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

By: Irene Yoo

Published by Random House, 2025-09-09

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!