Look, there is nothing in the world better than sitting back, cracking a cold one, and diving into a video game. Whether it's a hot new title fresh off the shelf or another session of a multiplayer game with friends, beer and video games go together like peanut butter and jelly.
However, sometimes when you're playing a game, you see the beer your character is drinking and you think "man, that sounds good, I want one of those" or "wow that's a funny name, what if that was real?" It's happened to me a few times, and this list here are just a few examples of the best fictional video game beers.
Pisswasser (Grand Theft Auto)
A beer that continues to be in the spotlight thanks to GTA V's multiple re-releases, Pisswasser follows the grand GTA tradition of beers named after ol' number one (see also Dusche Gold). Pisswasser is described in-game as a "cheap 11% ABV fighting lager brewed in Germany for export only from rice, barley, hops and the fresh urine of Bavarian virgins." I could do without that last ingredient honestly, but the rest sounds pretty cool.
Nanbou (Deus Ex: Human Revolution)
I'm including this one for two reasons: one, you should play Deus Ex: Human Revolution if you haven't before. Second, the in-game description of this beer speaks for itself: "Nanbou goes down easy, like a good beer should. It looks good. It smells good. You'd step over your own mother to get one. But you don't have to stop at one! Nanbou now comes in 48-packs! Nanbou... Have another." Brilliant.
Ballistic Bock (Fallout 76)
The Fallout franchise actually has a proud tradition of unique beers dating back to 1998 and Fallout 2's Gamma Gulp. The more recent games, Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, have expanded the inventory of Fallout original brews, with the latter even letting you brew your own beers at a brewing station. My favorite is the Ballistic Bock, brewed with gunpowder and adding 15% damage to all ballistic weaponry for five minutes. A little fire in the belly gives you more firepower, and that's never a bad thing.
Lothar Beer (Rage)
These two choices are less "I wonder what this beer tastes like" and more "I wonder what that beer is made of?" The world of Rage isn't exactly brimming with nature, so I'm legitimately curious what goes into either of these beers. At least in Fallout 76's post-apocalypse you have a clear ingredient list and a brewing process, here it's just random bottles strewn about the wastes. What are you, Lothar Beer? You fascinate me.
Midas Gold (The Wolf Among Us)
Admittedly this entry is cheating as Midas Gold appeared first in the Fables comics series before coming to video games via The Wolf Among Us, but I dig this beer so much. The main hero Detective Bigby Wolf's beer of choice, Midas Gold would make for an excellent real-world golden ale. If goldens aren't your preference, Midas Lime could substitute instead. Like Deus Ex this is a game that needs to be on your radar if it wasn't before, and when you play see if you can spot Midas Gold.
Jason Fanelli has been writing about video games and esports for a decade, with bylines at GameSpot, MMORPG.com, Esports.GG, and more. He also produces and hosts Cheesesteaks and Controllers, a weekly video game and esports podcast, for Fox PHL The Gambler 102.5 FM
