Savoring traditional Korean soju requires five steps, similar to wine tasting.



You have to look at the color, smell the aroma, sip and hold it in the mouth for several seconds before letting it slide down the throat and enjoying the slowly spreading scent inside the nose and throat.



“A good soju is soft and makes you smile,” said artisan Kim Taek-sang at his brewing studio at Samcheong-ro in Jongno, central Seoul.



Kim, who was named Seoul Intangible Cultural Asset No. 8 in 1990, has carried on the centuries-old tradition of brewing Samhaeju, one of the oldest kinds of traditional liquors in Korea, dating back to the late Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392).



The Samhaeju soju -- 45 percent alcohol by volume -- he offered contained a soft, velvety aroma that doesn’t make one cringe despite its much higher percentage of alcohol than contemporary soju.



Large terra-cotta pots, where traditional liquor are stored, are displayed at Sansawon gallery in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. (Sansawon)



The history of traditional Korean liquor goes back as far as the Goryeo Dynasty and Joseon era (1392-1910). There are some 20 alcoholic beverages that represent each Korean province, including Andong Soju in the Gyeongsang region and Munbaeju in North Korea.



Among other drinks, Samhaeju soju was exclusively enjoyed by aristocrats and kings in Hanyang, the former name of Seoul, during the Joseon era.



“Soju was not a popular liquor available for everyone because its main ingredient, rice, was one of the most valuable commodities back then,” said Kim.



Soju -- the distilled extract of fermented rice mixed with yeast and filtered several times -- was a high-end alcoholic beverage. When the rice supply fell short, a king even had the right to ban production of soju across the country. Traditional soju making, therefore, was carried out by noble families who could afford rice and made their own yeast.

