soju

[ soh-joo ]

noun

1. a colorless, clear, distilled alcoholic beverage from Korea, often made from a mixture of rice and other starches such as sweet potatoes, wheat, barley, tapioca, etc.:

   He sat down at the bar and ordered a bowl of cold noodles and a bottle of soju.

Word History and Origins

Origin of soju¹

First recorded in 1870–75; from Korean so “to burn, roast” (from Middle Chinese; cognate with Mandarin shāo, Cantonese siu, Japanese shō ) + ju “alcoholic beverage” (from Middle Chinese; cognate with Mandarin jiǔ, Cantonese zau, Japanese shu )

Example Sentences

During one production, shot near a creek where families picnicked, he watched the same depressing scene play out day after day: The adults would drink, gamble, fight and fling empty soju bottles, while the children would catch minnows in the water, occasionally cutting their feet on the broken glass.

From Los Angeles Times

Ashley presents Spill the Soju, a K-pop fan podcast, with her best friend Chelsea Toledo.

From BBC

There are familiar scenes involving bottles of soju, moments of awkward conversation and garbled philosophizing in this film.

From Los Angeles Times

Those elements, of artists in quotidian scenarios, drinking soju and smoking amid everyday conversation, are present in many of the small humanist gems that make up this South Korean auteur’s filmography, and the same goes for his latest, “In Our Day.”

From New York Times

Neff and Han, strangers before the trip began, shared a long hug and some shots of soju.

From Science Magazine