The Beer Olympics Games
Beer is the uniter of the divided. It is a warm handshake across the aisle. Beer has been the driving force in leading discoveries since before we deemed it worthy of the name beer. It should come as no surprise this epic beverage has given rise to the greatest of traditions, The Beer Olympics Games.
If you feel yourself worthy of undertaking the physically and mentally grueling challenges that only the finest of beer drinkers can master, then it’s time to get training. The hallowed halls of the Beer Olympics await!
Who Invented the Beer Olympics?
There was a time when Greece was the only place one could go to participate in the Olympic Games. Shortly after the events were created, an inspired individual whose talents lay closer to the stein than the javelin had an idea. What if we held a contest that pitted wine “enthusiasts” against each other in a romping game of “drink the wine?”
Unfortunately, his idea didn’t take off. Turns out he was inspired but also drunk. He never got around to it.
The idea lay dormant for thousands of years.
Fast forward to the current age, and the Beer Olympics have become an event that can be hosted at any time of the year. All they require is the desire to drink beer, play games of escalating difficulty, and not vomit.
The origins are as hazy as a Hazy Dayz IPA, but some claim it to be from an event in Atlanta, Ga. In 1996 a crafty fellow created an annual concert called the Beer Olympics as a dig at the official Olympic Games held there. The idea caught fire and spread.
There are other origin stories, though none can be solidly nailed down. Something about excess beer makes it hard to decipher the actual origins.
What are the Beer Olympic Games?
The Beer Olympics Games pits the best drinkers in the world (or your local bar, friends group, softball league, bowling buddies, etc.) against each other in a full-blown beer-drinking throwdown. If you’ve seen that classic ode to beer that is Beerfest, you get the idea.
There are plenty of rules to make it official. First, you must have at least four teams, though more is fine. Each team has 4-6 players, though all teams need to have equal numbers. Next, you’ll need beer. A lot of beer.
Let’s uncover the rules of this hallowed event and help prepare you to host your own games. If that is, you have what it takes.
Let’s Get Ready to Drink
Starting your own Beer Olympic Games requires steadfast attention to detail. Or at least a marginal understanding of what it takes to host the Beer Olympic events in a fun and somewhat safe manner.
How to Host the Beer Olympics
Items that are required include:
- The Official Beer Olympics Themes (of which you can use whatever theme you want. It’s your party, after all.)
- Beer – At least 15-20 cans per contestant. More is better. If a contestant runs out of beer before the end of the event, they are insta-disqualified.
- Tables for Beer Pong
- Quality Beer Steins for the Beer Stein Holding Contest.
- A quality Beer Olympics Scoreboard. This is critical as the athletes want to know who’s winning.
- Official Score Keeper – An individual that will keep score. They update the scoreboard. Strippers are a good choice. Gender is up to the host.
- Declaration of team outfit colors.
- Cups, buckets, and salty pretzels (for the spectators, not the participants.)
- Towels – Lots and lots of towels.
Each team can create its own Official Beer Olympics Outfits. The only requirement is that they stick with the overall theme. Announce the Beer Olympics team themes and schedule with enough time ahead to allow for each team to create their outfits and fully prepare for the event.
It’s good for the host to have official Beer Olympics shirts printed and available for both staff and spectators. The shirts should come in various colors to represent each team, giving fans the ability to wear their favorites.
At the opening ceremonies, each team will have their theme song played as they are introduced. Each team is then escorted to the first challenge.
The Beer Olympics Events
The best events require endurance, stamina, intuition, and an innate ability to hold vast quantities of beer. Each Beer Olympic Games has four events. Here is a great lineup of events to get things rolling.
- Volume Chug – Tradition requires the first event to be the Volume Chug. Each team member pours a beer into a bucket, and the first team to drink their bucket wins. Points lost for excess spillage.
- Beer Pong – Second is the old classic. In this variation, 21 cups are required. Standard beer pong rules apply, including swatting a bounced ball. One challenge to add is a mystery cup. Each beer pong setup has 20 cups of beer and one of mystery alcohol. Don’t alert players as to its location.
- Beer Ball – Take a stack of tallboys or cans of your favourite beer and align them on the table. A ping pong ball is then tossed at the beers. The player whose beer is hit must chug it. There’s a few variations of this game and you can learn more here
- Beer Stein Holding Contest – Contestants hold a filled beer stein out in front at shoulder level without spilling. The winner is the player who lasts the longest.
- Keg Toss – This age-old tradition is a derivative of the Caber Toss. The keg toss makes a great game-ending event. Drunken lads and lasses throwing empty kegs is great entertainment for all. Each team picks their champion with a backup choice. If the first pick is unable to perform due to drunkenness, the task falls to number two. The team is docked one point per unavailable player.
Scoring the Beer Games
It’s essential to follow a rigid scoring structure. Each team will receive points for performance, with the top team earning five, the second making three, the third-place taking one point, and everyone else losing.
Who Celebrates the Beer Olympics?
There are definitive go-to countries for Beer Olympics. One of the biggest Beer Olympics countries to participate is Germany (surprise!), along with Canada (Toronto has the official International Beer Olympics) and Belgium. It’s possible to find them in any country with beer and beer drinkers.
The Beer Olympic Games is far-reaching, allowing participants to join in the fun worldwide (where legal).