Can't We Just Leave Soju As Soju?

Don't Play Around with Food (Please) ♥

Soju, the eternal friend of Koreans in their early twenties. Around the time we learn about life through the bitter taste of soju during college life, we encounter various types of alcoholic beverages. Gradually, our preferences for alcohol broadened and diversified. Some may have remained loyal to soju, while others might have switched to beer, whiskey, wine, and so on. However, in reality, soju is almost like 'pure alcohol,' a drink without much flavor. Literally tasteless. Occasionally, depending on one's condition, it might taste slightly sweet or bitter, but it was never a drink with diverse flavors like beer or wine. That was until the terrifying fruit soju appeared.

It was in 2015. Starting with Soonhari Chumchurum Yuzu, a fruit soju craze swept the liquor market. Afterwards, companies like Muhak and HiteJinro began releasing fruit liqueurs infused with blueberry, grapefruit, Melona, and other fruit flavors and concentrates, as if trying to include every fruit on Earth. Over time, the presence of fruit liqueurs gradually weakened, but last year, 'Aisheo Isul' regained popularity. Moreover, noticing that fun consumers and the MZ generation were sharing 'proof shots' on social media, liquor companies turned their attention to 'fun insider items.'

Last July, Muhak launched a mint chocolate soju to target the 'Mincho-dan' (people who like mint chocolate) taste, and Chumchurum introduced a Chumchurum Papico-flavored soju starting in November. We shouldn't mess with food... Anyway, with so many proof shots posted on SNS and products aimed at MZ generation consumers, how could the DrinKit editors not try them? Braving the fear, we bring you our honest reviews.

Mint Chocolate Soju

Editor Teddy says: I must first declare that I am strongly anti-Mincho (anti-mint chocolate). The moment I sipped the soju, I was truly shocked. It felt like the first time I ever tasted such a fiery(?) mint flavor. And, well... this strangely decent taste somehow made me feel a bit uneasy. It tastes exactly like if you gargled with minty mouthwash and didn’t rinse your mouth fully before drinking soju. It might have been better if it was purely mint soju. The coolness of the soju combined with an awkwardly sweet chocolate flavor made for a rather strange combination. Yikes!

Editor Sunny says: I’m somewhat open to mint chocolate. However, this was the moment I realized that soju tastes best when drunk as it is. Soju, I’m sorry for not appreciating you…! Still, I think the attempt was good, but I’m not quite sure what exactly lingered in my mouth and stomach.

Editor Jeon says: I thought I was a moderate Mincho fan. But after tasting the mint chocolate soju, I realized I was a staunch anti-Mincho. Mincho-dan, shout out~! Usually, except for delicious soju liqueurs like Melona and Isul, I don’t often enjoy regular soju, but the mint chocolate soju was quite tasty. It’s a flavor I might occasionally crave. The ratio of mint to chocolate flavor is about 49:51.

Chumchurum Papico

Editor Teddy says: Chumchurum Papico (hereafter ‘Papico Soju’) tastes like a forced chuckle. As soon as I took a sip, I found myself ‘Hmm... hmm...? Hahaha’ laughing out loud. I don’t know whether to call it funny or ridiculous, but it’s exactly the taste everyone imagines. Even while writing this review, it’s amusing. In short, it’s sweeter than expected but also more bitter than expected. Since it’s a chocolate-scented liquor, it feels a bit greasy. If you drink this soju when you’re drunk...? I’d rather not think about what happens next.

Editor Sunny says: As a big fan of Papico, I had high expectations. But... the combination of soju and Papico was like ‘Huh? What is this hybrid (confused).’ I was grateful the staff didn’t send this to me first... (^^;) The distinctive spicy taste of Chumchurum was too strong, so I’m not sure if it really matched well.

Editor Jeon says: As mentioned earlier, I’m not the type to regularly enjoy soju. But Papico Soju had less of the typical soju alcohol taste, which I actually liked. If you find the sharp alcohol scent of soju too overwhelming like me, I’d recommend trying this once. True soju lovers might find it bland, but those similar to me might enjoy it! Just be sure to drink it chilled, as drinking it lukewarm makes the soju scent stronger.

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If someone gifted you these sojus? I’d probably stash them in the back of the fridge and use them as penalty drinks during drinking games with friends. This might sound harsh, but I doubt I’d buy them again...! These two types of soju are fun and curiosity-provoking items, but I’d define them as products that help people understand why they eventually return to the original soju.

Photo by Seo Jeongjun, guest reporter · Kim Taein