Soju Party: How to Drink (and Eat!) Like a Korean: A Cookbook

The ultimate guide to drinking (and eating) like a Korean! Recipes for cocktails, bomb shots, drinking food, hangover cures, and much more.

＂A fun and heartfelt guide to Korean culture through food and drink . . . Irene will have you saying ’Geonbae!’ in no time.＂ --KRISTEN KISH, host of Top Chef, restaurateur, author

＂An apt blueprint of how to navigate this world like a pro while enjoying all the Korean recipes that are indispensable to a night of drinking soju.＂ --EDWARD LEE, chef and author of Bourbon Land

Drinking is an essential part of Korean culture, one that’s guided by a complex web of unspoken rules, deep tradition, and lots and lots of food. With Soju Party, food writer, chef, and co-owner of Brooklyn’s Orion Bar Irene Yoo has written the book on drinking like a Korean.

She introduces the classic Korean alcohols and how Koreans typically like to drink them, sharing recipes for cocktails and tasty anju (drinking foods), including:
-The viral Milkis Shot
-A heart-stopping Seoul Train
-Unique cocktail recipes featuring Korean-inspired riffs and nostalgic twists, like a Jujube Ginseng Negroni and a Banana Milk makgeolli
-Simple snacks like salty and sweet Honey-Butter Bar Nuts
-Essential comfort food like a savory White Ddukbokki and a super slurpable Kimchi Carbonara
-A dedicated party section featuring a large-format Watermelon Soju Hwachae and sweet-and-spicy Chimaek Chicken

In addition to recipes, Soju Party explores the history of Korean drinking, with illustrations explaining proper serving and drinking etiquette, drinking games, food pairings, and more. A book that promises late nights (don’t worry, there’s a section on hangovers!), this is a party on the page. Geonbae!

IRENE YOO, also known as Yooeating, is a New York-based chef, recipe developer, writer, and culinary historian focused on Korean and Korean American home cooking, street food, and drinking culture. The co-owner of Orion Bar in Bushwick, she has contributed to Food52, Food Network, and Bon Appetit. Together with fellow contributor James Park, she co-hosts YouTube channel KA KA Studio, which shares their unique Korean American experiences and perspectives through Korean food, culture, and travel.