A beer bong is a device composed of a

funnel A funnel is a tube or pipe that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, used for guiding liquid or powder into a small opening. Funnels are usually made of stainless steel, aluminium, glass, or plastic. The material used in its construct ...

attached to a tube used to facilitate the rapid consumption of

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...

. The use of a beer bong is also known as funneling.

Construction

The typical construction of a beer bong involves a large funnel connected to tubing. Beers are stockpiled in the funnel and as the user drinks, the beer will pour down the tubing. Beer bongs often have valves to engage/disengage the flow of beer.

Use

Typical oral

One person holds a clear pipe to their mouth, while a second holds the other end of the pipe with a large plastic funnel attached. The pipe is part-filled with beer, with the remainder of the pipe and the bottom of the funnel filling with a foamy head. A young man beer bonging for the first time

A young man beer bonging for the first time

Drinking from a beer bong is different from drinking beer normally (or other carbonated beverage). This is because the drinker is not in control of the volume of liquid entering the mouth. In addition, the force of gravity pushes the beer into the drinker's mouth and thus 'forces' the beer down. It is for this reason the beer bong often engages the

gag reflex The pharyngeal reflex or gag reflex is a reflex muscular contraction of the back of the throat, evoked by touching the roof of the mouth, the back of the tongue, the area around the tonsils, the uvula, and the back of the throat. It, along with othe ...

. The beer bong is either 'hit' or 'chugged'. A hit from the beer bong is when a valve is used and one drinks as much beer as they can before turning off the valve. Chugging is where an entire, or a number of beers are consumed in one use. A popular technique is to 'open' the

esophagus The esophagus (American English) or oesophagus (British English; both ), non-technically known also as the food pipe or gullet, is an organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by peristaltic contractions, from the pharynx to the ...

and simply allow the beer to flow down. This takes practice and may cause pain in trying it for the first time.

Alternate rectal

Occasionally the pipe is inserted rectally to administer an

alcohol enema An alcohol enema, also known colloquially as butt-chugging or boofing, is the act of introducing alcohol (drug), alcohol into the rectum and Colon (anatomy), colon via the anus, i.e., as an enema. This method of alcohol consumption can be dangerous ...

. Called butt-chugging or boofing, this method of alcohol consumption can be dangerous or even deadly because it leads to faster intoxication since the alcohol is absorbed directly into the bloodstream and bypasses the body's ability to reject the toxin by vomiting.

In popular culture

Beer bongs came to national attention in the US after a photograph of Senator

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...

being offered one at an

Iowa University The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 coll ...

tailgate party A tailgate party is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating, which primarily takes place in the United States and Canada, often involves consuming alcoholic beverages while barbecuing and grilling food. Ta ...

made national newspaper front pages.

References

External links

{{Drinking games Beer vessels and serving Drinking games