A Glass of Soju with Cake, Kosse Cafe Romang

Not Coffee, But Coffee Soju

Have you ever paired wine or beer with dessert? Many people would probably nod in agreement. But how about drinking soju with dessert? Probably not many have tried that. Dessert and soju separately might be fine, but soju during dessert time... it’s hard to picture. However, here is a soju that tastes even better when paired with dessert. It’s Yeongdeok Joojo’s Kkose Cafe Romang.

Yeongdeok Joojo produces unique makgeolli and distilled liquors by adding local specialty crops such as blueberry and deodeok. Kkose Cafe Romang is a product made in collaboration with Kkose, a coffee specialty shop in Gangneung. It is a liqueur brewed with rice, apple, grape, and coffee powder, with an alcohol content of 13%. This liquor, which received high praise at the 2017 Gangneung Coffee Festival, is now ready to be tasted.

As soon as the cap was opened, a rich coffee aroma mixed with caramel scent poured out as if waiting. It smelled like melted coffee candy, sweet rather than bitter. The taste also boasts a high similarity to coffee candy. Although it has a similar alcohol content to fruit soju, surprisingly, the alcohol taste is barely noticeable. When it goes down the throat, a warm sensation gently rises, making you think, “Oh right, this is alcohol.” After drinking, the coffee aroma lingers in the mouth like having eaten good coffee candy. It’s a drink that makes you intoxicated by the coffee aroma before the alcohol, the kind you pour intending to have just one glass but end up finishing the whole bottle.

Since I prefer iced coffee over hot coffee, I tried adding ice to this liquor as well. With the cold ice, the barely noticeable presence of alcohol completely disappeared. It felt more like iced coffee with plenty of syrup than alcohol. Sweet but not greasy, it makes you keep pouring another glass. Drinking little by little, a warm feeling suddenly flushed over my face. Don’t just drink it blindly because it’s sweet. If you are sensitive to alcohol, be sure to drink in moderation.

Since coffee is usually enjoyed with bakery items... wouldn’t coffee soju also go well with cake or bread? Desserts with buttery or cheesy flavors came to mind rather than fruit tarts. So, I decided to enjoy tea time, or rather soju time, with cheesecake and croissants. Starting with the croissant. Although it’s soju, the coffee flavor strangely harmonized well with the croissant’s soft buttery taste. The harmony with the cheesecake was so perfect it deserved applause. Like fitting the last puzzle piece, pairing it with cheesecake made the flavor complete. The soju enhanced the dense flavor unique to rich cheesecake while appropriately balancing the greasiness, creating a perfect match. I couldn’t hide my amazement throughout the tasting that cheese and soju could go so well together.

Kkose Cafe Romang, the coffee soju that perfectly captures the sweet taste of coffee. Not only does it taste wonderful, but it is also priced in the high ten-thousands of won, making it a great gift or party drink. Since the combination of coffee and soju itself is uncommon, it will instantly attract everyone’s attention. If you plan to drink alone, be sure to prepare cheesecake as a side dish. Definitely. A sweet dessert time with atmosphere, this one bottle of liquor is all you need!

Photo by Kim Bomi

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