“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” That oh so famous (and completely true) quotation is often attributed to that affable patriot and diplomat, Ben Franklin.

While Franklin never really uttered those now-famous words – he was more of a wine drinker, I guess – when I saw the Arkeg they instantly raced through my head. For if there ever was needed evidence that a higher power truly did love us and our desire to be happy, the combination of beer and video games into a single unit is proof enough for me.

Where do I begin? The Arkeg has to be one of the greatest inventions of this, or just about any other, century. It could rival the wheel, the discovery of fire, or indoor plumbing... but I digress. The Arkeg "Drink N Game" is a combination of a full-sized video gaming console with 24-in HDTV monitor with 69 pre-loaded games... AND... a 5-gal kegerator draft system. Yeah, you read right. It’s a video game and draft beer dispensing system in one. You might want to wipe that drool from your chin.

First, the gaming side. The Arkeg is touted by its manufacturers as an iPod for your video games that also happens to serve beer. They've included some of the most popular arcade games from Atari, Midway, Taito, and others. The included games not enough? You can put any game you want onto the Arkeg by downloading online, buying games from a retail store, or installing games you own. Besides the 69 pre-loaded games (Asteroids, Gauntlet, Missile Command, TRON... the list goes on and on), Arkeg comes ready to play any video or audio file, as well as any video game in their computer-archived form. (Stand down Copyright Nazis, the Arkeg only includes games that it has the legal right to distribute.)

As for the beer side of this illustrious invention, it’s a fully functioning kegerator. It supports the 5-gal Corny keg popular with homebrewers, sports it’s own digitally controlled refrigerated compartment, and comes with a 5-lb CO2 tank. You can store over 55 bottles of beer in this baby and have them ready to serve right out of the attached stainless steel tap on the side of the machine. If you’re into homebrewing (as you should be) you can put your own creations right into the keg (not included). Otherwise, you can pick up some of your fave craft brew. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

The Arkeg is a modern marvel that seems to have been spawned from the very dreams of mancave and frat house designers alike. It comes ready to go right off the truck, has virtually unlimited gaming choices, wi-fi connectivity, and the ability to deliver ice-cold brews right out the side. Need I say more? There’s way too much to mention here, so head on over to www.drinkngame.com for the rest of the story. I’d hurry if I were you; it would suck to get wait-listed on this one.

$3,999
www.drinkngame.com