If you went to college, or ever seen a movie depicting the social life of college students, then you are probably familiar with the concept of chugging beer. Movies like the classic college “Revenge of the Nerds,” the more recent teen favorite “American Pie” series, and of course “Animal House” seem to almost glorify the activity. While there really is no sensible reason to do it, it is something that is very common among the party animal crowd who simply want to get drunk as quickly as possible. Of course, there are also those who find it to be something that can be turned into a competition as well.

As simple as it sounds and appears to be, there is actually a great deal of science in the process of chugging beer. For example, many people find it difficult to chug beer because while they are trying to gulp down the liquid, it is also very easy to gulp down some air. Of course, this makes it difficult, and even uncomfortable, to finish the task of consuming a simple 12 or 16 ounces. The trick, then, is to find ways to remove the element of air from the equation, which is how the “shotgun” came to be.

“Shotgunning” involves chugging beer from a can from the bottom up. You turn the can on its side and poke a whole at the bottom of the side of the can (not on the bottom face of the can). Place your lips up to the whole and stand the beer upright in your hand; the tab should be on top. Now, pop the tab and the crisp, cold, frothy liquid should start pouring out through the hole, into your mouth, and down your gullet.

This process uses two scientific processes to get the beer out of the can and into your mouth faster with few complications. First of all, it takes advantage of gravity, which forces the liquid down and out through the hole that you made. Secondly, it uses displacement, which is a process that describes how air pressure in the can is not equal to the air pressure outside of the can and thus tries to balance itself. In terms of displacement, another trick is to insert a straw into the bottle because it will displace the air from the outside and put it inside, helping to force the liquid out. This makes it easier to drink the beer quickly.

Although chugging beer is a popular pastime for young people across the United States, often seen as a rite of passage, it is something that becomes less and less attractive as you get older. First of all, this is because chugging beer results in inebriation very quickly, which means you can get sloppy, and that’s never attractive. Secondly, the overwhelming of your digestive system with alcohol and carbonation can be very uncomfortable. Third, of course, you can get sick from both the irritation as well as having too much alcohol in your system.

Beer pong is a classic game designed by college students looking to get a quick buzz. Since then, it has evolved into a sport of sorts, being played in other places besides a college dorm. Restaurants and bars are adding beer pong to a late evening of fun to help entice people inside. So while some are offering trivia, others have decided to set up a table of beer pong. How to play beer pong is pretty simple and there are at home game kits that you can buy to make it even easier.

If you don’t know how to play beer pong or you want to create your own version, you can. The rules change from table to table. You don’t need any special kind of beer. You can go with a cheap can or wheel in a keg to keep filling the shot glasses. It all comes down to needing 2 paddles, a ping pong ball and a few shot glasses. The more beer and the more shot glasses you have, the longer the game can go on. After that, the rules are up to you.

How you start

You’ll start the game on a table or other flat surface. If this is something you envision playing often, there are stores that sell beer pong tables. You’ll set up shot glasses filled ¼ of the way with beer on both sides of the table in the shape of a pyramid (four cups on the farthest row, then 3, then 2, then 1). You will establish the house rules of how to play beer pong. These rules will include how the ball can be thrown (underhand, bounce, arc, etc.) and if someone has to drink if they bounce the ball off of the table.

Two teams will be formed. The first team that goes will have one player go up to the table and bounce the ball. If the player gets the ball into a shot glass, the other team must drink a shot and remove the glass from the table. The teams continue alternating turns until one side of the table has no glasses left. That team is the losing team and then must typically do the shots remaining on the other team’s side. So now you know how to play beer pong. Whether you stick to these rules or create your own now is up to you. Just know that wherever you go, house rules may differ slightly.

Different version of beer pong

Versions of how to play beer pong are popping up everywhere. There are actually books available that detail how to play, rules of the game, score sheets, and variations. It’s a sport that anyone can play and if you’re not any good at it, keep drinking as the skill improves with the more you drink. Don’t like beer? You can always substitute rum or tequila, and for the sophisticated crowd – wine. Even if you don’t want to drink and want to practice your game, it can easily be set up with soda or water, too. Just don’t tell anyone!