A foodie will tell you that any meal is only as good as the drink you pair it with. From the full flavors of a red wine complementing the bold, rich flavors of Italian food, to the specialty brewed beer contrasting nicely with some American fare, food and alcohol go naturally together.

Unfortunately, in this day and age, we spend much more time in front of our monitors than we do in front of a menu. But that doesn’t mean we want to drink less, right? We like to game, and we like to drink, but does that make all pairings equal? We didn’t think so. Just like you shouldn’t drink a heavy beer with light fish, we don’t believe every drink goes with every game.

So we, at Digital Logik Gaming, ran extensive tests to determine what was the best pairing of games and drinks. And we’ve provided our findings below. That’s us, always doing our homework.

(Keep in mind, we aren’t advocating that you should drink while gaming. We only believe that if you are drinking and gaming, you should do it right.)

Shooters (First and Third Person) – Red Bull Vodka

With its potent mix of high intensity and demanding skill, shooters embody the top tier competitive game. These games demand your constant attention and coordination, and so are paired with an alcoholic beverage that can assist you in that. The energy drink mixer makes red bull vodkas one of the few drinks that can enhance your reflexes. Additionally, with the short respawn timers in most FPSes, you don’t have all day to sip on your drink, so the high alcohol levels in red bull vodkas allow you to keep playing while maintaining that buzz.

Sports Games – Beer (domestic)

Nothing says it’s game time like a frosty and frothy beverage. Beer and sports go together like Mario and Luigi, and that is true the world over. So whether you are playing Madden, or Football Manager, or Nascar or MLB The Show, no other drink will up the realism like a Miller or Bud sitting next to you. And it makes sense too, as sports games can have longer match times and often have a slower pace than other genres. Drinking too heavily early means that fourth quarter comeback you were planning is going to turn into a fourth quarter beatdown. So put down the hard alcohols. Nothing fancy needed, thank you, just give me that liquor store domestic beer and let me whoop ass.

Role Playing Game – Red Wine

RPGs aren’t for everyone. Some people can’t stand the slow pacing, contemplative nature of an RPG, and a JRPG can be even more decisive. But those that enjoy a good RPG often find it is the only thing that can satisfy them. Similarly, red wine isn’t for everyone. From the heavy tannic taste of a Cabernet Sauvignon, to the spicy Malbec, red wine is an acquired taste that not eveyone has the patience for. But the heady aroma and deep flavor can blend perfectly with the deep storylines and character development in an RGP.

Puzzle Games – White Wine/Champagne

From point and click adventures to ball bouncers to all those quest games, puzzle games tend to be short, to the point, and fun. These games tend to have short game sessions, with a lot of little pauses throughout. These games pair nicely with a sipping drink that won’t dumb you down too much and keeps you feeling fun. White wines and champagnes are perfect for sipping, they often leave you feeling giddy, and can get you buzzed without getting smashed. These games also tend to be more casual; similarly, white wines are often thought of as starter wines, as they are easier to drink, but have less complexity than their redder brethren.

Party Games – Shots

The only thing sadder than taking shots at home by yourself, is playing a party game by yourself. That said, if a group of friends are at the house, what could be more fun that a party game, such as Rock Band, Mario Party, or Bomberman. And what do you do when it is time to take your party game to the next level? You bet shots on it! From girly ones like Red Headed Sluts, to manly ones like Bacardi 151, or the local favorite (ours is Fireball), any chance of taking a shot ups the competition, the trash talking, and the fun to the next level.

MMO-RPG – Gin and Tonic

Ahh, what is better than leveling up your toon while sipping on a quality alcoholic beverage? Killing that bear or spider or tunnel rat or whatever, collecting 8 flowers, dropping 6 crystals; mmo’s love to keep you busy on the next quest, the next level, the next battleground, the next boss. And while you are losing the next eight hours of your life, shouldn’t you be enjoying a good drink? We believe so. Really, any mixed drink could be used here, but we chose the Gin and Tonic for its light flavor and lower caloric intake, since the only moving you are gonna do for the foreseeable future are runs to the bathroom, and only when you aren’t in full time poopsock mode.

Indie – Beer (craft)

Indies love to be special. Its not a platformer, it is a psuedo-three-dimensional-triple-jump-puzzle-adventure. Similarly, craft beers aren’t ales, they are a double pale double bock in a fedora shaped bottle. And, just like indies, you are going to have to wade through a pile of crap to find that one gem. But when you do, it is the greatest feeling in the world. You, and the thirteen other people who have tried this game or beer, have found the most interesting, unique experience there is. And that makes the hours wasted and taste buds ruined all the more worth it.

Sandbox – Rum and Coke

Sandbox is kind of a catchall. This could be anything from GTA to Assassin’s Creed to Arkham Origins to Skyrim, and generally has good action, good story, good gameplay, and good graphics. Often the player is free to follow the story or go his/her own way. These games allow you to make your own story, play how you want, do what you want, and explore as you choose. These games are strong on immersion, and often the gamer gets caught up, so you want a drink that can still its job when you are drinking sporadically. But when you drink, you want good flavor that makes you feel good. And that, to us, says Rum and Coke. With it’s pleasant flavor and strong alcohol, the Rum and Coke lets you play your sandbox how you want without having to get a drink every ten minutes.

Adventure – Beer (import)

Games like Diablo, Monaco, Octodad and all the Lego games fall into this category. They are usually single or co-op games that focus on story and gameplay. They often have fixed camera angles and can run from 5-20 hours of linear playthrough. Because these games are usually single player, these games can be pause or quit out at need, and they often allow you to drink at your leisure. Because of that, we feel a good beer is the right choice. However, these games usual involve skill, effort and time, and due to that, we feel that a game of this refinery requires a good imported beer, like a Guiness, Corona, Stella, or Hofbrau.

Strategy (Real Time) – Long Island Iced Tea

RTS games are constant action over long play times. There are no breaks, there are no down times. If you want a drink, you need the most potent combination of alcohols wrapped in enough mixer that you aren’t tasting it for the next 45 minutes. And that is pretty much what a long island was designed to do. Four of the big alcohols, mixed with a splash of sweet and sour and coke, to make a near lethal drink.

So those are our pairings. Not every game is represented, but it should give you a good mix to start with. Did we get something wrong? Did we get something right? Did we forget a game type or an alcohol? Let us know your thoughts.