Potato soju to be up for sale

By Ko Dong-hwan

New type of potato-brewed soju will hit the liquor market as early as late May.

The government is seeking to join hands with the nation’s liquor brewers to release a vegetable-brewed soju ― using 10,000 tons of potatoes ― according to Kyunghyang Shinmun Wednesday.

This unprecedented liquor project was proposed amid concerns about the recent surge in cultivated potato crops; with the abundance in supplies will follow a plunge in potato prices, which will damage families and businesses of interests.

The government came up with the idea of turning the crops into ethanol, a liquor ingredient more commonly known as alcohol.

The report said residual potatoes will be distributed to nine brewers, including Jinro Distillers and Chang-Hae, each with about 1,000 to 2,000 tons.

The Korea Alcohol Liquor Industry Association said the new soju will be brewed only for temporary periods using the limited crops. It will be available in the market starting late May, the report added.

Potatoes have been shunned by brewers because of their high moisture composition. The liquors have been mainly brewed using barley and wheat.