Little did I know, until yesterday, that soju was the world’s biggest selling liquor. I’ve wanted to try the stuff for many moons now since binging, this past spring, on South Korean TV serials, whose characters invariably resort to the little green bottles when they want to go on a different kind of binge, that is, when they want to go on a bender. Soju mixes well with Trader Joe’s delightful apple cider vinegar drink and is the perfect chaser for Ttobongee’s scrumptious fried chicken.

In episode six of The Uncanny Counter (broadcast on Netflix), I learned that, in traditional South Korean drinking culture, a young person must turn his back to an elder when downing a glass of soju in his presence.