EDITOR’S NOTE: This article on JINRO Soju was written in partnership with HITEJINRO Philippines.
Recognize this green bottle?
You may recognize it from an episode of the latest Korean Drama. Your favorite character was sitting at a restaurant in South Korea while pouring shot after shot from this iconic green bottle.
This is the very same green bottle that provides you comfort in any moment of sadness or celebration. It is the one and only soju – JINRO.
What is Soju?
Soju is an alcoholic drink from South Korea that has been around for centuries. You can think of it as a Korean variation of vodka or rice wine. Traditionally, it was made with rice but these days, it’s more commonly made from sweet potatoes.
Frequent visitors to Seoul are no strangers to soju, but thanks to the global appeal of Korean food, music, cinema, and culture, soju is becoming more and more popular in other parts of the world as well.
JINRO Soju Flavors
JINRO surpassed many famous brands around the world to secure its reign as the world’s best-selling spirit. There are several flavors for you to choose from, including clean flavors and fruit flavors.
The most common clean flavors are Fresh and Original. JINRO Chamisul Fresh has a mild and clean soju taste while JINRO Original tastes slightly stronger. You can also try the fruit flavor series which includes JINRO Strawberry, JINRO Green Grape, JINRO Plum, JINRO Peach (NEW!), and JINRO Grapefruit soju.
As frequent travelers to South Korea, we’re very familiar with the JINRO brand. Each soju flavor has a distinctive taste based on the different ingredients used in the process, but I can assure you that each flavor tastes just as good as the next.
Beware of Fake JINRO Soju!
Apparently, with soju being the world’s best-selling spirit in the world, there’s a risk of purchasing fake soju that you may not be aware of.
Buying green bottles of soju online without verifying their authenticity happens more often than you think. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to determine which products are real or not because the bottles are packaged in almost the exact same way as authentic JINRO soju.
Before you start purchasing soju, there are a few things you need to check to ensure that it was produced by real JINRO Soju producers. Be careful because buying fake soju can be harmful to your health!
How to Spot Authentic JINRO Soju
Just because a bottle is green and looks like the JINRO soju that you see in Korean Dramas doesn’t mean that it’s the real thing. Apparently, green bottles are universally used by soju manufacturers to help protect the alcohol content from sunlight and ensure that it lasts longer.
Here are a few things to look for when purchasing authentic JINRO Soju.
Check the Label
First, check the label on the green bottle. To experience authentic JINRO soju, look for the label with its trademark toad logo. The toad colors vary from the different flavors of JINRO Soju.
Look for the Curve
Second, if you look closely, JINRO Soju has a curved label. There are local brands that claim to be authentic Korean soju, especially when they use the exact same green bottle and similar-looking labels. But don’t be so easily fooled because they may be copycats from other brands.
In spite of some customers being fooled by copycats, JINRO remains the dominant brand among all soju brands in the Philippines. JINRO sales are at least double the sales of other local soju brands.
JINRO continues to be the world’s best-selling spirit for twenty consecutive years and counting. If you want to try the best soju, then be sure to buy authentic JINRO Soju.
How Much is Authentic JINRO Soju in the Philippines?
In the Philippines, prices for authentic JINRO Soju range between PHP 90-150 per 360 ml bottle. Depending on where you buy it from, fake soju can be priced for as low as half of that.
Don’t fall for the allure of overly cheap prices! Chances are, they’re too good to be true. You won’t be getting the same quality and richness in flavor as the real thing and you might even suffer adverse effects because of it.
Remember, the best way to purchase authentic JINRO Soju is from local supermarkets or trusted online stores. Check out JINRO Soju’s official store as well JINRO Philippines’ Lazada and Shopee accounts.
They usually have ongoing discounts or promotions so make sure to check before stocking your soju rack at home. You can also stay up-to-date with new promotions and offers by following JINRO Philippines’ Facebook and Instagram pages.
To learn more, check out the official website of JINRO Philippines.
Disclosure
This article was written in partnership with HITEJINRO Philippines. All information and photos used in this article were provided by them.