The Best Beers to Pair With Vintage Video Games

Because drinking and gaming go so well together.

Not only did the 3rd annual Rochester on Tap bring back one of the largest craft beer events to the Mayo Civic Center, it also featured several vintage arcade games.

The guys at The Machine Shed brought all your favorite old school classics (Twin Cobra, Tekken 3), and a few new ones as well (Mortal Kombat 9, Street Fighter IV).

Being the beer and game snobs that they are, I asked James and Branden which of their games they'd pair with the beers featured at this years Rochester on Tap:

Cider Boys / Turbo Force
You'll need a Ciderboys Hard Cider in hand when playing such a difficult game. Turbo Force comes at your fast n' furious so you'll need the crisp taste of apple to calm you down after losing dozens of lives trying to conquer this classic.
Badger Hill / Twin Cobra
Normally badgers and cobras don't get along, but in this case they go hand n' hand when you're mashing the fire button to this 1987 arcade classic. Badger Hills Traitor IPA is preferred by James because of its fruity orange aroma and tropical flavor.
August Schells / Multicade
Their FireBrick is a refreshing all-malt lager with an amber-red hue that reflects the feeling of the New Ulm brewery itself, which is why James and Branden chose it to pair with their multicade. Because much like the bricks that built that brewery, you can surf the hundreds of titles built into this unit that make for a strong foundation of games.
Mankato Brewery / Silver Strike Bowling
Branden suggested drinking the Crooked Rook by Mankato Brewery while playing Silver Strike Bowling. Because anyone who's ever bowled can agree, a few full bodied beers can straighten out the most crooked of throws down the lane (in theory that is).
Samuel Adams / Mortal Kombat
Samuel Adams makes more than 21 styles of award winning beer, so why not pair it was a game that has over 21+ playable characters and a franchise that's won multiple awards itself?

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