Have you been curious about the differences between soju vs sake? While soju and sake both hail from the Far East and have a few similarities, they are two distinct alcoholic beverages with a few key differences, too. Soju is an alcoholic beverage from South Korea traditionally made from rice, while sake is a Japanese rice wine made from fermented rice grains.
The Korean spirit, soju, is the world’s number one-selling distilled spirit, with the Jinro brand being the world’s top-selling spirit brand. Important to Japanese culture, sake has been gathering new fans all over the world in recent years, but growth within Japan has been checked by the rise in popularity of sochu, another distinct Japanese alcoholic beverage.
With soju and sake both being popular alcoholic drinks in their own right, both hailing from eastern Asia, both being a clear, distilled liquor, and both being of cultural significance in their homelands, we’ll try to unblur the lines and point out the key differences between sake & soju to see which of the two beverages’ unique flavors and drinking traditions you fancy immersing yourself in.
Read on to find out who will be your winner as South Korea takes on Japan in the battle between soju and sake.
Key Takeaways
- Soju and Sake are two popular types of alcoholic drinks that hail from the Far East.
- Soju is a clear and colorless Korean distilled spirit, often using sweet potato in its production.
- Sake is a Japanese drink made from fermented rice starches and is a rice wine.
- Soju and sake can both be enjoyed neat or mixed into cocktails.
- Both soju and sake can be served chilled, but sake is also enjoyed warm.
- Only you can decide your winner in the battle of soju and sake!
- Whichever Asian alcoholic beverage you choose, remember to drink responsibly!
Soju & Sake – What’s the Difference?
Both soju and sake can be enjoyed chilled on nights out with friends, as an accompaniment to a meal, or as a toast on special occasions, and we’ll break down their similarities and key differences as we tackle the soju vs. sake debate head-on.
What Is Soju?
Soju was once traditionally made from only rice starches by distilling alcohol from the fermented grains. Due to rice shortages in the middle of the last century, though, the Korean government put a stop to this, and soju distillers began to use other starch-filled products, such as sweet potato, cassava, and tapioca.
The sweet potatoes give a slightly sweeter taste and flavor profile, and the arrival of sweet potato soju also saw a lowering in the alcohol content of soju from 35% ABV to 30% ABV.
Although the ban on using only rice was lifted in 1999, distillers have continued to produce soju with a lower alcohol content, and today, it’s common to find soju with less than 17% alcohol by volume.
Korean drinking traditions dictate that when drinking soju, the youngest person in the group should pour the drinks for their elders and that both hands should be used to pour and hold the receiving glass.
What Is Sake?
Sake is a rice wine hailing from the Land of the Rising Sun and is considered the national beverage in Japan.
This Japanese alcohol is considered a rice wine, but sake production follows a brewing process that is more similar to beer production, where starch is converted into fermentable sugars that convert into alcohol than to traditional wine-producing methods.
When distillers create sake this way, the final product has an alcohol content more akin to a wine than a beer, with undiluted sake containing 18–20% ABV.
During the final stages of the production processes, however, this is often lowered to about 15% ABV by diluting the clear beverage with water.
Sake plays an important role in Japanese culture, and it is often used as a ceremonial drink to mark special occasions.
Are Soju and Sochu The Same?
To confuse you a little more, there is also a third Asian distilled beverage with a similar-sounding name: sochu.
While they may sound very similar, soju and sochu are two distinct alcoholic beverages, with sochu being another Japanese alcoholic beverage that is a little different from sake.
Sochu is typically distilled from rice, barley, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, or other grains and usually has an alcohol content of around 25% by volume. Sochu’s flavor profile is usually far less fruity than sake and is often described as “nutty” or “earthy” to drink.
What Does Soju Taste Like?
As two distinct alcoholic beverages, soju and sake have slightly different taste profiles from one another. Unlike sake, soju has a neutral flavor profile and tastes a little like a Korean vodka. Its clean taste is slightly sweet, and its aroma gives hints of its base ingredients.
What Does Sake Taste Like?
With sake being a traditional fermented beverage brewed from rice, its subtle flavors are a little different from soju.
Sake’s flavor profile depends on the type of rice used in the brewing process but tends to have an umami taste with a mild and soft aroma.
How To Drink Soju
In South Korea, soju is usually served chilled and is often sipped neat, but it can also be enjoyed as a cocktail.
Soju cocktails can be made with both beer and fruit juices, and the clear beverage also works well as a vodka substitute in certain mixed drink recipes.
When drinking soju with a meal, it is recommended to pair it with foods that are heavier or oil-based. Soju’s clean taste makes it good for cleansing the palate after eating bolder flavors.
Popular soju cocktails include the somaek and the poktan-ju, whose name translates as ‘bomb drink.’ The word ‘samaek’ is a portmanteau of soju and maekju, the Korean word for beer, and is a combination of the two drinks.
To make a poktan-ju, a shot glass of soju is dropped into a pint of beer, and the whole thing is knocked back quickly.
For more cocktail ideas based on soju, check out our The 15 Best Soju Cocktails article, too.
How To Drink Sake
In Japanese culture, sake is consumed either chilled or warmed, but consuming it chilled is said to bring out the subtle flavors better. Warm sake is more common during the colder months and is also usually a popular way of serving lower-quality sakes.
When dining out, sake pairs well with Japanese dishes, rather unsurprisingly, but due to its different styles, it also works well with cuisines from other countries.
Aside from being enjoyed neat, sake can also be used as a mixer in cocktail recipes. Popular sake cocktails include the tamagozake, saketini, and nogasake.
The sake bomb, similar to the Korean poktan-ju, is also becoming more popular and is a fun way to get your Japanese drinks on.
Where To Buy Sake & Soju
If you’re looking to try soju and sake for the first time, you will have to track them down first. While you may be able to find them in your local convenience stores, you may find it easier to order your soju and sake online.
FAQs
Is soju stronger than sake?
Undiluted sake contains alcohol content ranging between 18 and 20% but has an alcohol content of around 16% after being diluted and bottled. On the other hand, the alcohol content of soju ranges from 16.8% up to 53% alcohol by volume.
What is soju most similar to?
Soju has been likened to Korean vodka. It has neutral flavors, thanks to its fermentation process, and the distilled liquor is also slightly sweet on the palate.
What is the alcohol content of sake & soju?
Of the two drinks, soju tends to have a higher alcohol content, but you can find different styles of both liquors, and the different ways of fermenting rice produce different strengths.
How does soju taste?
The sweeter taste profile of Korean soju has been likened to vodka. Similar to potato vodka, soju has neutral flavors, with the use of sweet potatoes in the fermentation process helping to fuel the comparisons.
