F-Zero X with Yipsejoo Soju

Legend has it that I started this blog after becoming disgusted with a friend of mine for pairing F-Zero X with Houblon Chouffe, a Belgian DIPA. Whether the story is true or not, I did have several people ask me what would go well with F-Zero X. I had conspicuously omitted this information at the time of my initial post, as I had no idea what would work. The classic N64 racing game takes place in a futuristic setting with hover-cars, neon lights, and a host of weird alien competitors.


I figured the pairing for this game needed to be a clean, sleek beverage with a hard edge. I couldn't think of any beer that seemed appropriate. Wine in general is too refined for F-Zero X. Whiskey is a little too dirty. I considered vodka, but it's too European. After racking my brain for weeks, I realized that baijiu, a strong Chinese sorghum liquor, might just do the trick. However, when it came time for me to try the pairing out, I was too lazy to go to Chinatown. I saw some soju, a mild Korean spirit distilled from various grains, in the grocery store. I decided to give it a try.

Yipsejoo soju, from the Bohae Brewery, is not the best soju I've ever had. Distilled from 50% rice and 50% barley, it clocks in at just under 20% abv. It tastes like a cross between sake and vodka. To be more specific, it mostly just tastes like alcohol with a good amount of water and little powdered sugar mixed in. It was not very much fun to drink, but when consumed during the intense competitions that took place on the racetrack, it felt sort of appropriate. It was important that I had friends with me who were willing to take part in this pairing. I think baijiu would have worked better than soju, but in the end, either one would be effective largely because of the difficulty involved with choking it down. I bought two 375ml bottles of soju, so I might have to try this one again.