The Vietnamese Hard Coffee So Potent Customers Compare It To Four Loko

If there was a Hall of Infamy reserved for beverages, there would surely be an exhibit devoted to the Panera "charged" lemonade that was discontinued after its high caffeine content caused fatalities. And right next to it, undoubtedly, would be Four Loko, a short-lived jolt of alcohol and caffeine with an insane and drunken history and a staggering alcohol by volume (ABV) content of 12%.  Its signature combination still exists today in different beverages, albeit without the same strength. One such new drink, which has Redditors comparing it to Four Loko, is Yoju's Hard Vietnamese Coffee. It's marketed as the first of its type in the world, and recently hit the shelves at both Costco and Trader Joe's.

This canned cocktail, which comes in a 4-pack, combines the Gen Z favorite spirit, Korean soju, with Vietnamese coffee and condensed milk in a rich beverage with a coffee ice cream taste and a serious 7% ABV content. The Yoju brand makes several different soju-based cocktails, but the Vietnamese Hard Coffee is its first caffeinated drink. Although it contains 20 to 30 mg of caffeine per can, that's still much less than the original Four Loko, which contained 156 milligrams of caffeine, or approximately two 8.4-ounce cans of Red Bull.

Of the two major grocery chains that are selling Yoju's Hard Vietnamese Coffee, Costco has a cheaper price-per-unit, costing just $2.25 per can to TJ's $3.75 per can. You can also buy the beverage on Yoju's website, where you can also find its other canned, soju-infused beverages in flavors like mango, lychee, and white peach.

Once you've gotten your hands on a can of Yoju's, just open it up and have a sip, which is part of the appeal of such packaging. However, if you want to take it to the next level, there are also ways to jazz up your Hard Vietnamese Coffee for an easy-to-make but visually impressive treat.

For instance, the drink is sweet and especially good when served cold, so pour your chilled can of Yoju's over a glass of ice and garnish with whipped cream. For an even more decadent variation, you can also stir in a bit of chocolate sauce for a Hard Vietnamese Mocha that blends cocktail hour with dessert.

Of course, you can always try whipping up your own hard Vietnamese coffee at home. In doing so, you can tinker with alcohol content, sweetness, and coffee ratio until you get it precisely to your liking. Who knows? You might even end up with a drink that's cheaper per beverage — and packs less of a punch — than the canned version.