The origin of the green bottle can be traced back to the 1990s. Before the 1990s, Korean soju bottles were colorless and transparent like white liquor.
At that time, the No. 1 brand of soju in South Korea also had a transparent bottle. Suddenly, a liquor business called GREEN was born. The image was clean and close to nature.
This image captured the hearts of the Korean people and quickly occupied the market. Consumers feel that the green bottle gives a cleaner, more mellow taste.
Since then, other soju brands have followed suit, so that Korean soju is now in green bottles, which has become a major feature of Korea. This is also written into the history of Korean marketing and is known as a classic case of “color marketing”.
After that, the green bottle of shochu became a symbol of being close to nature and environmental protection. Until now, after drinking the shochu in the store, everyone can observe that the boss will put the bottle in the basket and wait for someone to collect it. The green bottle of shochu has always been maintained. Good habit of recycling. According to statistics, the recovery rate of Korean soju bottles is 97%, and the recycling rate is 86%. Koreans love to drink so much, and this environmental awareness is indeed very important.
There are different brands of soju in various regions of Korea, and the taste of each soju is also slightly different.
Finally, I want to share with you, what etiquette should we pay attention to at the Korean wine table?
1. When drinking with Koreans, you can’t pour yourself wine. The Koreans’ explanation is that pouring wine for yourself is harmful to your health, but in fact, it is to show friendship and respect by pouring wine with each other.
2. When pouring wine for others, hold the bottle label with your right hand, as if covering the label, to express “I’m sorry to serve you with this kind of wine”.
3. When pouring wine for the elders, use your right hand to pour wine (even if you are left-handed, you have to temporarily overcome it, and support your right arm with your left hand. In ancient times, it was to avoid the sleeves from getting the wine and vegetables, and now it is a polite way.
4. When young people drink with their elders, they must first respect their elders or seniors. The elders and seniors drink first, and the juniors hold the wine glasses and turn their faces to drink to show respect for the elders and seniors. (The editor remembers that this appeared in the textbook of our Korea University Language Institute)
5. When Koreans toast to others, they first drink the wine in their own glass, then hand the empty glass to the other party. After the other party takes the glass, they fill it up again.
Tips: In Korea, soju can be paired with snacks, but it is especially suitable with spicy dishes such as roasted pork belly, hot pot, and seafood. Generally, you can drink soju in taverns or restaurants. You can also see Korean uncles drinking soju in front of convenience stores and roadside stalls. In addition, shochu cocktails, which are made by mixing shochu with freshly squeezed juice or juice drinks, are also very popular among young people.
Post time: May-06-2022