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Mainstream Mixology Incorporates New Flavors

Mixology has emerged as a new drinking trend, especially among the fashionable youth. Mixed alcoholic drinks appeal strongly to those in their 20s and 30s and are cherished for their unique flavor, aroma, and colors, which change depending on the proportions and kinds of spirits or beverages they contain. Highballs, a mix of carbonated water or tonic water and whiskey, seem to be the most popular from among a large variety of cocktails. Not only are they widely available, their low alcohol content makes them easy to enjoy. The “Earl Grey Highball” is an especially favored choice on many cocktail menus, and is made by mixing 30 ml whiskey, 15 ml Earl Grey syrup, 120 ml tonic water or carbonated water, and a dash of lemon juice in an ice-filled glass.

The mixology trend also seems to be highlighting distilled soju as a good mixer. Although stronger and more expensive than its more widely available diluted counterpart, many people are choosing distilled soju as an alternative to whiskey. And traditional Korean liquor is no exception to the mixology trend. Kooksoondang (a Korean brewing company) was the first to respond by putting out a “Joseon Highball” recipe using its bekseju (rice wine flavored with various herbs and ginseng): fill a 400 ml glass with 150 ml bekseju and 75 ml tonic water, squeeze in one quarter of a lemon, and mix. Drinkers and brewers are likely to develop even more cocktail recipes featuring various alcoholic drinks, thereby continuing to fan mixology’s flame for some time.

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