The Amazing Adventures of Alanowski

Sorry for the time that it has taken me to get my ass in gear and write something new for the site. It turns out that after 8 months there are not as many things that feel different, not as many things that seem to be of note. In fact everything has become everyday, everything has become ‘home’. I don’t say this to mean that I feel this is my long term home, or that Scotland is not interesting, it’s just that my recent observations have just been of an everyday nature, so I am looking to change the format of the blog for a short while in an effort to make it a bit more interesting – I always set out to have this as musings and points of interest, and not a diary (if you want that you’ll have to email me asking specific questions).

So here it is - reviews of some things that I see as everyday (well in this case mum, not EVERY day so don’t get too worried). I’ll start off with Korean alcohol in what I am calling –

The Korean Alcohol Report
(Clever title I thought)

Beer (Meakju)

Cass
A pretty tame beer by European standards this can be quite refreshing but lacks any sort of memorable taste. It seems as if they were making the beer and decided to just finish before the entire flavor had been added. Usually pretty cheap and can be bought as draft or bottled, expect to pay about 2000W for 500ml (about a pound).

OB
A little bit better than Cass on the taste front, a smoother flavor with a bit more hops that adds to the kick. It’s the same strength as Cass (don’t expect any wife beater type alcohol levels in any of the beers here) but is ultimately more satisfying. Expect to pay the same price as well.

Hite
A little less common than Cass and OB, Hite is aimed at the young people (something, it turns out, I am no longer considered to be). The taste is a bit stronger, but leaves a soapy aftertaste and lacks any redeeming features that I can ascertain. The cost is the same as the previous two, but the taste just can’t compete. Not as commonly available on draft.

Red Rock
Generally only available on draft and tasty enough, but serves up a horrible hangover. The hangover will come from having 2 or 12, stay clear is my recommendation. Not common at all and a bit stronger than all the others mentioned herein, it kicks you in the teeth as soon as looks at you. Usually a bit more expensive, but varies bar to bar.

Cafri
I’ve only ever seen this in bottles, and is far tastier than all the other mentioned here. The main drawback of this delicious beer is that it is significantly more expensive than the others mentioned here. Expect to pay about 4000W – 5000W for a small bottle, but expect to be pleased with the end result. I have had the opportunity to sit out on a beautiful evening recently and watch the world go by with some friends (check the photo page – LG beers) and enjoy a few of these lovely beers, bliss.

All in all the beers will never be able to compete with European and some American beers, but they inoffensive and enjoyable enough when cold.

Soju (more commonly known as ‘oh my god, please no more soju’)

This is Korea’s answer to a vodka question that should never have been asked. Sold in a variety of ways, this spirit can be brutal and loveable at the same time, I’ll try and take you through the list (the memory can fade when drinking this stuff).

Straight
This is the way the vast majority of soju is consumed. If ordered a small bottle (about the size of a half bottle of vodka) will be delivered along with as many shot glasses as are needed. Make sure that you consume it while it is still very cold, as soon as it warms up you can taste it better and that is never a good thing.
Soju straight can clean glass amazingly well, and it takes the lacquer off of your coffee table.

Cocktail
These are served in many different fashions and flavors. Usually sold by the pitcher (although bottles are sometimes served in bars and are available at shops too), they vary in alcohol content depending on the establishment as the straight soju is added to a mixture depending on the flavor you want. Most common flavors are – lemon, mango, cherry, yogurt, kiwi and peach. I’ve seen some pretty obscure ones like coffee and tea flavors but only a couple of times.

Soju is considered a very social drink, you would not usually order a soju just to sip on yourself, not least because one small bottle of the stuff can make you slur like an idiot and walk like a new born calf (known as the ‘soju gait’).

The main attraction for many people to soju is not the taste at all, it’s the cost. A small bottle will cost you anywhere between 1000W and 2000W (50p and a pound). So you can get yourself into an embarrassingly sickened state for about a fiver and still have change for some dinner to sick up. This is a real problem in Korea, after seeing Mr. and Mrs. Smith at the cinema last week, I was walking home and we passed an older guy laying half on and half off the pavement completely asleep. We woke him and moved him off of the road in the hope that he wouldn’t get his head crushed by some passing bus, to see sights like this is not uncommon. Something even more common is seeing businessmen dressed in nice suits, around 8pm having to be carried to the next bar by their colleagues. This happens midweek and I pass these guys nearly every night on my 3 minute walk between school and my house.

It is said that whisky is the water of life, if this is the case, then soju is the rock of death. Completely without any redeeming features to those who aren’t alcoholics – tastes terrible but is cheap, this drink should be avoided at all costs.

Saying that though, it’s nice to have a few shooters over a friendly game of cribbage.

If anyone wants to know something about Korea or what the beef is with running away from all your commitments and living the easy life in a different country then drop me an email and I’ll try and write about it. If I don’t know the answer then I’ll try and make something up to make it seem interesting. Hope everyone is well and I’ll endeavor make sure that the wait between posts won’t be so long next time.