Tokki Soju Distillery (Korea)

Originally established in Brooklyn in 2016, Tokki Soju was the first American distiller of traditional rice soju, combining contemporary distillation technology with historic Korean methods of soju production. In 2019, Tokki Soju established a new base of operations in Chungju, South Korea, where now, under CEO Douglas Park, the brand continues its mission to elevate this classic Korean spirit and reintroduce it to the global stage.

The early 2010s saw New York City become a growing hot spot for high-end Korean restaurants. Unfortunately, only the ubiquitous “green bottle soju” was widely available in the US at the time—an incongruous pairing for food and beverage programs of Michelin caliber. When one such restaurant in Brooklyn commissioned a quality traditional soju, Tokki Soju was officially born (Tokki, which translates to “rabbit” in Korean, was the zodiac animal for the year the brand’s founders spent in Seoul learning traditional methods of soju production). A resounding success out of the gate, Tokki Soju quickly outgrew its Brooklyn facility, and relocated to Chungju, South Korea—the most fitting place to craft and elevate this historic Korean spirit. (Additionally, the brand briefly distilled its spirits in Rohnert, California, though that facility is now primarily used for barrel maturation.)

Soju production in Korea dates to the 13th century with the introduction of distillation technology during the Mongol invasion. Though historically made from rice, restrictions put in place during the Korean War banned its distillation until 1999, and as a result, the vast majority of today’s soju is made from alternative starches that are sweetened and artificially flavored. These types of soju are not fermented using the traditional Korean starter, nuruk [new•lug], whereas Tokki Soju painstakingly hand cultivates their own nuruk from milled barley cakes inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae yeast, a process that takes 1–2 months.

Perhaps most notable is the fact that Tokki Soju distills their soju from rice! Citing superior flavor and texture, they opt for 100% glutinous rice, or chapssal in Korean, despite the higher cost that using this variety entails. This locally grown glutinous rice is milled to a fine grist, cooked, and combined with nuruk for a seven-to-ten-day parallel fermentation. Distillation occurs in a copper hybrid still—the first run through the pot still and the second run through the column—and the heads and tails are cut aggressively, leaving only 35% of the heart for bottling. Gradually proofed with reverse osmosis water and rested for up to two weeks, all expressions of Tokki Soju are bottled without added flavoring agents, sugars, or other adulterating substances (in stark contrast to modern standardized soju practices).

All Tokki Soju spirits produced in Chungju carry a Jiyeok-teuksanju (regional specialty liquor) designation—a legal Korean certification similar to the Geographical Indication used predominantly in Europe that indicates quality assurance for traditional alcoholic beverages from a specific region.

For Tokki Soju’s Korean gin, see their “Western spirits” brand, Sonbi.