Korean Tradition, American Craft

Founders Dan and Max were inspired to build West 32 Soju from the memorable dinners and nights out they shared on West 32nd Street in New York City’s Koreatown in their mid-20's. Despite their love for the soju experience, as they got older, they couldn’t  avoid the "soju hangover" — it nearly put an end to their frequent nights out in Koreatown. After doing some research, they were shocked to find that the worse-than-average hangover comes more from the artificial sweeteners like stevioside or saccharin, and other highly processed ingredients found in mass-produced soju. 

They knew they could do better. At that moment, they decided to develop an approachable, high-quality Soju that allowed friends to keep the party going while introducing one of the most popular spirits in the world to the American consumer. Based on our research, Americans are trending towards lower ABV spirits mindfully crafted with premium ingredients to be low in calories and carbs, while the foodie zeitgeist expands their willingness to be adventurous with food and drink — West 32 checks every box.

The West 32 founders got to work testing countless bases from sweet potato to rice to corn. After over a year of trials, they achieved a refined recipe for an all-natural, gluten-free Soju, that’s the perfect spirit to enjoy neat, in cocktails, and always with your closest friends and family. West 32 Soju is our take on the traditional Korean spirit that is true to heritage, but with a modern American craft influence.

Since launching West 32 Soju, Dan and Max have been on a mission to bring soju into the mainstream. They will do this by creating an approachable brand and high-quality spirit, capitalizing on current beverage industry trends that lean toward low-abv, gluten-free, spirits, and educating and introducing a new audience to soju and the soju experience.

Our two varieties are our Original Soju and our Reserve, which is barrel- aged in American white oak whiskey barrels for up to a year. We crafted our soju with the modern American consumer in mind, one who seeks a spirit that uses well-sourced ingredients that are made with integrity in small batches. We aren't making just any other spirit — our craft Soju’s American roots attract mixologists and Westerners alike, enabling us to educate them about Soju and introduce it into sophisticated beverage programs. 

Our all-natural, gluten-free soju is made in small-batches in upstate New York near the Catskills. The design of our bottles embody the feeling of New York City's West 32nd street, from long dinners with family to late evenings out on the town. 

Produced outside of Albany, NY, West 32 Soju is sold at an accessible price point that’s high enough to convey its premium quality, while still making it affordable to our consumer audience. We make our Soju from Catskills water and North American-grown corn for a completely clean base that’s triple filtered, with an added touch of all-natural cane sugar for a smooth profile that’s true to the Soju experience.

In the NY International Spirits Competition, West 32 Original Soju placed as the 2017 Gold Winner & 2017/2019 Soju Producer of the Year, while Reserve Soju placed as the 2019 Silver Medal Winner & 2019 Soju Producer of the Year.  Our Soju has been Featured in the New York Times, Wine Spectator, Imbibe Drink of the Week, and Thirsty. 

Over the last three years, we have grown our market availability from 2 states in 2017 to 13 states in 2020 and our soju is available online throughout the U.S. In 2017, we obtained our US trademark, in 2018 we obtained our South Korean Trademark, and in 2019, we sold over 1,500 cases.

 Soju was the #1 selling distilled spirit in the world in 2017, with over 115 million cases sold alone. The US is now one of the fastest growing soju markets, with a growth rate of 15% year over year for the past three years. Low ABV spirits and cocktails continue to accelerate in popularity; for example, Aperol saw a 25% growth in 2018 sales due to the popularity of the ‘Aperol Spritz’. 

The IWSR2 reports that low alcohol drinks are expected to have an annual growth rate of 38% by 2022.  We see soju (aka Korean vodka) as the perfect low ABV spirit for the growing health conscious consumers, who care about what they put in their bodies and want to be able to drink casually over longer periods of quality time with friends without overdoing it.

Kerry Flavor reports which tracks sales, consumer trends & foodservice influence, noted that consumers will continue to desire more internationally-inspired flavors. Additionally, in the last decade there has been an explosion in popularity of Korean pop culture and cuisine, with Yelp reporting 34% category growth since 2012. 

We created a line of sojus that are craft-distilled in the US, and designed for an easy, clean-drinking experience. Our Original Soju, with its 19% ABV, is made using all-natural cane sugar, rather than the artificial sweeteners used in most soju products, so our consumers don’t have to worry about the ‘soju hangover’. The West 32 Original has a  gluten-free designation, which makes it accessible to an even wider audience.

Our Reserve Soju, known for its subtle whiskey flavor, has a 32% ABV and is the only American-made barrel-aged soju, aged up to 1 year in a mix of American Oak rye and bourbon barrels.

Both of our products have a smooth finish, so they can be consumed  as a component in fine cocktails, as a base in low ABV cocktails, or neat by the bottle while participating in the ritual of traditional Korean drinking games. 

What is Soju?

Soju is a low proof “Korean vodka” that has a history and deep-rooted tradition spanning hundreds of years. Similar to vodka, soju is a neutral spirit, with an element of sweetness; however, soju is low ABV (only 14% to 24% ABV). It is most often consumed neat, but it serves as a great base or component in cocktails too. Most importantly, drinking Soju is a communal experience that brings people together through time-honored customs — you might ‘grab a drink’ with friends, but you share a bottle of soju. Soju is part of a social ritual. Believe it or not, Soju is one of the most popular spirits in the world, but there’s a good chance you haven’t heard of it since the vast majority of it is consumed in Korea.

We sell our soju to distributors in 10 states, as well as directly to retailers in 3 states. Our product margins range from 50% to 65% depending on the SKU and sales outlet.

In New York, New Jersey, and California, West 32 Soju is able to sell directly to retailers and thus bypass distributors. This allows us to engage directly with bartenders and beverage directors and build relationships with accounts. Additionally, it allows us to keep cost down for the accounts and grow before committing to a distributor in one of the mentioned states.

West 32 Soju aims to shake up the routine American spirit industry with a fresh take on a traditional Korean spirit. With our carefully crafted branding and refined flavor profile, we are introducing one of the most popular spirits in the world to American consumers. Our soju is perfectly situated at the intersection of the foodie movement and low ABV trend, allowing us to capture the untapped non-Korean consumer market. 

We compete with local craft sojus and with the large Korean brands, many of which create an inexpensive product by using cheap ethanol and processed sweeteners. Some craft Soju brands have recreated ancient recipes to make a more traditional product, but sit at a steep price point and have an overpowering taste that can be polarizing. Our Soju, however, is a premium brand at a price point that allows consumers to trade up for every occasion, with both relatable and aspirational New York branding, and a clean, neutral flavor profile with just a hint of sweetness. 

Our vision is to make Soju a mainstay spirit in the repertoire of the foodie cult, i.e. the people who live to eat out, try new things, drink complex cocktails, and never miss a Sunday brunch. We are on a mission to make soju mainstream, and we believe our award-winning soju is well-positioned to become  the next staple in liquor cabinets everywhere.

We plan to reach 10,000 cases per year and profitability by 2025. We will do this by hiring more market managers, increasing our tasting capabilities in liquor stores, and start to increase PR.

Our team has years of experience in successfully growing start up businesses, while our partners have experience in building spirit brands. Our partners, Coquetel Spirits and Mr. Gold, have worked with big brands like Bacardi and Patron, and have helped grow emerging brands like Gem & Bolt into the larger brands they are today. Through their relationships and guidance, we are able to access accounts and distributors to build brand awareness.

We believe West 32 is a premium quality soju brand with few comparable competitors on the market. Our soju is perfectly situated at the intersection of the foodie movement and low ABV trend, anchored to Korean culture, with strong branding that appeals to American consumers. We have the opportunity to expand this fast-growing category of low ABV spirits and internationally inspired flavors to the United States, and we are so excited to offer you equity in our company as we make our mark on the spirit industry.