Soju is a clear, distilled spirit and Korea’s most popular alcoholic beverage. Traditionally made from rice, modern production often incorporates starches like sweet potatoes, wheat, or tapioca. The spirit has a smooth, slightly sweet profile and a lower alcohol content compared to Western hard liquors. Examining the caloric content of a standard serving helps understand how soju fits into a nutritional plan.
The Calorie Count of a Standard Shot
A standard serving size for a “shot” of soju is typically 1.5 ounces (44 milliliters). A single 1.5-ounce shot of unflavored, mass-market soju contains approximately 60 to 64 calories, depending on the brand and its alcohol percentage. The vast majority of these calories come directly from the alcohol itself, which contributes seven calories per gram. Since pure alcohol contains no fat, protein, or carbohydrates, unflavored soju is almost entirely calorie-dense due to its ethanol content.
Why Calories Fluctuate in Soju
The calorie count in soju fluctuates based on two main factors: the Alcohol By Volume (ABV) and the presence of added sugars. Alcohol content directly influences the calories, as a higher ABV means more ethanol and thus more calories per volume. Modern mass-produced soju typically has an ABV between 16% and 25%, which is lower than most traditional hard liquors.
Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
The trend toward lower-alcohol varieties, often in the 16% to 17% range, results in a lower calorie count compared to older, higher-proof versions. Since alcohol provides seven calories per gram, reducing the concentration translates directly into fewer total calories. This is why a shot of soju is often lower in calories than a shot of a typical 40% ABV spirit.
Added Sugars and Flavorings
The inclusion of flavorings is the second major factor that increases the caloric value. Flavored soju, which is highly popular, contains added sugars and sweeteners to achieve tastes like grapefruit, peach, or green grape. These added carbohydrates increase the calorie count substantially compared to the plain, unflavored spirit. While unflavored soju has negligible carbohydrates, flavored varieties can increase the calories per 1.5-ounce shot to 70 calories or more.
Soju vs. Other Common Alcoholic Beverages
Soju’s caloric content is lower than many other common alcoholic drinks, primarily due to its moderate alcohol content. A standard 1.5-ounce shot of unflavored soju (60 to 64 calories) compares favorably to an equivalent serving of a typical 80-proof (40% ABV) spirit like vodka or whiskey. A 1.5-ounce shot of these higher-proof spirits usually contains about 96 to 100 calories.
A 5-ounce glass of average table wine contains around 120 to 125 calories, which is double the calories of a single soju shot. A standard 12-ounce serving of regular beer generally falls in the range of 140 to 150 calories. Soju’s lower ABV and smaller serving size position it as a comparatively low-calorie choice among popular alcoholic beverages.