100% rice soju | 40% ABV | 750ml Flavor notes: toasted rice, radish HISTORY: Soju is a traditional pre-1960’s Korean spirit that has been enjoyed for centuries. Soju, in literal translation, means fire liquor, to describe the distillation process. Traditionally, soju was made from rice, millet, sorghum, and other grains local to different regions in Korea; however, as the demand for soju grew, it became more expensive to use these grains as the main ingredient. To make soju more affordable, producers began using other grains, such as wheat and barley, as well as other ingredients, such as sweet potatoes, to reduce the cost of production. Today, many soju brands use a combination of grains and other ingredients in their production process. Soju is a delicious and integral part of Korean culture that is worth trying if you have the opportunity. PRODUCTION: The 06 Soju, and subsequently, GOM soju recipe is based on Jisung’s training in a historical recipe called Suktan-jun - a 2 stage fermentation process made from 100% Korean short grain rice and Korean indigenous wild yeast called nuruk. This process produces Makgeolli that we then twice distill. 06 SOJU is a special collaboration with our comrade Jisung Chun of Soy & Rice. Together, we used long-established techniques to make Makgeolli, a Korean rice wine, using a nuruk starter. We then distilled the rice wine into a traditional 100% rice Soju that packs a lot of funky flavor. Jisung Chun of Soy & Rice is a rice wine sommelier that spent 5 years in Korea learning the art of fermentation from renowned institutions and several brew and distill masters around the Korean peninsula. Soy and Rice offers educational seminars, workshops, and consulting services on Korean culture, food and beverage. HOW TO ENJOY: Neat, on the rocks in a whiskey glass, or try it in the following cocktail: SOJU-rita 2 oz 06 SOJU 1 oz honey simple syrup .75 oz lemon juice .25 oz fresh lime juice 2 dashes of orange bitters