The story behind somaek, Korean drinking games, and the green bottle you keep seeing in K-dramas.
Many foreigners notice the same thing when they visit Korea.
Why do Koreans mix soju and beer?
In Korea, it’s so common that almost nobody explains it. But to outsiders, it can look strange. People pour soju into perfectly good beer, raise their glasses, shout “Wihayeo!” (“Cheers!”), and drink together.
Through K-dramas and variety shows, this habit has spread around the world. Today, somaek has become one of the most recognizable symbols of Korean nightlife.
Many visitors assume it must be a traditional drink.
It isn’t.
It’s not particularly old. It’s not expensive. And it certainly isn’t considered sophisticated.
So why do Koreans love it so much?
The answer eventually leads somewhere bigger than alcohol. It leads to how Koreans build relationships, spend time together, and create a sense of belonging.
Silla Aristocrats Floated Wine Cups on Water
The roots go back much further than most people realize.
In the ancient kingdom of Silla (57 BC–AD 935), there was a place called Poseokjeong. More than a thousand years ago, aristocrats gathered around a winding stone water channel. Wine cups floated along the stream, and participants had to compose a poem before the cup reached them. Fail, and you drank as punishment.
Another famous artifact from the same period is the Juryeonggu, a fourteen-sided drinking-game dice.
Each side contained a different challenge: dance without music, empty a cup and laugh loudly, endure teasing without reacting, recite a poem, and more.
In other words, Korea’s drinking game culture stretches back more than 1,300 years.
For centuries, Korean drinking culture emphasized shared experience more than individual preference. That tradition still survives today.
When one person drinks, others often drink too. When a glass becomes empty, someone else fills it.
Foreign visitors sometimes ask:
“Why does everyone seem to be drinking at the same pace?”
Because often, they are.
Why Do Koreans Mix Soju and Beer?
This is usually the part foreigners find hardest to understand.
Why ruin a perfectly good beer by mixing soju into it?
The answer is surprisingly simple.
Modern soju and modern beer were never designed as luxury drinks. Soju became the drink of ordinary workers during Korea’s industrialization era. The problem is that soju alone can feel harsh.
Beer, meanwhile, can feel too mild for many Korean drinkers.
So someone combined them.
The result was somaek.
Softer than soju. Stronger than beer.
And somehow, it works.
But taste is not the real reason Koreans love somaek.
The real reason is rhythm.
Everyone can drink at roughly the same pace. Nobody is too far ahead. Nobody is left behind.
How Koreans Make Somaek
A typical Korean-style somaek session begins by gathering everyone’s beer glasses in front of one designated “maker.”
The glasses are carefully arranged according to where people are sitting. If they get mixed up, nobody remembers whose glass belongs to whom.
The maker pours chilled soju into each glass until it reaches roughly one-sixth of the glass.
Cold beer comes next, filling the glass a little over halfway.
The glasses are handed back.
Someone shouts “Wihayeo!”
And everyone drinks together.
There are endless variations, but this is probably the most common version you’ll see in Korea.
The Real Meaning of Bomb Shots
Foreign visitors often remember somaek as poktanju, literally “bomb liquor.”
The nickname comes from the dramatic way a shot glass is sometimes dropped into a larger beer glass.
Technically, traditional bomb shots originally mixed whiskey and beer. Similar drinks exist around the world.
Koreans simply replaced whiskey with soju.
The result is lighter, cheaper, and easier to drink over a long evening.
Foreign media often focus on how much Koreans drink.
But Koreans themselves tend to focus on something different.
Not who drank the most.
Whether everyone drank together.
Foreigners often see poktanju as a way to get drunk faster.
Koreans frequently see it as a way to make the table more fun.
That’s why bomb shots are often less about alcohol and more about atmosphere.
And honestly, watching someone successfully drop an entire row of shot glasses into beer mugs at the same time is entertaining every single time.
Why Samgyeopsal and Soju Matter
To understand Korean drinking culture, you have to understand samgyeopsal and soju.
A piece of hot, fatty pork belly.
Followed immediately by a cold shot of soju.
It’s difficult to explain if you haven’t experienced it.
The sharp, clean bite of soju cuts through the richness of the pork almost instantly.
For many Koreans, soju is not a luxury drink.
It’s the drink you have after a long day of work while sitting around a samgyeopsal grill with friends and coworkers.
One toast.
One shot.
A signal that the day is finally over.
It isn’t expensive.
It isn’t sophisticated.
It can be loud, messy, and occasionally regrettable.
But people often end up intoxicated by the atmosphere more than the alcohol itself.
Korean Drinking Games Exist to Remove Awkwardness
Foreign visitors are often fascinated by Korean drinking games.
Most Koreans learn drinking culture through university life, friends, and seniors.
Over time, people developed countless games designed to make awkward situations feel less awkward.
APT.
Hunminjeongeum.
Bunny Bunny.
Image Game.
There are hundreds of them.
Even ROSÉ’s global hit “APT.” takes its title from one of Korea’s most famous drinking games.
The goal is not competition.
The goal is to remove social friction.
People talk faster.
React faster.
Laugh more.
And before long, complete strangers are having conversations as if they’ve known each other for years.
Korean Drinking Culture Is Changing
Today’s younger generation drinks differently.
Company drinking culture is weaker than it once was.
More people openly refuse alcohol.
Highballs, wine, whiskey, and non-alcoholic beverages are becoming increasingly popular.
If previous generations often drank to endure and bond, younger Koreans are more likely to drink for enjoyment and personal taste.
Korea remains a country with a strong drinking culture.
But it is also a country actively debating what that culture should look like in the future.
If You Visit Korea, Try Somaek Once
Not because it’s a great drink.
And not because it’s a traditional one.
But because sitting in a noisy samgyeopsal restaurant, awkwardly mixing somaek, and laughing with the people around you offers a glimpse into Korean society that few museums can provide.
If you haven’t planned your Seoul itinerary yet, start here:
Seoul in 5 Days: The Only Itinerary You’ll Need in 2026
If you’re interested in Korean culture, the National Museum of Korea is one place you shouldn’t miss. Knowing what to see—and in what order—can completely change the experience.
National Museum of Korea — What to See, in the Right Order
Foreign visitors are often just as surprised by another aspect of Korean culture: Korean men’s makeup—and the fact that its history goes back much further than most people expect.
Why Do Korean Men Wear Makeup? The 5,000-Year History Behind K-Pop
Many visitors remember Korea through palaces, cafés, and K-pop.
But some remember something else.
A plastic chair under fluorescent lights.
A glass of somaek.
And a table full of people laughing together.
Because the real story of Korean drinking culture isn’t soju.
It’s the people sitting around the table.
If you’ve experienced Korean drinking culture yourself, leave a comment below. I’d love to hear your story.
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