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It is the age old party debate: ‘Beirut’ or ‘Beer Pong.’ As far of the name of the game goes, it is clear it is a regional distinction whether it is by town, by county or by state. Like house rules, we should also observe the house name, and being that our school resides in Fairfield County where it is known as Beirut. So next weekend when you are arguing if it is Beirut or Beer Pong, just remember Fairfield is Beirut territory.
Moving on from that point to the more poignant debate: which drinking game is the best? Flip Cup vs. Beirut. The purpose of all of drinking games is essentially to get drunk, whether it be card games, coin games or other eccentric drinking games. There are some games that involve true skill though. When it comes to cup based games, Flip Cup and Beirut are the two most common games played at Fairfield parties, with a few hybrids of the two also being played. But why are these games the most popular?
The debate between Flip Cup and Beirut is a simple one: ease. In Flip Cup everyone can attempt to play and eventually everyone ends up at the same level, flipping it three times before they hit it. It’s no wonder girls prefer Flip Cup to Beirut. While they also claim that it is more social, this depends on who plays Beirut and the interest of those attending the party. Beirut is the something which people can talk about, play, spectate and even become the fifth man. It becomes clear that there is a reason why Beirut is the more common game at Fairfield as it is the only pure drinking game left.
Beirut, while a skill game that can be mastered,’ also has the ability to be drastically changed depending on your opponents level of intoxication. There is nothing worse than when one is on a run of five games straight and someone who is completely sober comes on the table. The game can be changed in just one turn: both players can hit, get send-backs, go on fire and come back being five cups down. In the same way, a drunken swing of the arm can result in losing the game automatically when you knock over all your cups. Many a player can recount their best wins, worst losses and best shots. Flip Cup is much more of in-the-moment style game, in which teams and rivalries are replaced with simple arguments about whose cup flipped first.
The beautiful thing about both Flip Cup and Beirut is that they can be expanded. Flip Cup, whether you survive it or not, can accommodate as many players as possible and can even make a third team. Beirut is increased by the number of cups and then the number of players: six cups, 10 cups, 21 cups, 45 cups, and so on.
Beirut also has the perfect combination with continuity. Everyone is able to customize their own rules slightly to fit the environment and playing style, while still maintaining a common theme. However, at the end of the night, no matter what game you play, somehow we all end up winning by achieving our initial goal: drinking.
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