Soju Mojito

Soju, mint, lime, and soda — the Cuban Mojito applied to the world's highest-volume spirit, South Koreans consuming approximately 3.5 billion bottles annually.

The Soju Mojito applies the Cuban Mojito's enduringly popular structure — fresh mint, lime juice, sugar, and soda water — to soju, the Korean distilled spirit that is by some measures the best-selling spirit in the world by total volume sold. South Korea's domestic soju consumption is extraordinary: market research firms consistently rank soju brands including Jinro (produced by HiteJinro, founded in 1924) and Lotte Chilsung's Chum Churum among the highest-volume spirit brands globally, driven by South Korea's deeply ingrained drinking culture in which soju accompanies nearly every social meal. South Korean consumers drink approximately 3.5 billion bottles of soju annually, a figure that has made soju's global volume rank consistently higher than any other spirit category. Modern soju produced for commercial consumption is a light, clean spirit typically distilled from grain — rice, barley, wheat, tapioca — at 16-25% ABV, considerably lighter than its historical predecessors distilled from rice at higher proof. The spirit's clean, mildly sweet, neutral character makes it an accessible substitute for vodka in Western cocktail templates, and the Soju Mojito became a natural menu item at Korean-American restaurants and Korean barbecue establishments as Korean food culture spread internationally.