Hwayo 25 Premium Soju 500ml

Hwayo 25 Premium Soju is a distilled rice soju from Hwayo, made at the company’s distillery in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is distilled from 100% Korean rice, matured in clay pots and bottled at 25%, the mid-strength pour in the Hwayo line.

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Hwayo was set up in 2003 by the people behind Kwangjuyo, a Korean ceramics house, and the first Hwayo sojus followed a couple of years later. The recipe is short: Korean rice and rock water drawn from about 150 metres underground, fermented with cultivated microbes and no artificial additives. Hwayo distils under vacuum, which lets the mash boil at a lower temperature and keeps harsh, bitter notes out of the spirit. It then rests for three months in onggi, porous Korean earthenware pots that let the spirit breathe and soften. The white bottle is shaped after a Goryeo celadon vase and is meant to echo the colour of rice.

This is a different drink from the sweetened green-bottle soju sold in most Korean barbecue restaurants. Hwayo 17 is the lighter option and Hwayo 41 the stronger one, while 25 sits between them and keeps a clear rice aroma. Hwayo says it can be served chilled, warmed or in cocktails in place of gin or vodka.

For a straight pour, chill the bottle and serve it in small glasses with food. Hwayo pairs this strength with red meat sashimi, lobster and steamed clams, and it sits comfortably beside Korean barbecue too. Once opened, keep the cap tight and the bottle in the fridge so it is ready to pour cold.