Jinro Chamsimul Soju

[Pan]

I don't know where this post belongs. This is too strong to be a wine, it isn't a rum, and it certainly is no beer. It is a spirit, though. (Why isn't there a miscellaneous alcoholic drinks forum?) The last time I ate at a good Korean restaurant in Manhattan called Kang Suh, there was a table of 5 Korean men sitting next to us. We observed all the food they ate, and they then proceeded to pour each other shots of this drink. One of the men gave me a couple of shots, gesturing that it should be drunk in one shot, and it went down smooth like an excellent cold sake. My friend had about half a shot too, and I finished that shot off. It wasn't until I got up and felt just a bit unsteady and slightly lightheaded that I realized the drink was stronger than it tasted. We walked east on 32 St. and came upon a Korean prepared food store that sold some alcoholic drinks, too. We saw the same bottle we had been served from in the restaurant and asked the cashier to take it down for us to look at. To our surprise, it turned out not to be a rice wine at all, but a liquor distilled from 70% tapioca, 15% barley, and 15% sweet potato. The alcohol content is 22%.

[jhlurie]

Last time person to try posting on this subject was Jason Perlow himself. He picked "Cocktails and Bartending", but I think he flipped a coin to pick it. Not much to see, but here it is.

Maybe, unlike Jason's attempt, we can get some good discussion of this going this time. I almost find myself unable to eat a Korean meal without a bottle of Soju on hand, although I have a theory that even an 11 year old Korean kid could probably drink me under the table (not that I'm a wimp, its just that virtually every Korean I've ever met seems to have a near bottomless capacity for alcohol)