Gochujang In Your Whisky?: 9 Korean Ingredients To Go With Your Johnnie Walker Blonde Cocktail

Complex flavour notes and whisky cocktails are a tale as old as time. Most whisky cocktails generally layer multiple flavours, balancing the spirit’s woody, smoky, or vanilla notes with sweeteners, citrus, or bitters. The basic variations of these cocktails usually alter ingredient quantities – increasing or decreasing the measures in consistent proportions. 

But what happens if you introduce a new flavour into the mix? Like the spicy Korean gochujang? Read ahead to discover the different Korean ingredients you can introduce in your whisky cocktails, how to add them, and recipes for select beverages. 

For this particular list of ingredients, the focus is on blended Scotch whisky, like the Johnnie Walker Blonde or others, that offer a lighter, sweeter note (less smoky) than traditional Scotch.

Korean ingredients are defined by savoury, fermented, and spicy flavours. They focus on aroma and lend deep, unmistakable flavours to food and drinks that are evident in every bite or sip. When it comes to blended whisky drinks, here are some Korean ingredients to try: 

Citrus & Sweeteners

• Yuja-cheong (Yuzu Marmalade): A traditional Korean citron preserve made by mixing thinly sliced yuja fruit (peel and flesh) with an equal amount of sugar or honey. Yuzu adds acidity, citrus aroma, and honey-like sweetness to drinks. It can be used for a Korean-style Whisky Sour or as a sweetener in a highball.

• Hallabong Syrup: This is an incredibly sweet syrup made from speciality hallabong oranges grown on Korea's Jeju Island. It’s known for minimal sourness, and can be used to balance whisky smashes, drier sours, or bitter-sour combos (like a Paloma-style whisky cocktail). 

• Sikhye (Rice Punch): This is a traditional sweet rice drink, usually served as a dessert. Low-ABV highballs made from Johnnie Walker Blonde or a similar blend can use sikhye as a sweet base. 

• Maesil-cheong: Maesil-cheong is a syrup made from traditional green plums (called maesil). It can be used to replace sugar or simple syrups in drinks; it adds a more flavourful and fragrant sweetness to cocktails. 

• Sansuyu cordial: This is a sweetened, concentrated syrup made from the red-coloured fruit of the Cornelian cherry dogwood, a plant native to Korea and often used in traditional Korean beverages, teas, and medicine. It imparts a distinct, delicate acidity and a soft, fruity sweetness to most beverages. 

Savoury & Spicy (Umami)

Gochujang Paste: One of the most recognisable Korean ingredients, gochujang is a thick, fermented chilli paste with a sweet, savoury, and spicy profile. When working with a lighter blended Scotch, use it sparingly—either as a few drops, a light wash, or blended into a syrup—to add subtle heat and umami without overpowering the drink. It works best in highballs or spicy sour-style cocktails, where its intensity can be balanced with citrus and carbonation, rather than in spirit-forward builds like an Old Fashioned. 

Toasted Sesame Oil: A staple in Korean cooking, toasted sesame oil brings a rich, nutty aroma and a slightly roasted depth to drinks. When used sparingly—just a drop or two—it can add a warm finish to whisky cocktails without overpowering lighter blends. For better integration, it can also be turned into a sesame syrup by blending it with sugar and water. Use this in drinks where the subtle nutty note from the oil can highlight the whisky’s natural grain character.

Herbal & Teas

Bori-cha (Roasted Barley Tea): Barley tea (bori, meaning barley and cha meaning tea) is a staple not just in Korea but also in other East Asian countries like China and Japan. It can be consumed hot or cold, and is made by adding roasted barley to hot water. It’s a simple mixer to make at home. With its toasty, bitter flavour, it can introduce earthy, smoky, and nutty notes to a blended scotch highball. In fact, the Johnnie Walker Squid Game 456 cocktail, a highball, uses Bori-Cha Syrup (Barley tea and honey). 

Ginseng Jujube Tea: This traditional Korean herbal tea combines ginseng's earthy bitterness with the sweetness of jujubes (red dates). It can be used to create herbal infusions and add aromatic depth to drinks like the Korean Hot Toddy. 

These ingredients are ideal for creating custom simple syrups or adding depth to a highball. They can also be used as a sweet base or a nutty garnish. Here’s how to use ingredients like gochujang paste, herbal teas, and more in whisky cocktails:  

Turn them into syrups

You can mix the teas or pastes with other ingredients and turn them into syrups. These syrups can be used in place of standard simple syrups in cocktails – they work as sweeteners, but with a more layered profile than a simple sugar syrup. Depending on the ingredient, the resulting syrup can have a creamier base, a tangy undertone, or even a spicy afternote. 

For example, you can muddle a small amount of Gochujang paste with agave or simple syrup to make a spicy, savoury syrup. 

Use them as a base 

Certain teas, punches, and fermented drinks can also act as the base or primary mixer in a cocktail, especially in highballs or low-ABV serves. Ingredients like sikhye or maesil-cheong bring built-in sweetness and flavour, reducing the need for additional syrups or modifiers.

For example, maesil-cheong adds a sweet, slightly tangy, and fruity note that shortens the gap between the whisky and the mixer, creating a more balanced drink.

Add them as garnish

To introduce textural and aromatic depth to a drink, you can use traditional Korean ingredients as a garnish as well. These ingredients can also be used to balance the Korean flavours introduced into a cocktail. 

For example, you can rim the glass with toasted sesame seeds for a nutty aroma. Or add thinly sliced cucumbers to kimchi-based or fiery cocktails; the cucumbers add a light crunch and mildly sweet flavour to the drink. 

The following recipes use Johnnie Walker Blonde. You can swap that with another whisky, as per your personal preference.

Seoul Red Highball 

Ingredients: 

• 30 ml Johnnie Walker Blonde 

• 10 ml Sansuyu Cordial (Korean dogwood berry)

• 15 ml Fresh Lemon Juice

• Korean Pear Soda to top

Method: 

• Shake all the ingredients (except soda) with ice. 

• Strain into a highball glass over ice. Top with Korean Pear Soda. 

• Garnish with edible flowers. 

• Pairing: Pair with smoked salmon or creamy cheeses like Brie or mild cheddar to complement the pear notes.

Yuja Whisky Lemonade

Ingredients: 

• 30 ml Johnnie Walker Blonde

• 10 ml yuja-cheong

• 10 ml fresh lemon juice

• 5 ml simple syrup (optional, adjust to taste)

• Splash of water

Method: 

• Shake all ingredients with ice for about 10–15 seconds until well-chilled and slightly diluted.

• Strain into a rocks or stemmed glass over fresh ice. 

• Garnish with a lemon wheel or thin yuja peel. 

• Pairing: Serve with citrus-forward dishes like grilled fish, lemon chicken, or fresh salads with vinaigrette. It also complements mildly sweet desserts like fruit tarts or sponge cake.

Maesil Ginger Sour

Ingredients: 

• 30 ml Johnnie Walker Blonde

• 10 ml maesil-cheong

• 15 ml fresh lemon juice

• 5 ml ginger syrup (or muddled fresh ginger + sugar)

Method: 

• Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice for 12–15 seconds to properly integrate the citrus and syrup.

• Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice for a clean, balanced finish.

• Garnish with a thin ginger slice or lemon peel.

• Pairing: The ginger-sour can be served with fried snacks or smoky, tandoori kebabs. 

These Korean whisky cocktails don’t reinvent the wheel but focus on blending flavour notes into a sophisticated, layered drink. If you are someone who experiments with new flavours or prefers variations of standard drinks, then these cocktails may be worth exploring. 

*Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.