Empirical Soka
Empirical Soka is a 43% ABV (86 proof) spirit in a 750mL bottle from Copenhagen's Empirical, distilled from a single key ingredient: sorghum cane, the ancient cereal crop of Asian and African brewing, sourced from Wisconsin. Launched in the UK in January 2023 alongside Symphony 6, it is Empirical's minimalist statement — one ingredient, fully expressed — with a grassy, grainy character that has no direct comparison in the spirits world. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 43% (86 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Base: sorghum cane (Wisconsin)
- Origin: Copenhagen, Denmark
- Production: single-ingredient distillation; launched January 2023
One Ancient Grain, Nothing Else
Sorghum is one of humanity's oldest cultivated grains — the backbone of baijiu, African beers, and countless traditional drinks — and Soka strips it down to a single-ingredient spirit. Co-founder Lars Williams framed both 2023 releases as connecting "a sense memory or a landscape to a flavour experience"; Soka is the grain half of that pair, grassy and distinctive where Symphony 6 is aromatic and floral. It drinks somewhere between a craft vodka's purity and a shochu's grain character, with a green, cereal edge all its own. Find it with the liqueur collection and spirits shelf, or all of Empirical's releases at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Press coverage describes a grassy, grainy spirit with sorghum's natural cereal sweetness and a distinctive, slightly wild edge — clean enough to sip, characterful enough to anchor a cocktail.
How to Enjoy
Chilled and neat to meet the sorghum character head-on, or in a highball with soda where its grainy edge plays against the bubbles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sorghum?
An ancient cereal crop used for millennia in Asian and African brewing — and the base of Chinese baijiu.
Is Soka like vodka or shochu?
It shares their grain-spirit clarity but with a grassier, more distinctive sorghum character — its own thing.
When was Soka released?
January 2023 (UK launch), alongside Empirical's Symphony 6.
One grain, zero compromises — order Empirical Soka online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.