Korean barbeque always tops the list of favorite foods for foreigners. Table grilling offers a unique bonding experience, much like a backyard picnic. And like any BBQ, beer and soju are a must. There are many different ratios for making so-maek, which is a mixture of soju and beer (maekju). Some restaurants even provide special measuring glasses that aid in creating the perfect recipe. If you look closely at the picture above, you’ll see that soju is poured first followed by the beer…it’s up to you to choose the best mix. Here’s a picture of the same Hite-Jinro so-maek glass. And more pictures.

소주 (soju) – clear distilled alcohol (comes in bottles with 17% alcohol and up)
맥주 (maekju) – beer
소맥잔 (so-maek-jan) – sojo-beer glass, also sometimes spelled 쏘맥잔

If you’re looking for more information, we’ve done articles on drinking etiquette (165-167) and Korean alcohol (91,92) as well.