Game Night: Booze To Pair With Your Board Games

While there will always be something to be said for going out on a Friday to a fancy cocktail bar, or a night out at the club  let’s be real  it’s winter, it’s freezing and you just want to get cozy and stay in your sweatpants. That said, if you’re still looking to stay social, why not throw the ultimate game night for you and your friends?


Say goodbye to the drunken, annoying bar crowds and ridiculous cocktail prices and instead unwind and make new memories with your close friends at home. Game night is seeing a resurgence as a go-to social activity, as many of us are swapping their FOMO for JOMO (Joy of Missing Out), along with the comfort and financial savings that come with a fun night in.

For those that are still on the fence, you can turn your game night into that much more of a party with a drink selection that gets you in the spirit of the game.

Cards Against Humanity + RÅVO

For a night of awkward laughs and red faces, thanks to risqué, politically incorrect and straight-up uncomfortable proposed scenarios and phrases, Cards Against Humanity is best paired with a spirit that keeps it real, just like the game is intended to be played. Consider RÅVO Vodka, a name derived from the Swedish words for "raw" and "vodka." RÅVO stays true to its origins and is crafted from all-natural Swedish winter wheat.

Cocktail: Humanatini




Jumanji + Rhum Agricole

If you and the crew really want to feel like Alan Parrish, you’ll need to find something that transports you to the jungle, and the grassy flavors of a quality Rhum Agricole will do just that. Rhum Agricole’s get their funky character from fresh pressed cane juice (where regular rums are made from molasses). For those just getting into the category, you’ll want a softer variation like Trois Rivieres, which keeps things light and bright.

Cocktail: A Way to Leave the World Behind



Shake all ingredients together with ice. Strain into rocks glass

Jigsaw Puzzle + The Famous Grouse

Those with the patience and ability to strategize while maintaining a big-picture perspective are most successful with puzzles. Researchers have found that when you double the number of pieces, you quadruple the time it takes to finish the puzzle. So if it takes you one hour to do a 250-piece puzzle, it may take an average of eight hours to complete a 1,000-piece puzzle. Either way, you’re going to want a solid strategy to finish any sized puzzle and that includes what you're sipping. Consider The Famous Grouse as your drink companion. Depending on how long it takes you to actually solve the puzzle, this Scotch blend might even help you live longer than this 112-year old woman who drinks a dram of the spirit nightly.

The Famous Grouse
Cocktail: Dark and Puzzled



Muddle blackberries and basil leaves in the bottom of a Collins glass. Add ice, The Famous Grouse and ginger beer and stir. Garnish with a large wedge of fresh lemon and a basil leaf.

UNO + Benham's Gin

Fast-paced and fun, UNO ensures you pay attention as you try to match the color, number, or symbol of the previous card. Originally developed in Ohio in 1971, pair this with another innovative American product, Benham's Gin. A Sonoma Dry style gin produced in California that’s infused with 12 botanicals, each individually vapor distilled. Enjoy Benham's citrus forward characteristics in a G&T while steering clear of Skips, Reverses, Draw Twos or Draw Four Wild Cards.

Benham's Sonoma Dry Gin
Cocktail: Tonic Plus Two




Settlers of Catan + Bourbon

Settlers is all about collecting nature’s best resources, and between the water and wheat used in production and the wood for barrel aging, bourbon is essentially American Nature distilled. Select a wheated bourbon where those flavors come through, such as Maker’s Mark, and mix yourself up an Old Fashioned, a cocktail that harkens back to the days of old.

Cocktail: Old Fashioned


  • 1-1/2 parts Maker's Mark Bourbon
  • Splash of water
  • 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • Orange peel
  • Cherry for garnish


Dissolve or muddle sugar with a splash of water in an Old-Fashioned glass. Fill glass 3/4 full of ice. Add Maker's Mark and bitters and stir. Garnish with orange peel and cherry.

Guess Who! + Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva

With only “yes” or “no” questions, this game tests your ability to figure out your opponent’s mystery character. Does your person have a beard? Is your person a child? Once you think you know who your opponent's mystery character is, make a guess  but if you're wrong, you’re done for! Pair this guessing game with Diplomatico's flagship expression, Reserva Exclusiva. When your friends ask if you're drinking an old fashioned, you can respond with a, “yes… but with a twist.” Proceed to make them this classic drink with rum instead of whiskey.

Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva
Cocktail: Has A Moustache



Add ingredients into an ice filled mixing glass, stir together to combine and chill. Strain into an Old Fashioned rocks glass containing large rock of ice and garnish with an expressed orange peel.

Candy Land + Silky Sweet Coconut Rum

To truly transport you to a land made of candy canes and gumdrops, you’ll want a deliciously sweet sipping spirit that goes down quick and easy! A premium coconut rum, like Sugar Island, fits the bill from name to nose.

Cocktail: Sugar Plum Fairy


Created by Cody Goldstein - Founder of Muddling Memories and Former Bartender at Upholstery Store: Food and Wine


Combine all ingredients into a shaker and fill with ice. Shake for 10 seconds and double strain over ice in a rocks glass. Shave nutmeg over top.

Twister + Bribon Blanco Tequila

For decades, Twister has been known as the iconic ice breaker. If you're planning to play Twister, be sure to break out the Bribón Tequila Blanco — the ideal spirit for getting people in a party mood. This savory tequila captures the essence of Bribón; a person who sets his or her own rules, someone who always embraces what life throws at them, no matter how twisted it gets.

Tequila Bribon Blanco
Cocktail: Twisted Tommy



Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, tequila, agave honey and lime juice. Shake to combine. Strain the cocktail over the prepared glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

Red Flags + Tres Agaves Reposado

Tequila has something of a reputation for getting people to loosen up, so your guests might appreciate the liquid courage as they divulge just what makes their love lives tick in this up and coming card game that has players deciding whether fabulous physical chemistry can justify certain relationship red flags, like a constant habit of calling mom. Just be sure you pick up something of quality made with 100% Blue Agave, like Tres Agaves. A tequila without a "100% blue agave" stamp is a red flag of its own, as it could be made with just about anything else, and that low-quality booze is sure to give your guests a wicked next-morning headache!

Cocktail: Almost Perfect

Created by Pamela Wiznitzer, NYC Mixologist





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I'm a freelance writer whose passion revolves around exploring the world, immersing myself in foreign cultures and, of course, eating and drinking everything delicious. ...