Soju Mojito is a wonderfully refreshing cocktail that will go perfectly well with any Korean food but especially with savory pancakes like Pajeon and Korean BBQ dinners!

Soju Mojito Cocktail

This is my first soju cocktail recipe!! Well.. actually my husband helped me with it. 😝 He wanted to make a Koreanish cocktail drink for our party for neighbors at our house last week and he actually did it!! This is a modified mojito cocktail recipe that uses soju instead of the traditional white rum which is usually in regular mojito recipes.

Now, as you may know, white rum’s alcohol content is usually 40% ABV while soju can range anywhere from 17% to 20%. So this cocktail will have lower alcohol than the common mojito. BTW, you know that Koreans LOVE soju. It’s the alcoholic beverage that Koreans always drink in a small tiny shot glass in Kdramas when they are sad after a break up… 😝 or happy cheering and celebrating at a Pojang Macha after some good news!

What is Soju 소주?

Soju is made by distilling alcohol from fermented grains like rice, barley, sweet rice and other starches like corn etc. The rice wine for distilled soju is usually fermented for 2 weeks and then distilled by boiling the filtered wine and catching the condensation that is produced.

When Soju was traditionally distilled at home using grains the ABV was around 35%. But in 1965, the Korean government prohibited the use of rice in making soju because there were rice shortages throughout the country as Korea was still recovering from the aftermath of the Korean war.

Commercially made soju after 1965 was created by diluting distilled sweet potato or tapioca (with a very high ABV of 95%!) with water, sweeteners and other flavorings.

With this new method, Soju now had much lower ABV which means more consumption for the companies! The ABV for soju fell from 30% to 25% in the 70’s and now it’s 17% to 19% with 21% being the highest. In the US, you can buy Jinro’s red label soju with 20% alcohol content.

Andong Soju 안동소주 and Hwayo 화요

In 1999, some Koreans started distilling soju again the old fashion way and now you can buy Andong Soju which has about 40-45% ABV again! I’m not a big drinker but I’ve tried Andong Soju and it’s so much more delicious than regular soju!!

FYI, Andong is a province in Korea famous for its food and wine. Here’s a post about my visit to Andong several years back and you can hopefully get a feel for the beautiful traditions of this area.

Hwayo 화요 is another brand that produces soju with a wide range of ABV from 17% to 53% and is a distilled variety.

Add some Andong Soju to add punch to your Soju Mojito!

In my basic soju cocktail recipe below, I use the red-label Soju which has the highest alcohol content of all Jinro Soju at 20%. This will give you a lighter mojito than the classic one. However, if you want to add a little more punch of alcohol (which I kinda like better, haha) add a splash of Andong Soju 안동소주 of 30-40% ABV. My husband tried it and it was really delicious!!

Don’t want to make simple syrup? Substitute Maesil Cheong Syrup!

Ok, now that we have discussed all the different options and variations, let’s get started!

What you need

Muddler or Wooden Spoon + Metal or Thick Glass Cup- For this soju cocktail, you need to ‘muddle’ or basically crush the leaves with a wooden spoon or pestle to release the mint oil from the leaves. You don’t have to smash it too hard or anything, just pound the leaves lightly for several times so the leaves get crushed.

Soju Mojito Ingredients

ingredients for soju mojito cocktail on wooden board - lime, mint, soju, simple syrup

Korean Soju 소주 – also called Korean Vodka is a clear, clean, mild-flavored liquor that has ABV from 17% to 20%. Try to get the soju with 20% ABV which is the red label pictured above. Read above for more info about different Soju.

Simple syrup or fine granulated sugar – the classic mojito recipe calls for very fine granulated sugar and you can certainly use that but I like using simple syrup because you don’t have to worry about it not dissolving. BTW, simple syrup is just sugar and water mixed in 1:1 ratio then boiled until sugar is dissolved then cooled.

Lime juice – Always use fresh lime juice squeezed directly from the fruit if you can

Club soda or sparkling water – Club soda or Sparkling water can be used interchangeably as they have similar flavors in terms of minerality. Avoid Seltzer water or Tonic water as they have different flavor profiles.

Mint leaves – you will need about 5-7 fresh mint leaves per serving.

Optional

Andong soju 안동소주 – Although this is not a must ingredient and not as easy to buy as regular soju, I hope you can find it and try adding a splash. It really makes the drink even more yummy!

Maesil cheong syrup 매실청 – If you have this wonderful syrup, substitute it for simple syrup and reduce the lime juice amount. It comes out just as delicious with an extra flowery fragrance of the green ume plums!

How to make Soju Mojito Cocktail

wooden muddler next to cocktail shaker cup with mint leaves in them — cup with mint leaves

muddler inside cocktail shaker cup with mint leaves — cup with mint leaves

In a cocktail shaker or sturdy tall cocktail glass, add mint leaves and lime juice. Smoosh or ‘muddle’ the mint leaves at the bottom of the glass by lightly pounding the mint with a wooden spoon or a muddler like in the picture above.
To the muddled mint leaves + lime juice, add soju, simple syrup (or sugar), a handful of ice and shake if it’s a cocktail shaker or just mix with a long spoon if it’s a cup.
Strain into a glass filled with ice and top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a sprig of mint and lime slices.
Say “Geonbae 건배” or “CHEERS” and enjoy!

Soju Mojito Cocktail

Soju Mojito Cocktail