You’ll need a minimum of 20 small pumpkins, one for each of the cups you would normally use for a regular game. Given that things can get knocked over, and in the presence of drunk people accidents are likely, you’ll probably want to have at least 5 extra pumpkins on hand. Maybe more, if your friends are klutzes.

Take however many pumpkins you’ve decided on using, cut off the tops, and scoop out the insides like you’re making a jack-o-lantern. If you’re really ambitious, you can save and roast the seeds to snack on during the party. Once the pumpkin innards are clean, keep the pumpkin shells in the refrigerator until they’re ready to be used.

When gametime comes, set up the hollowed-out pumpkins and fill them with beer, just like you would for a normal tournament, and play just like you normally would. Once you’re finished, feast on roasted pumpkin seeds and Halloween candy, and congratulate yourself and your friends on giving your favorite holiday from when you were five a truly grown-up twist.

So, you have this friend who doesn’t drink because they “don’t like beer” or haven’t tried one they like yet. Here are a few suggestions to get them started.

1. Blue moon
These guys make a great Belgian White that’s a great place to start for people who are new to the beer world. Made with a hint of orange, its nice, light flavor is given depth by the fact that it’s unfiltered. All in all, a perfect place to start.
2. Stella
You see it advertised everywhere, and it’s drunk in more than 80 countries around the world. Who are you to argue with people in 80 countries? It’s a good light lager, available almost anywhere.
3. Hoegaarden
This is another Belgian wheat ale that’s unique because it’s double-fermented: top fermented and then re-fermented in the bottle. This process gives it a unique cloudy-white appearance. Its flavor is sweet with a bit of bitterness and spice, and is a great drink for a hot summer day.
4. Pumpkin
During the fall, pumpkin ales come out in force. The flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg appeal to most people and make pumpkin beers seem warm and comforting with the onset of cold weather. Plenty of people get started with pumpkin beer, then hunt furiously for something to replace it once the season’s done.
5. Guinness
The classic dark beer from Ireland. If the lighter beers aren’t your friends’ thing, try them of a Guinness and see how they react. It has a strong flavor of roasted malt and a creamy texture, and like Hoegarden it’s drunk in more than 80 countries worldwide. It’s always better on tap than in a bottle, and die-hard fans will rhapsodize about this fact.

This set is a great go-to for beers that will make a good introduction to the beer-drinking universe. And once a person’s found a single beer they like, they’ll be ready to bring a six-pack and join the party.

Athletic drinking: perhaps you thought you were alone, beer pong fans, but hark! a “drinking group with a running problem”. What?!? Sounds too good to be true. But across the globe the Hash House Harriers, or H3, are out in full force. They’re like fraternities/sororities of silliness and fitness for adults of all kinds. The Constitution, dating back to 1950, states the group is meant to, “promote physical fitness among our members, to get rid of weekend hangovers, to acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it in beer.” And the Nobel goes to…

The ratio of exercise to drinking varies from chapter to chapter; most chapters have both runners and walkers.The level of social acceptability also varies; some are family friendly while others go out of their way to be as lewd or politically incorrect as possible.

Seems like this could get out of hand really fast but there’s a method to the madness. Each chapter has their own traditions but generally once a week one member, or hare, sets a trail with chalk or flour with different signs or markings signifying a false trail, a backtrack, a shortcut, or a turn. In addition to the tricks, several types of “checks” are also used- most commonly a beer check- to keep the hound–the other members–together by slowing down front runners and giving everyone a chance to regroup and socialize. Among the popular jargon between hashers the most common phrase- and perhaps most important- is “On-on!” shouted to let other members of the hound know they are still on the trail.

Want to join a hash? Look up your local group! Don’t be intimidated: all the local traditions and markings will be explained to you at the “chalk talk” before the hash. But do beware of the “down-down” used for both positive and negative recognition of a hasher requiring the member in question to finish the entire remaining contents of his/her beverage without interruption or else it will be poured on your head. But you beer pong lovers can handle that, right? So go work off that beer gut with the Hash House Harriers and invite your hound back to your place for some beer pong afterwards.

Get the right start: We love all kinds of beer pong tables, we really do. But if your goal is to have the most awesome beer pong spot on campus, you have to go classy. Start with a wood beer pong table and get a bonus 100 Classiness Points. Think “I don’t always play beer pong, but when I do I play it on a premium wood beer pong table with a water-proof sealant coating”.

Get the girl: Have you heard that we’re partnered with Playboy to put hot girls on every inch of your beer pong table? Well, now you know. There is nothing more distracting to your beer pong opponent (other than the increasing intoxication) than trying to focus on cups that are sitting just beyond the half-covered bosom of a Playmate. There are dozens of images to choose from and you really can’t go wrong. You’re combining sexy ladies, beer, and competition all on one table here!

Get upgraded: Don’t stop now, you’re almost at maximum awesomeness. What if we told you that you can combine sexy ladies, beer, competition, and music all into one amazing table? Mind blown? Scoop your jaw up off the floor and let’s talk about beer pong tables with built in speakers. You can add speakers to any table for less than $50! Yes, you COULD zip-tie some computer speakers to the table legs, but remember we’re building the Ultimate Beer Pong Table here. Zip ties are not classy.

Get stability: Finally, you’re so close to the Ultimate Beer Pong Table. Take it to the next level with cup placement holes pre-drilled! Unless you’re someone who really believes in the fun of spilling beer everywhere on every other turn, cup holes are the way to go. Keep the game organized and your floor clean at the same time.

There you have it: the Ultimate Beer Pong Table. It’s classy, it’s sexy, it’s musically talented and it will keep holding your beer for you even after you throw things at it all night.

It’s about time you F yourself up with some knowledge

It’s time for another version of Beer in the News, where we find you all the latest beer and pong-related items and tidbits! Plus, Beer in the News give us an excuse to say “tidbits.” Without further delay, here are the latest happenings in the world of beer and beer pong:

Pong Beer, a beer made specifically for beer pong, is now available in 15 states: What makes this beer so great for beer pong? Well, its biggest selling point seems to be the price; a 30-pack runs for $17. At that price, you’ll have enough money left over to treat yourself to a custom beer pong table! Have you tried this beer yet? What do you think?

Students in Nevada kick off their engineering week with “cosmic pong”: Fun features of cosmic pong include fluorescent cups, black lights, and, of course, some of the tipsiest nerds around.

New York judge throws out the fascinating “case of the injured beer pong player”: So this guy became so drunk playing beer pong that he wandered across a busy highway, got hit by a car (no! really?), and then tried to sue the bar where began playing his multiple hour-long game. This man violates several rules in our Party Pong Code of Conduct, and we know you’re much smarter than this, esteemed Party Pongers.

A newspaper in Michigan reveals the results of their beer haiku contest: And some of the winners are the sort of poetry than can bring a tear to the eye. Rock on, you thirsty wordsmiths.

One ballsy beer company offers up a beer made from fungus-infected grapes: And the most surprising thing? Critics agree it’s great! People describe Dogfish Head’s “Noble Rot,” as it’s called, as a cross between wine and beer. We’re sold.

And finally, at some point in the near future, you may be shaving your face with beer waste. Sweet.

Well, that’s all for the news today, beer pong fans! Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments!

Odds are if you are reading this blog, you enjoy drinking games whether its beer pong, tip cup, beer chess, or something more specific. There are many games that are helped by the addition of drinking rules, and it is so easy to write your own drinking game for any topic of your choosing, that it can begin to seem like all games are potential drinking games. Be warned however, not all games should be combined with alcohol. To save you from learning this the hard way, please avoid the following games while drinking.

1. (Sport) Ice Hockey: This game is an excellent predecessor to drinking, but the game should be completed prior to engaging in the consumption of alcohol. Let’s face it, skating with sticks using sharpened blades on your feet is not safe when sober. Please do not try it combined with alcohol.

2. (Video Game) Grand Theft Auto IV: The camera cuts, swerving and high speed motion are a key component in the following equation:Beer + G.T.A.IV= Motion Sickness

3. (Sport) Polo: Polo is an excellent drinking sport, for the spectators. While you enjoy your field side beverages, please remember not to jump into the fray. Neither water nor horses and mallets should be combined with beverages that reduce aim.

4. (Group Game) Red Rover: “Red Rover, Red Rover, send Bud right over?” Not so much. The only thing that seems like fun when playing this game and drinking is crashing into the other players. It’s a recipe for injury at best, and angry drunken brawls at worst. Not a good idea, especially if you ever want to engage in drinking games with those friends again.

5. (Board Game) The Game of Life: This game is boring. Beer is a depressant. Combine the two and you will likely fall asleep. And then you cannot drink or play anymore until you wake up. And that is counterproductive.

This list is not comprehensive, but hopefully it provides you with a sampling that can help determine when a game just isn’t fit for adaptation to drinking. And if you have a way to make one of these games work, spread the word!

Beer Pong, Flip Cup, Drunk Ball, and many other drinking games are expanding their reach. They remain an excellent past-time for friends gathered to enjoy an afternoon of camaraderie and are, of course, a staple of parties nation-wide. But a rising demand for organized venues by people who are tired of beating, or losing-to, the same crowd has motivated social sports leagues to expand their offerings.

In many areas flag-football and dodge ball leagues have begun offering bar leagues. These organized drinking game leagues team up with local venues. Some bars have the facilities already set up for games such as shuffleboard, candlepin, or indoor bocci. Others don’t have the facilities full time, but are more than willing to allow a league to set up portable beer pong tables on a week night in exchange for the money made from the league buying beer.

The benefits of participating in a beer pong league (or any other drinking game of choice) are all about fun. You meet new people, witness new techniques, and possibly drink new beers. And the people are the kind you want to spend time with, after-all they also put in the effort to find and join a beer pong league. But just as important, you have a scheduled time to write on your calendar “I am having fun now!”

So, if meeting new people and showing them your beer pong skills sounds like a worthwhile pursuit the next step is to find, or form, a league in your area. Because leagues are less likely to succeed if there are too many in one area, start with a general search; “Social Game League (insert location)” will likely turn up anything already in your area. Looks like the local league is still limited to flag football? Give them a call before you give up, they may have it and suck at advertising. Check offline, as many meetings of Beer Pong Leagues are listed in the social section of a local paper. And if that doesn’t work, take your own table to the local bars and find a location to get one going.

When playing beer pong or other drinking games, common practice is to buy any inexpensive beer to fill the cups. This is perfect for newer beer drinkers, pong players on a budget (who isn’t on a budget these days?), and gatherings where the focus is on company and entertainment rather than beverage. But then, when drinking is less for sport and more focused on taste it can become difficult to choose among the beers offered in the local store. Those beers aren’t Bud Weiser, or Miller, but what are they like? A beer fan can read up on the latest beers in any number of blogs. But no words equal the experience of tasting.
Fortunately, tis the season for festivals! Across the country cities and towns are hosting street festivals and fairs of all varieties. And one particularly fitting festival that crops up around the nation during summer months is perfect for drinkers seeking to find their tastes in the beer world.
July alone hosts more the fifty beer festivals around the United States, with several more overseas. Many of these festivals include upwards of 200 beers available in one location!
For the price of a ticket (often less than $50 per festival), visitors can sample a wide variety of beers and gain a feel for their own tastes. The tasting of beer is broken up by seminars on the uses for beer, or on brewing beer of your own. Food is offered for pairing with the festival’s beers, so guests can spend the day tasting and enjoying them. All in all, these festivals offer a wonderful way to dive into the world of beer. Enjoy!

Aluminum Tables (AKA “The Man in Black”)

This sleek and classy table is designed for the Ponger of Mystery. Think dark sunglasses, handsome suits, and awesome Bond-like contraptions like, um, iPads. The aluminum table is the lightest and most easily transportable of all the tables, and it folds into a briefcase so you can take it with you on your jet-setting, crime-fighting tours.

Plastic Tables (AKA “The Serious Partyer”)

This indestructible bad boy is designed to handle any spill, scuff, or party pratfall. Did one of your teammates take a stumble and crash head-first into the table? We can’t make any guarantees for your teammate, but the table, for one, can handle it. The plastic tables come in a wide array of colors and also lend themselves very nicely to custom graphics, so you can show off your spirit no matter what you’re celebrating. They can also come with pre-drilled holes for game cups, to keep your beer from spilling.

Wood Tables (AKA “The Good Ol’ Boy”)

The smooth, classic wood table is the perfect compliment to any bar, pub, game room, or basement. It comes with two leg types—standard or detailed—so you can match it to the décor. It blends right in with comfy couches, bright dart boards, or fancy dogs playing poker.

Other Considerations

Don’t forget, the above are only guidelines. Fit your table to your personality even better by adding bumpin’ speakers and custom graphics!

“Quaintest thoughts, queerest fancies come to life and fade away. What care I how time advances; I am drinking ale today.” –Edgar Allan Poe

“A woman drove me to drink, and I hadn’t even the courtesy to thank her.”
–W.C. Fields

“I fear the man who drinks water and so remembers this morning what the rest of us said last night.”
– Ancient Greek proverb

“Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer. “
–Arnold Schwarzenegger

“I drink to make other people interesting.”
–George Jean Nathan

“It’s beer o’clock, and I’m buying.”
–Teddy Gammell, Memento

“Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.”
–Winston Churchill

“Do not cease to drink beer, to eat, to intoxicate thyself, to make love, and to celebrate the good days.”
–Ancient Egyptian Credo

“Fill it up again! Fill it up again! Once it hits your lips, it’s so good!”
–Frank the Tank, Old School

“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer.”
–Abraham Lincoln

“Fermentation may have been a greater discovery than fire.”
–David Rains Wallace

“If you ever reach total enlightenment while drinking beer, I bet it makes beer shoot out your nose.”
–Jack Handy, Saturday Night Live

“There can’t be good living where there is not good drinking.”
–Benjamin Franklin

“He was a wise man who invented beer.”
–Plato

“I like beer. On occasion, I will even drink beer to celebrate a major event such as the fall of Communism or the fact that the refrigerator is still working.”
–Dave Berry

Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.
– Ernest Hemingway

“I work until beer o’clock.”
–Stephen King

Did we miss a great one? Let us know in the comments!