With interest in Asian spirits growing in popularity in the UK, The Whisky Exchange has launched a series of nine new sojus, a Korean spirit traditionally made with rice, but also barley, wheat and even sweet potato.

A long-time enthusiast for Asian spirits, Billy Abbott, ambassador at The Whisky Exchange, explained he has been pushing for soju to be part of the offering at the fine spirits shop for a long time. This isn’t, he says, necessarily because he thinks it has a massive market. Instead, it’s because he believes soju offers something intriguing for those “who are interested in trying new spirits”.

Dedicated to bringing lesser-known spirits to the UK, Abbott said: “We’re here not only to give people the opportunity to try them, but hopefully to help them understand what they’re drinking and the culture behind them.”

As we settled into two armchairs at the Great Portland Street store, surrounded by customers, Abbott continued the engaging story of Korean spirits.

“If you go back to the 19th and early 20th century, there was a tradition of making rustic spirits. But various wars in Korea meant grain restrictions, which then led to less interesting and more industrial-style spirits,” he explained.

For a while, spirit-making in the country remained somewhat uninspired and “without much connoisseurship”. Then, a change of alcohol laws in the 1980s, which moved the country away from strict state control and towards gradual liberalisation, resulted in a spirit renaissance. “We saw this reinvigoration of the traditional spirits market,” Abbott said.

Now, the country has a varied selection of spirits, with soju being the most popular of all. A drink most commonly consumed with food, Abbott explained there are various ways of serving soju. With less taboo around diluting the product, in comparison with the likes of whisky, it’s very common to add still or sparkling water to soju to make it a longer table drink.

Likewise, it’s common practice to pour a shot of soju into lager-style beer, creating a Korean cocktail named somaek. “There’s a whole theatre around this, with some people just dumping it in, but others striking the bottles [of beer and soju] together in a certain way as a kind of ritual.” Or, as Abbott and I did, others prefer to drink the liquid straight, usually at room temperature.

With a massive spectrum of taste and alcohol levels, Abbott showcased a range of sojus starting at 21% abv, in the form of the Sulseam Yeoumok Omija Berry Soju, a fruity liquid flavoured with omija berries. For comparison, he also added a 53% abv option to the mix, the Jinmaek 53 Wheat Soju, made using organic grain from the south of the country.

On whether there is a common profile running through all sojus, Abbott said: “They all have this sort of nutty and orchard fruit character.” However, the intensity of these notes varies, with some leaning into a “funkier and weirder” direction and others remaining more neutral. The Hwasim Roasted Rice Soju, for instance, veers into a smoky profile. Meanwhile, the Poongjeong Sagye Winter Soju embraces a distinctly umami taste.

By the time the tasting is over and I’m headed back onto the London street, those assorted notes have ranged from white cheese to smoke, lychee and gummy bears. It’s a fascinating drink with a lot of breadth, both in style and drinking format, so it makes sense that soju will see popularity among niche spirits drinkers – and perhaps a wider audience in the future too.