Atari is taking its retro gaming nostalgia somewhere a little more unexpected. The company has teamed up with Vancouver, Washington-based Vice Beer for a new four-pack of Atari-themed craft beers, giving fans a chance to celebrate classic gaming with something that exists well beyond the screen.
The collaboration was unveiled around PAX West in Seattle and brings together four different beers, each built around the spirit and visual identity of Atari’s classic games. The collection includes two IPAs, a fruited sour and an imperial stout, with each can drawing inspiration from a different piece of Atari history.
The Vice X Atari Four Pack is available now through Atari’s online store and Tavour, although availability can vary depending on location.
For Vice Beer co-founder Michael Perozzo, the collaboration was an opportunity to recreate some of the excitement associated with growing up with arcade games.
“I remember the thrill of walking into an arcade with a pocket full of quarters,” Perozzo said, adding that the collection was designed to offer something for everyone while embracing a retro aesthetic.
Leading the collection is One-Button Joystick, a 6.9% ABV West Coast IPA inspired by the unmistakable single-button controller of the Atari 2600. Rather than going for something overly complicated, Vice Beer paired the classic Atari imagery with a familiar craft beer style and a hop-heavy recipe.
The IPA uses a Pilsner malt base alongside Columbus Cryo, Strata, Idaho 7, Citra, Mosaic Cryo and Quantum Mosaic hops. The result is described as having prominent mango and grapefruit characteristics, with tropical fruit, mixed berry, orange peel and pine adding additional layers.
The beer’s name and theme also give it an obvious connection to the arcade-era Atari experience. The single-button joystick became one of the defining pieces of the Atari 2600, making it a fitting centrepiece for a collaboration built around the company’s gaming legacy.
The second IPA, Original Bug Battle, takes its inspiration from the classic arcade action of Centipede. At 6.4% ABV, this New England IPA goes in a considerably softer and fruitier direction than One-Button Joystick.
Vice Beer brewed the hazy IPA with Pilsner malt, flaked oats and torrified wheat before loading it with Nelson, Motueka, Strata, Citra Cryo, Mosaic Cryo and Quantum Galaxy hops. Mandarin and peach are at the forefront, joined by pineapple and strawberry, while lime and white grape notes add some additional brightness. A touch of peppery bitterness rounds things out.
The Centipede influence isn’t limited to the name, either. The beer’s description leans heavily into the game’s colourful, frantic action, turning the fruit-forward profile into another nod to one of Atari’s most recognizable arcade titles.
For something completely different, Gemstone Sour draws from Crystal Castles and its colourful search for precious gems. This 5% ABV fruited sour is built around raspberries and lemons, with Vice Beer aiming for a flavour profile reminiscent of an especially tart berry lemonade.
The sour ale base gives the beer its acidity, while the combination of real raspberries and lemons provides the fruit-forward character. Of the four beers, Gemstone Sour may be the most immediately playful interpretation of Atari’s arcade catalogue, matching the bright imagery associated with Crystal Castles with a similarly vibrant flavour profile.
Rounding out the collection is Sunken Treasure, an 8% ABV imperial stout that takes a darker turn. This beer was created with Nightdive Studios, the Atari-owned studio known for its work preserving and restoring classic video games.
The collaboration between Vice Beer and Nightdive makes Sunken Treasure an especially appropriate addition to the collection. Instead of drawing from a specific Atari game in the same way as some of the other beers, the stout connects gaming preservation with the idea of creating something worth holding onto.
The imperial stout is built around rich dessert-inspired flavours, with toasted marshmallows, graham crackers and cacao nibs creating a s’mores-like profile. Espresso and caramel notes are also present, while the malt-forward base provides plenty of depth. At 8% ABV, it is also the strongest beer in the four-pack.
Nightdive Studios head Stephen Kick sees the collaboration as another way of bringing the history of gaming into the real world.
“Nightdive has always been about celebrating the games and experiences that made us fall in love with this medium,” Kick said. “Collaborating with Vice Beer and Atari on Sunken Treasure was a fun way to bring a little piece of that history into the real world.”
The result is a collection that goes beyond simply putting an Atari logo on a beer can. Each release attempts to connect its flavour profile and presentation to a different part of the company’s history, from the iconic Atari 2600 joystick to arcade favourites such as Centipede and Crystal Castles.
It is also another example of how recognizable gaming brands continue to find ways to extend their identities beyond games themselves. Atari has spent years embracing its retro legacy, and a craft beer collaboration gives that nostalgia an entirely different outlet.
The Vice X Atari Four Pack is available now through Atari and Tavour, giving retro gaming fans the opportunity to collect all four cans while supplies last.