Soju, Shochu, and Baijiu are no longer spirits found exclusively in Asian restaurants, bars, and markets. They are firmly mainstream, being embraced by bartenders and discovered by curious drinkers everywhere.
Soju
Soju is a clear and colorless spirit that originated in Korea. While there are similarities, Soju is not to be confused with Japanese Shochu — more on Shochu in this chapter. The spirit dates back to the thirteenth century but has seen many changes over the years.
Soju was typically made from rice until the 1950s, when the Korean government prohibited the use of rice in distilled spirits due to grain shortages. This prohibition on rice Soju lasted until 1999, far longer than originally anticipated. With the absence of rice, Soju was typically made from sweet potatoes and tapioca, distilled to a very high degree, then diluted and flavored. It was a dark time for traditional Soju.
The twenty-first century witnessed a revival of Soju as rice was once again permitted. There was a great deal of attention to returning to traditional methods of distilling at lower temperatures, using quality ingredients, and taking a much lighter hand with dilution and flavoring.
Some have called Soju the Korean Vodka as it’s clear and relatively neutral. This is an oversimplification at best. The production process is quite different. To use any starch-like grains or tubers for fermentation and distillation, the base material must undergo a process called saccharification. This is the process of breaking down complex starches into simple sugars that can easily be fermented. With most grain-based spirits, a bit of malted barley is used, as it contains the enzymes needed to break down starch, or enzymes can be added directly to a mash of crushed grains and water. In the case of Soju, Shochu, and Baijiu, the distiller relies upon a beneficial mold to convert starches into sugars. This mold is called koji. The Koji does its job of converting sugars, but it also adds flavor.
Further separating Soju from Vodka is the distillation style and the degree of distillation. While some cheap Soju is fermented to near neutrality, Soju is distilled to a much lower degree and frequently in pot stills. While Soju is clear and subtle, it is not as neutral as Vodka. Commercial Soju is often bottled at 18% to 30% alcohol by volume (ABV), and artisanal Soju is often sold at 40% to 53% ABV. Vodka is most often bottled at 40%.
Like Vodka, Soju is now bottled in a wide range of flavors, typically fruit flavors. Soju is very versatile, often drunk straight, perhaps chilled, and also used in cocktails.
Shochu
Shochu is Japan’s most popular spirit. It originated more than 500 years ago in Japan. Several types of Shochu are made from a range of base ingredients, including rice, sweet potatoes, and brown sugar. Shochu is made primarily in southern Japan, often in and near Kyushu and Okinawa.
Shochu is not to be confused with Sake, a fermented/brewed drink made from rice that is much more like beer than Shochu.
The top tier of Shochu is called Honkaku Shochu. It is made by a single distillation and is prized for its expressive flavors, retaining the character of the base material in a refined, sophisticated spirit. Like Soju, Shochu is made with a Koji mold to convert the starch base to fermentable sugars.
Most Shochu is sold months after distillation. There are aged varieties of Shochu known as kudu, as well as an important sub-category called Awamori. Unlike most aged spirits, Shochu is not aged in wood, which imparts flavors and exposes the spirit to ambient air. Shochu is aged in closed earthenware pots, tanks, or glass. As it ages, the Shochu evolves without external forces.
Most Shochu are sold at 25-35% alcohol by volume. It’s most often consumed over ice, possibly mixed with water or juice, and mixed in cocktails.
An intriguing subset of Shochu is Awamori. If you haven’t heard of Awamori, do not be alarmed. There are fewer than 50 producers of Awamori in Okinawa, and very few of these spirits leave Japan. Awamori is thought to be the predecessor to Shochu. Awamori is made exclusively in Okinawa from rice, which is typically indica rice imported from Thailand. All of the key ingredients are the same for all Awamori. The differences are created by the length of fermentation, the choice of the still, the strength of the spirit at bottling, and the time that the spirit is rested prior to bottling.
Baijiu
Baijiu is China’s national spirit and the world’s most consumed clear spirit. Its roots date back thousands of years, to at least the second century BC. Like Soju and Shochu, Baijiu is a clear spirit drunk neat or in cocktails, but it’s primarily consumed as a shot. Baijiu’s biggest difference from its Korean and Japanese cousins is its strength, typically bottled at over 50% ABV.
Baijiu is often made from sorghum, but it can also be made from various types of rice and occasionally from wheat, barley, or other grains. The fermentation methods and vessels vary widely, as do the styles of stills utilized. A defining ingredient held in high esteem is Qu. Qu is a specific type of brewer’s yeast, typically made by brewers. Qu is made by crushing semi-soaked grains to form a paste, which is then shaped into small clumps. The forming Qu is placed in controlled environments to attract and develop ambient yeast and other microorganisms that colonize its surface and interior. This house-made Qu is distinctive and provides subtle flavor differences found only with its creator.
Baijiu is a broad category of spirit, like Whiskey or Brandy, with numerous types. Baijiu is most often classified into four types: rice aroma (Mi Xiang), light aroma (Qing Xiang), strong aroma (Nong Xiang), and sauce aroma (Jiang Xiang).
Rice aroma (Mi Xiang) Baijiu is distilled from long-grain, glutinous rice, or a combination of the two. It is aged in limestone caves and often flavored with herbs, teas, or fruits.
Light aroma (Qing Xiang) Baijiu is the second-largest type, made from fermented sorghum and rice husks. It is fermented with a Qu made from barley and peas.
Strong aroma (Nong Xiang) Baijiu is the most popular type. It is often distinguished between single-grain and mixed-grain. If you have ever been given a shot of Baijiu that has burned all the way down to your gut, it was likely a strong aroma of Baijiu.
Sauce aroma Baijiu (Jiang Xiang) gets its odd (to the Western ear) name from the spirit’s pronounced, distinctive aromatics, akin to soy sauce. This class of Baijiu is perhaps the most labor-intensive, requiring multiple fermentations and careful aging.
Soju, Shochu, and Baijiu have received considerable attention in the Western world in recent decades. Much of the nuance is literally lost in translation, but these spirit categories are important to know. It’s not easy to get familiar with Soju, Shochu, and Baijiu or even to find good examples of these fascinating products. Most of us do not live near specialty shops and bars that feature these spirits. However, it’s worth exploring online to track down bottles and find a trusted shop near you.
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Do you want to better understand spirits? May we suggest Be A Beverage Expert (BABE), a guide to understanding wine, beer, spirits, and cocktails.