The Summer Olympics in Rio this year are a chance for the world to celebrate nationalism, athleticism and the triumph of the human spirit. And for those of us who aren’t world-class athletes, it’s a chance to gather with friends and put the alcoholic spirit back in the “spirit of competition.” So hit up the liquor store, check the events schedule, call up your most fanatical friends* and get ready to drink your way to gold.
*Like any good host, make sure to be a world-class host and accommodate the true champions of the party: the designated drivers.
Passing the Torch
Supplies needed: Red Solo cups and a bottle of Fireball liquor
The passing of the torch is a time-honored tradition in every Olympics, so why not create your own sense of camaraderie during the opening ceremonies party this year? The premise is simple: Try to bounce a quarter off a table and get it to land in a Solo cup filled with a shot of Fireball in the center of the table. If the player succeeds, he or she can select any other player to consume the shot. Once the drink is replenished, the player to the left of the previous participant shoots. If that person misses, he has the option to defer the turn to the person left of him or attempt a second shot. If the second shot is missed, he has to consume the drink himself. If he succeeds in making the second shot, he can select a person to consume the shot.
The Balance Beam
Supplies needed: One beer bottle, a deck of cards and one large shot of preferred liquor
Though it may seem simple, this game requires strategy, style and an ability to spot your opponent’s weaknesses. With your guests standing around a table, place a beer bottle upright in the center. Going clockwise, each player will take a card and lay it on top of the neck of the bottle, repeating over and over to create an increasingly fanned-out and unstable stack of cards. The player who causes any or all of the cards to fall off is required to take a shot. Depending on the skill of your guests, you might want to have a spare deck on hand to accommodate world-record feats of balance.
100-Beer Dash
Supplies needed: Preferred beer
The 100-yard dash is often considered one of the purest examples of athleticism in existence, with each man effectively battling against the clock in an explosive demonstration of power and speed. The premise for the 100-beer dash is simple: Each guest picks a runner in a respective race, and the position he or she finishes in represents the number of seconds the guest needs to drink for. As a bonus, this works for pretty much any event, so feel free to turn it into a veritable decathlon of drinking.
Flip-Cup Relay
Supplies needed: Preferred beer, keg cups and a table
Everyone loves a game of flip-cup, so we’ve decided to up the ante and give it an extra tweak inspired by that classic track and field event: the 4x100m relay. Guests will be separated into two teams that will stand facing each other on either side of the table. Just like traditional flip-cup, each player will drink her beer and flip her cup from the edge of the table, with her teammates being forced to wait until she successfully lands the cup upside down. The catch? After her first flip attempt, it’s the teammate next to her who has to reposition the cup on the edge of the table for every attempt. Just like the passing of the baton, this requires faith, communication and a skilled touch.
The Closing Ceremony
Supplies needed: A vast assortment of beer (further explained below)
After playing the drinking games listed above, your liver is probably going to be begging for the closing ceremonies. So this last game can be as aggressive or as casual as you want it to be. For the casual drinker, simply enjoy the majesty of the event while consuming an assortment of beers from your favorite countries. If you want to get more aggressive, have each of your guests pick a country and said nation’s representative brand or style of beer, and drink every time the announcers call attention to that respective country.
[tweetthis]Get in the spirit! Check out these 5 #SummerOlympics #Beer #DrinkingGames[/tweetthis]
Do you have an Olympic twist on a classic drinking game? Share with us in the comments below!