hour of power

Drinking game most popular with uni students, campers and the otherwise young and stupid. The idea is simple: 1 shot of beer every minute, on the minute for 60 minutes. Sounds easy doesn't it? "That tiny little shot will be through my system before the next one arrives", I hear you say. And that's how it starts. You can't wait for the next beep. You might even sneak a swig between minutes. You get through ten, and twenty with no worries. Only sixty? I could do this all night. The confidence starts to fade around thirty. You're not pissed yet, but starting to feel a little tight in the guts. And the minutes keep coming. Every shot seems to double the pressure in your guts. You start ripping out massive burps which relieve the pressure a bit, but then it's time for the next one. As the alcohol starts to kick in, the minutes seem to fly. You dread the beep and flinch when it goes off. It takes you almost a full minute to down the shot. And there are still 12 to go. If you're lucky, you won't notice the last 10 through the haze. If you're unlucky, you'll be running around the back of the shed to puke... but if your friends are cool, as long as you make it back to your seat for the next minute, you can keep going. Still not convinced? 60 shots is equivalent to 60 ounces, 1.8 litres, or a touch under a standard six pack. In an hour. And if that's not enough, the hour of power is merely the poorer cousin of the true measure of binge-drinking prowess: the dreaded centurion... See also boat race, cricket drinking game.