Wild Mannered
June 28, 2026 / Photo: Courtesy of Wild Mannered
Childhood best friends Michael Gu and Perry Ya have always loved soju, a lower ABV distilled spirit from Korea, and having fun nights out drinking it with friends. But as they got older, they began to notice how sweet and artificially-flavored most of the drinks tasted — and how acute their hangovers were the next day.
Intent on making a lighter, naturally-flavored cocktail inspired by their many fun soju-fueled evenings, the pair created NYC-based beverage brand Wild Mannered.
The series of ready-to-serve cocktails are 13% ABV, made with a soju and wine base and infused with real fruit and botanicals , offering a lighter alternative to traditional boozy beverages. Though it is definitely a deviation from traditional soju drinks, Gu and Ya created the brand as an honorable nod to their love of communal drinking culture and the Korean spirit that has been a part of many memorable nights out.
The cocktails’ base is made with grapes grown in the Lake Erie AVA and feature different flavor combinations including strawberry basil, cucumber lime mint, and pineapple ginger. Gu says that he and Ya came up with the combinations after many experiments in their own kitchens.
“Our Pineapple Ginger is inspired by GT's Kombucha, Strawberry Basil is inspired by a juicy, herbaceous sangria, and our Cucumber Lime Mint gives that mojito/gin & tonic taste that we really enjoy in cocktails,” he explained.
All of the cocktails’ ingredients are free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives, making them very sippable (straight up or mixed) and less likely to cause a headache in the morning.
Gu and Ya say the number of spaces carrying their cocktails, including wine & spirit stores, restaurants, bars, and venues, is rapidly increasing.
“Growing in NYC has been a labor of love, which is one of the hardest places to start an alcohol brand because every store is individually owned (no chains),” Gu said. “The benefit however, is that we get to forge very deep and personal relationships with people throughout the city: store owners, bartenders and beverage directors, restaurant GMs and other folks.”
More info about Wild Mannered and its ready-to-serve cocktails can be found here.
