At a certain stage of life, being able to chug a beer can become a necessary skill. During your college days, there will probably be times at parties when you need to sink a beer in one go, and the faster you can do it, the more respect and kudos you’ll gain among your peers.
Some people are just naturally better at it than others, but there are techniques you can learn that will improve your performance – and if you want to know all the secrets, read on to find out how to chug a beer fast.
If you want to get an idea of the kind of thing that’s possible, this video will blow your mind!
Technique 1: Chugging from a glass
The first technique for chugging a beer is to use a glass. This technique is very simple since you don’t need to worry about the airflow – with this method, it’s all about relaxing, opening your throat and simply pouring the beer in.
Here’s how to do it:
Step 1. Choose a beer
If you are taking part in a beer-drinking competition, you’ll want to do everything you can to give yourself an advantage over the other participants, and the first thing you can do to give yourself an edge is to choose the beer you’re going to be chugging.
The best option is a basic plain pilsener or pale lager. You want something light so that it will go down quickly and then settle in your stomach. Don’t choose anything too alcoholic since imbibing that much alcohol in just seconds may make you nauseous.
Similarly, you are best choosing a beer that isn’t too frothy – otherwise, the bubbles and froth are going to make it harder to get the beer down, and once it’s in your stomach, you’ll feel bloated and belchy.
Step 2. Choose a glass
By choosing the right glass, you can make things easier for yourself too. Select a mug with a handle to help you grasp the glass, and a larger opening at the top will increase the flow of beer into your mouth. A standard pint glass with no handle is also a good option.
Step 3. Pour your beer and let it sit
The next step is to pour the beer and then to let it sit for a few moments. The bubbles and froth in beer come from the CO2, and just by waiting a few moments before chugging, you will allow more of the CO2 to dissipate into the atmosphere.
A less frothy beer with less CO2 in it will be easier to chug, so if you are in a competition, try to get your beer poured early and play for time to allow more of the bubbles to disappear.
If you pour the beer yourself, also try to pour it so that it doesn’t have a big frothy head on top. Again, sucking down all that froth with your beer is not going to make things any easier, so to give yourself an advantage, pour the beer so it doesn’t have too much head.
Finally, if a beer is too cold, you’ll get brain freeze from chugging it, so leaving it for a few moments will allow the temperature to rise slightly, making things more comfortable when the time comes to put the beer away.
Step 4. Hit the glass on the table
Before you start chugging, you want to get rid of as much of the CO2 as possible, and giving the glass a sharp tap on the table is a good way to shake out that bit more. Be careful you don’t do it too hard though, or you might end up smashing the glass.
Step 5. Take a deep breath
Just before you start chugging, take a deep breath, exhale fully and then lean your head back ready for the beer.
While you’re chugging, the key to getting the beer down as quickly as possible is not stopping to breathe, so taking a deep breath before you start will give you enough air to sink the beer before you need another lungful of air.
If it’s a race and you stop to breathe, you have almost no chance of winning.
Step 6. Relax your throat and pour
This is the part that separates the pros from the dabblers. After taking your breath, lift the glass to your mouth and start pouring the beer in.
Your aim here is to open your throat and simply let the beer flow down it into your stomach – if you need to stop to swallow or breathe, you block the flow of beer down your throat, increasing the amount of time it takes for the beer to go down.
Not everyone can do this, and for many people, it’s a trick that takes practice to master. If you can’t open your throat completely to let the whole beer flow down in one go, take big swallows rather than small sips.
Even if you can’t pour the whole lot down in one go, you may be able to get it all down in only three or four big gulps.
Step 7. Slam the glass down and belch
The traditional signal to show you’ve finished your beer is to slam the glass back down on the table to prove it’s empty. If it’s a race, the first one to slam it down is the winner – assuming there’s no beer left in it.
At this point, you’re probably going to need to let out an almighty belch. This might not be acceptable in polite society, but let’s face it, if you’re chugging a beer, the chances are you’re not in polite society, so let rip!
Technique 2: Chugging from a can
Step 1. Choose your beer
As when chugging from a glass, the first step is to select your beer. All the same considerations apply, so choose one that’s light, not too gaseous and that doesn’t have too high an alcohol content.
Step 2. Cut a hole in the top of the can
When chugging from a can, the main thing that will slow you down is the flow of air. For beer to flow out of the can smoothly and quickly, air needs to be able to flow into the can to replace it – otherwise, it will get blocked and the beer will come out in gulps.
To solve this problem, you need to make an incision in the top of the can, so take a knife or a pair of scissors and puncture the can on the top next to the regular opening. Then, when you start chugging, the air will flow into one hole as the beer flows out of the other.
Step 3. Place your finger on the hole and take a deep breath
Once the can is prepared with an extra hole, place one finger over the hole, take a deep breath (like when drinking from a glass), lift the can to your mouth and tilt your head back.
As the beer begins to flow, release your finger from the hole to allow air into the can and the beer will rapidly begin to pour out into your mouth.
Step 4. Relax your throat and let gravity do its thing
The beer will now flow freely out of the can and into your mouth, so just as with a glass, relax your throat and let gravity help the beer go down. As with the first method, try not to breathe or gulp because this will slow the flow of beer into your stomach.
Step 5. Slam and belch
When the can is empty, slam it back down onto the table to show you have finished the beer, let out the customary belch to rid yourself of the excess CO2 in your stomach and you’re done.
Technique 3: Shotgunning a can
Shotgunning a can of beer is a variation on technique #2, and for some people, this is the best and fastest way of chugging there is. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1. Choose a can of beer
As above, choose a beer that is light, not too bubbly and not too strong – for the same reasons as above.
Step 2. Prepare the can
The trick to shotgunning a can of beer is to make a hole in the side of the can close to the bottom.
To do this, lay the can on its side and use a knife to open a hole about an inch from the bottom. The hole should be about the size of your thumbnail. Once you have pierced the can, fold back the metal so the beer will be able to flow out of the hole.
Be careful doing this because it’s easy to cut your fingers – also, make sure you fold the metal back safely so you don’t cut your mouth or tongue while drinking.
Step 3. Tip the can up and open it at the top
When you have prepared the hole near the bottom, you’re ready to start drinking. You need to tip the can up, putting the hole to your mouth while simultaneously opening the can at the top.
This will allow air to enter at the top, causing the beer to flow out quickly at the bottom from the hole you made. All you need to do now is let the beer pour into your mouth and down your throat as usual.
Step 4. Slam and belch
You know the drill by now!
Technique 4: Using a bottle and a straw
The fourth variation uses a bottle with a straw inserted to allow air to flow in and beer to flow out. Without the straw, the beer will come out much slower. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1. Choose your beer and grab a straw
As with all the previous methods, choose a suitable beer, this time in a bottle. You will also need a regular straw – one that bends is best.
Step 2. Open the beer and put the straw in the top
Remove the top from the beer and put the straw in the top. If you have a bendy straw, bend it so the straw is pointing away from your face.
With bottled beer, make sure you DON’T slam it on the table or you will cause it to froth up and spray out everywhere.
Step 3. Upend the beer and pour it down
As ever, take a deep breath, lean your head back slightly, put the bottle to your mouth – with the end of the straw poking out – and pour the beer in.
As with all the other methods, the idea is to relax your throat and just let the beer flow down it. If you try to take gulps or stop to breathe, it will take longer to finish the job.
With the straw poking out of the bottle, air can get inside, which will cause the beer to flow out quicker. Without a straw, you will find it takes much longer to finish the beer.
Check out this video to see an insane tornado variation on how to chug from a bottle!
Extra tips for speed and success
Here are a couple of extra tips that will help enhance your chugging performance.
- Take large gulps
Not everyone can master the trick of opening their throat to allow the beer to pour in directly. If you can’t do it, practice drinking in large gulps and eventually, you may be able to do the whole thing in one go.
- Start slowly and speed up
If you start slowly and accelerate, it’s easier to control what you’re doing and can help you get the whole beer down without it going all over your shirt.
- Tip the can or bottle at the right angle
If you hold the bottle or can at a sharp angle, gravity will help get the job done. All you then need to worry about is opening your throat to let the beer go down.
- Use a bottle bong
For a more sophisticated version of the bottle-and-straw technique, you can use something known as a bottle bong or a bottle snorkel. These are tubes that are placed on the top of the bottle to let the beer out with another tube providing the airflow.
Using a device like this can speed up how quickly beer comes out of the bottle, improving your chugging times.
- Practice with water
If you’re serious about becoming a chugging champion, you need to master the trick of opening your throat, so practice at home with water.
However, make sure you don’t get caught doing this because it’s seriously not cool and you’ll probably be laughed out of town.
A valuable life skill you can work on
Even for those who struggle to down a beer in one go, there’s still hope – and by taking on board the techniques and tips we’ve given you in this post, you too can work on improving the valuable life skill of being able to chug a beer fast.
