Beers for Gamers: Holiday Edition
**DISCLAIMER: SpawnFirst does not in anyway support underage drinking, as this article is directed towards an audience of legal drinking age**
Hello everyone! Brian, everyone’s favorite drunk SpawnCast host, here! Being the beer sage that I am, I decided to use my knowledge of ales and lagers for good, rather than a drunken stupor (don’t worry, I’ll do that later), and put together a beer recommendation list. You know how at fancy restaurants, they have those wine lists that recommend what foods goes with the wine? Well this is a lot like that, but with video games and beer. Also, to get in the holiday spirit (hah! Spirit, get it?), I’m limiting myself to just holiday brews that are distributed across the US (sorry, other countries). Also, if you’re from the Virginia/Maryland area, hit me up on The SpawnCast Twitter page for more local selections. Ok, enough of my insane drunken ramblings, lets get to it!
Family/Party Games
Holiday Cheer
Brewery: Shiner
Location: Shiner, Texas
ABV: 5.4%
This absolutely drop-dead delicious dunkelweizen is brewed with peaches, pecans, and caramelized malts, really bringing out the cheerfulness of the holidays. I recommend knocking a couple of these back while playing fun party games that bring everyone together for a good laugh…and then violently tears everyone apart when things get competitive.
Top Recommendations: Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Brothers (any iteration), Kinect Sports, Wii Sports
Casual Games
White Christmas
Brewery: Samuel Adams
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
ABV: 5.8%
When it comes to holiday beers, this one actually tastes like Christmas, and for that reason, it’s one of my favorites. White Christmas is a sensational ale that’s brewed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange peel, which makes you feel all cozy and warm inside. I personally recommend popping a top off of one of these bad boys, curling up, and playing something casual and relaxing.
Top Recommendations: The Sims, Candy Crush, Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies
Shooters
Mad Elf Ale
Brewery: Tröegs Brewing
Location: Hershey, Pennsylvania
ABV: 11%
In the fast paced world of shooters, you don’t have a whole lot of time to let go of your beer and take a swig, so I recommend something that will get the job done fast. Mad Elf’s whopping 11% ABV will definitely get you feeling saucy in just a few swigs, and tastes great doing it. Brewed with honey, cherries, and chocolate, this tasteful and powerful ale will make your gaming experience holly and jolly, even as you curse out 12 year-olds from Japan while matchmaking.
Top Recommendations: Any iteration of Call of Duty, Halo, and Battlefield
Sports
Christmas Ale
Brewery: Anchor Brewing
Location: San Francisco, California
ABV: 5.5%
Sports video games have been around for a long time, so it’s only right that a beer that has been around for a while should accompany it. The Christmas Ale has been brewed every year since 1975 by Anchor Brewery, which has been around since 1896, so you know they know beer. Giving off tastes of ginger and nutmeg, smelling a bit like pine, and a smooth, dark finish, this Christmas classic is a HOMERUN (get it, guys?…guys?)
Top Recommendations: FIFA 14, Madden 25, NBA 2K14
Racing
Snowdrift Vanilla Porter
Brewery: Leinenkugel Brewery
Location: Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
ABV: 6%
Racing games require high energy and alertness, so you need a beer that reflects that; Leinenkugel’s Snowdrift Vanilla Porter is the beer for the job. Its beautiful dark color is complemented by its taste of vanilla, chocolate, caramel, and coffee that will make you ready to hit the track at top speed. This beer is guaranteed to make you drive faster, until, you know… you drink too much and overshoot the turn. Drive safe, and don’t drink and drive (in real life. Though anything goes in video games)!
Top Recommendations: Forza 5, Need for Speed: Rivals, Gran Turismo 6
Action/Adventure
Hibernation Ale
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing
Location: Denver, Colorado
ABV: 8.7%
The Hibernation Ale by Great Divide does everything but put you to sleep. Brewed with brown sugar, toffee, dried fruit, and roasted malts, this bold ale will bring out the adventurer in you and will make you able to take on the world. With this beer in hand, trolls, monsters, zombies, and mystical baddies will tremble before your awesome drunken might. Make them PAY, you heroic adventurer, you!
Top Recommendations: Legend of Zelda (any iteration), Tomb Raider, Uncharted
RPG
For RPG’s, I won’t select a single beer. Instead, I recommend making a mix of the six beers above, so you can choose which beer best suits you (kinda like a skill tree!). Are you bold or energetic? Are you angry or calm? Are you playing for fun, or is sh*t about to get REAL? These are the choices you will face with this sixer, but, much like in Harry Potter, the beer picks the player, and not the other way around.
Top Recommendations: Borderlands 2, Mass Effect Trilogy, Pokemon X/Y, Skyrim
