Soju, a clear Korean spirit that is the world's best-selling liquor by volume, is expanding rapidly in the United States at a time when overall American alcohol consumption is falling. Sales volume for soju in the US grew 30% over the past year, according to the alcohol industry research firm IWSR Americas, even as the share of US adults who report drinking dropped from 62% in 2023 to 54% last year.
The spirit, typically made by fermenting rice into wine and then distilling it, represents just 1% of US spirit sales volume. But IWSR predicts a compound annual growth rate of 14% from 2025 to 2030 for soju, compared with a 1% decline in total US spirits sales volume over the same period. Jinro, Korea's oldest soju brand, is the dominant player in this growth. The brand is owned by HiteJinro, which also owns the Terra beer brand featured in a recent Tonight Show segment where actor Daniel Dae Kim demonstrated somaek, a popular Korean drink that mixes beer with soju.
In 2024, Jinro declared its intention to reach 500 billion South Korean won, or about $323 million, in international sales by 2030. HiteJinro made progress on that goal in 2025, expanding export revenue by 6.7% year over year to 192 billion won, or roughly $136 million, while taking in about $1.5 billion domestically on a nonconsolidated basis.
Soju's rise in America coincides with a broader shift in drinking habits. Its relatively low alcohol by volume, generally between 12% and 25% depending on the brand, appeals to drinkers increasingly looking for lower-proof spirits. Standard 80-proof vodka, by comparison, is 40% alcohol. That lower ABV makes soju more accessible in the US, where liquor laws vary between states, and it allows soju-based cocktails to serve as a workaround for restaurants without a liquor license. The spirit is also traditionally sold in small, 375-milliliter bottles, positioning it well in a market led by canned cocktails and malt beverages.
Koryn Ternes, consulting director at IWSR Americas, said the culture surrounding the drink is a major factor. «It's typically associated with socializing, with fun events, with games,» she said. «That's a big part of why a lot of US, especially younger, consumers are engaging with the category. But I think that there's still such a lack of awareness of what it is, how to get it, how to drink it, what the differences are.»
Traditionally, drinking soju in Korea comes with its own set of guidelines. In addition to pouring for your elders, you should hold the bottle with both hands. Often, opening the bottle itself is a ritual: the pourer shakes it to create a soju tornado, then taps it on their elbow or with the palm of their hand before unscrewing the lid and flicking the neck to send soju flying. That practice is based on the post-Korean War necessity to remove bits of cheap cork from the bottom of bottles.
Irene Yoo, chef and co-owner of the Orion Bar, a Korean-American establishment in Brooklyn, outlines many of these traditions in her 2025 book Soju Party, which won a James Beard Media Award. The book also offers recipes for cocktails and various snacks, noodles, and stews that pair well with soju. «In Korean culture, you would never be drinking without also having food,» she said.
Jinro's expected presence in Korean restaurants is one of the key ways it reaches customers. At Yoo's bar, where a neon Jinro sign lights up one corner, the brand is sold by both the shot and the bottle, alongside higher-end brands. Jinro is taking a similarly organic approach to social media and marketing, aiming to keep its Korean-culture-based image while making the drink more fun and modern for new audiences.
But with soju's rising popularity abroad, Jinro faces increasing competition on the shelves of global liquor stores. The company will also have to thread the cultural needle between its Korean roots and Western ambitions. It is riding the ever-growing K-wave, which has brought K-beauty, K-pop, and K-dramas into the mainstream. That wave tends to both change and be changed by its expansion. For Jinro, success might mean non-Korean customers taking the rituals and traditions associated with the drink and making them their own.
«We really want to keep that Korean-culture-based, authentic soju image,» says Kaya Kim, marketing manager at Jinro America, «but at the same time, make it more fun and bring in some modern ways.»