Watermelon Soju Cocktail
It’s happy hour time! Watermelon Soju or Sobak Soju originates from South Korea and it is a recent discovery for me. Making watermelon soju cocktail is truly easy – just watermelon juice and soju. Enjoying the drink at home is the best thing for us since we don’t have to worry about who’s driving. The sad news is, soju or alcohol in general is insanely and exorbitantly expensive in Singapore (as are our cars). For example, a small 375 ml bottle of soju costs S$16 at our local supermarkets, but a similar bottle will only cost like $2 (not a typo!) in South Korea or S$4 in the US!!! In Korea, soju is a cheap, common and popular drink, especially in the colder months. I think if I ever move to a country with cheap alcohol, I will probably be getting high on a different soju cocktail every weekend :p
Related Recipes:
- Yakult Soju Recipe (pictured above)
- More Korean Recipes
I can still console myself that home-made is still much cheaper than ordering it at a pub (we paid S$38 for watermelon soju at a local Korean pub which comes with a small bottle of soju). Soju can be enjoyed straight (neat) or as a shot, but I think many people especially ladies will love soju with watermelon juice as the concoction makes the drink tastier and prettier, especially when served in a cute watermelon bowl.
Soju is a clear distilled alcohol and quite similar to vodka, with a hint of sweetness. You can substitute soju with vodka or even Japanese sake. The alcohol content varies, my bottle of soju is 19% which is at the lower spectrum (it can go up to 40%), but it is still potent to me.
Watermelon Soju Recipe
In this recipe, equal parts watermelon juice and soju are used. Feel free to adjust the ratio of wine to juice, according to your preference. For example, you can add more soju for a stronger alcoholic concoction.
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe watermelon
- Korean soju
Additional equipment needed
- blender or fruit juice extractor
Directions:
- Cut watermelon in half in the middle. Hollow out watermelon by scooping out the flesh with a melon scooper, ice cream scoop or spoon, to make watermelon bowls.
- Make decorative, criss cross cuts on each watermelon bowl, if desired.
- Remove watermelon seeds,if any. Add watermelon flesh to a blender, blend until smooth and strain the juice through a fine sieve to remove the pulp. Alternatively, you can use a fruit juice extractor.
- Measure and mix equal parts watermelon juice and soju. Chill the drink in the fridge.
- When ready to serve, pour chilled watermelon soju into watermelon bowl.
Noob Cook Tip
- If you did not chill the drink before hand, you can add ice cubes when serving the cocktail in the watermelon bowl. I personally prefer not to add ice cubes as doing so may dilute the drink a little.
- Instead of halving the watermelon to get two watermelon bowls, you can also make a top cut to make a taller watermelon bowl.