Waterfalls: Some Thoughts

A classic staple in game such as Kings and the Cardboard Game, the Waterfall is a mini-competiton of who can drink the longest. Everyone must keep drinking continuously until the player before them in the circle stops.

One player starts it, the next player continues it, and so on until everyone’s a part of it. And therein lies the appeal. Everybody is drinking together, maximum unity.

Now in a college setting (where I’d assume the Waterfall is most prosperous) not everyone’s going to drinking brews of the same class. One time I had to do a Waterfall with a glass of Oskar Blues G’Knight; step one was I didn’t want to waste really good beer, step two was that it was heavy.

I once saw a game play Kings, get a Waterfall, and do it up with Straight Captain Morgan. He drank it for a minute straight. I wasn’t even impressed, that was just insane.

The classic method of survival I usually see is to just hold the bottle to your lips, and make swallowing motions. But then again, why not just put the the bottle down? It’s only a game, why lie? This isn’t Beerfest.

So there’s a question to ask here. What’s the point of the Waterfall? It can’t be to just force everyone to drink as much as possible, because you can stop anytime. It should be to unite everyone in a prolonged toast, a celebration of friendship and good times.. For a moment, we drink together, and nobody can stop until the man who started stops.

The Waterfall stands as something different than a straight chugging contest. It still presents a chance to show off (like that Drunken Sailor I mentioned), but it really should be FUN. If you’re not having FUN, then you’re doing it wrong.

Drink and enjoy yourself responsibly.

-Rich

Untapped – Drink Socially

Kate here! All you beer lovers out there, have you downloaded the app, Untapped? No? Yeah? Maybe…?

Well for those of you who don’t know, Untapped is a social media app is that allows for users to rate and post reviews of the beer they are drinking while out with their friends. Like most social media sites, you are able to connect with your friends and view what they are doing via newsfeed. It uses Foursquare to allow users to check in to places while they are drinking. Untapped even offers users recommendations based on what you and your circle of friends rate and review.

What is cool about this app is that it encourages users to explore different types of beer and places by offering badges. Such badges include “Land of the Free”, “Weekday Warrior”, “Happy Hour Hound”, and many more. Some badges even have different levels the more you use it.

I have had Untapped for a few weeks now and I’ve enjoyed it. I usually order a different beer now each time I’m out at a restaurant. So far I have earned “Newbie” (which means I drank my first beer, hehe), “Photogenic Brew (Level 4)”, “St. Patrick’s Day”, “Playing the Field”, “Night Out”, “Drinking Your Paycheck” (oh my!), and “Weekday Warrior”. Richie has had the app for a couple month more than me. He has a lot more badges than I do — too many to list.

Now some people have argued that it encourages people to drink irresponsibly. Most of the badges do require drinking five or more beer in order to earn it. Know your limits! It is important to remember to take everything in moderation and to always drink responsibly. Enjoy!