. Does anyone really know what soju is made from? Try asking a few Koreans what soju is made out of, and I'm pretty sure you'll hear at least a few different answers. Seems so strange for something that is more or less the national drink.
I'm occasionally forced (or at least strongly encouraged) to drink soju at work functions and the like, and generally speaking I like drinking as much as the next guy, but I would be very happy if I never had another sip of soju for the rest of my life and certainly won't miss it if/when I end up leaving Korea in the future. |
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CrikeyKorea
Joined: 01 Jun 2007
Location: Heogi, Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2012 3:45 am Post subject: |
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| It is disappointing most foreign visitors to Korea only ever drink the crappy soju that can be bought at convenience store. Drinking properly distilled soju made from rice i.e. Andong Soju (not the black or white bottles from emart) is a completely different drink. Although not as good as scotch or something that has been aged for many a year, true soju is quite nice and worth trying. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2012 3:57 am Post subject: Re: Beware of soju |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| Quote: |
Cheaper booze also tends to intensify hangovers. Inexpensive beer, wine and liquor are more likely to have higher congener content -- congeners are the "chemical soup" that results from the fermentation or distillation process, Schaefer explains. "The more expensive liquors are often filtered and triple or more distilled -- thus, cleaner alcohol, less junk," he says.
"As we age, we may be unable to avoid chemical changes that could be wrecking the efficiency of our liver, and we should avoid lousy intoxicants, as they are guaranteed to cause digestive or metabolic discomfort," Schaefer adds. |
http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/17/6284505-why-do-hangovers-seem-so-much-worse-as-we-get-older |
I call BS on the article.
I, and most people I know, get the WORST hangovers off of Champagne. Tequila and wine are 2 others that are notorious for bad hangovers.
On a hangover scale from 1 - 10:
Soju : 6
Champagne : 10
Wine : 9
Beer : 3
Tequila : 8
Whiskey : 6
Vodka : 5
Beer + Liquour + Soju : 8
Champagne + Jello Shots + Beer + Vodka + Rum + Whiskey : 11 |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2012 4:08 am Post subject: |
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Also be aware that soju is a massive 540 calories per bottle. Yes, that typical little green bottle of just 330ml is 540 calories.
A good eating and drinking session with my ajeossi friends can, including food, put over 1500 - 2000 calories into my system! For one meal! Not good.
Regular soju drinking, even fairly moderate amounts, can add thousands of extra calories to your diet per week and is especially bad for those who don't do much exercise. The danger being high-blood sugar levels leading to type-2 diabetes. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2012 4:27 am Post subject: |
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Fortified Wine (Boone's, Mad Dog 20/20, etc.) : 12
Strangely, Malt Liquor : 2
Rum : 7
Gin : 6
Brandy : 8 |
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DejaVu
Joined: 27 Jan 2011
Location: Your dreams
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| Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2012 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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You can tell before the hangover even begins.
Cheap alcohol gives headaches while actually drinking the stuff (if you are only drinking a bit of it as a cocktail or whatnot, allowing your body time to realize how awful it is).
Sure, there are some high quaility drinks that also give bad hangovers but that doesn't take away from the high, cheap alcohol correlation. |
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bekinseki
Joined: 31 Aug 2011
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2012 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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| CrikeyKorea wrote: |
| It is disappointing most foreign visitors to Korea only ever drink the crappy soju that can be bought at convenience store. Drinking properly distilled soju made from rice i.e. Andong Soju (not the black or white bottles from emart) is a completely different drink. Although not as good as scotch or something that has been aged for many a year, true soju is quite nice and worth trying. |
Andong soju is still made from rice. Normal soju is just artificially flavoured ethanol. It's really a shame that not enough people are unwilling to pay just a bit more for such a superior product. |
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fermentation
Joined: 22 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2012 5:32 pm Post subject: |
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What's more puzzling are the Koreans in the States who pay 7 bucks a bottle for this garbage.
That being said, Makoli: 10 |
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fermentation
Joined: 22 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2012 5:33 pm Post subject: |
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What's more puzzling are the Koreans in the States who pay 7 bucks a bottle for this garbage.
That being said, Makoli: 10 |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2012 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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| fermentation wrote: |
What's more puzzling are the Koreans in the States who pay 7 bucks a bottle for this garbage.
That being said, Makoli: 10 |
Aye, Makkoli gives me a much worse headache than Soju.
Coming back to the main point, Soju's hangover is moderate compared to other alcohols. And i've certainly had worse hangovers with "higher quality" spirits.
I was always under the impression that sulfites were the culprit in bad hangovers. |
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