Ingredients
Drink
- soju, chilled
- lager, chilled, a light Korean lager for preference
Ratios
- 3parts soju to 7 parts beer, the common ratio
- or 2 to 8 for a lighter drink
Equipment
- a small beer glass
- a soju shot glass, for measuring
To serve
- at a hoesik, a company dinner
- with fried chicken or grilled pork
Directions
- Chill both the soju and the beer thoroughly. Both must be genuinely cold.
- Use a small beer glass rather than a pint glass, since it is drunk in one go and refilled.
- Pour the soju in first, then the beer on top. For the golden ratio, some people mark the glass or use the ridges on a Korean beer glass as a guide.
- Pour the beer down the side of a tilted glass to control the foam. You do not pour your own drink.
- Serve it with anju, food eaten alongside drinking: fried chicken, grilled pork belly, or spicy stew. Korean drinking is done with food rather than without it, and ordering drinks without anju is unusual.
Technique
- Ratios are debated and three to seven is the most commonly cited.
- Flavoured soju is widely sold and makes a sweeter and less traditional somaek.
- The mixing tricks are showmanship rather than technique.
Substitutions
- Any light lager, and Korean lagers are deliberately light for this purpose.
- Vodka is not a substitute; soju is milder and slightly sweet.
Variations
- The two to eight ratio, which is lighter.
- Made with flavoured soju.
- Poktanju, a shot glass dropped whole into the beer.
History
Named by contracting soju and maekju, it spread through 1990s company dinners and is poured to fixed ratios.
Frequently asked questions
What is Somaek?
Somaek is a cocktail from South Korea: soju dropped or poured into beer; the standard office-dinner drink. Named by contracting soju and maekju, it spread through 1990s company dinners and is poured to fixed ratios.
How long does Somaek take to make?
Somaek takes 1 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 1 glass. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Somaek?
Yes, within limits. Any light lager, and Korean lagers are deliberately light for this purpose. Vodka is not a substitute; soju is milder and slightly sweet.
What is the most important thing to get right in Somaek?
Chill both the soju and the beer thoroughly. Both must be genuinely cold.
