West Virginia University has enjoyed a long tenure atop the list of biggest party schools in the country. Drinking alcohol is a big part of the student experience in Morgantown. And Mountaineers don’t just drink beer. No, they drink beer out of fishbowls at Mario’s. And Mountaineers don’t just pregame football games. No, they pass around mason jars of moonshine. Are these drinking habits dangerous? Perhaps, but help is nearby. WVU tailgates occur in the parking lot of a hospital…
When I approached students around WVU to ask them about drinking at tailgates, a common theme emerged–BORGs. The BORG has been much reviled by mainstream news in the last couple of years. It’s the kids-these-days nightmare that the local evening news anchor brings to each parents’ living room. It is part of the new wave of jargon for youthful boundary pushing. In this case, BORG stands for Black Out Rage Gallon.
The Black Out Rage Gallon is a somewhat gratuitous descriptor for an otherwise simple concoction. The recipe calls for ½ gallon water, ½ gallon vodka, and flavoring (like Mio) to taste. Rather than using a cocktail shaker, the drink is constructed in the plastic gallon water jug itself. It should be served cold. Apparently, these BORGs have become extremely popular at large state schools across the country, especially among young women.
I found several groups of Mountaineers lounging outside on porches in a part of town known for raucousness. After I explained that I was not selling anything, a group of male students assured me that I had come to the right place. They told me that they knew plenty about drinking. When I asked them why drinking was important to student life at WVU, the answer was straightforward: “Everyone likes to drink. It’s fun.”
In short order, they explain that most girls resort to BORGs for the tailgate before football games. They describe a typical Saturday during the football season–a vast parking lot full of young women lugging around colorful gallon jugs. I’ve heard of BORGs, but I had no idea they were so popular. One student tells me that his girlfriend had to go to a second grocery store on the eve of a football game because the first one had sold out of gallon jugs. Having only seen bodybuilders lugging around such jugs, it seems humorous that all of these young female students would opt for something so large.
But these jugs are more than just boozy and colorful. They are also a sort of blank slate with which the preparer can show creativity, originality, and a sense of humor. A second group of students explain that BORGs typically have writing on the outside that involves some kind of pun on the term BORG itself. Students might read the slogan on someone’s BORG as a conversation starter. A couple they have seen: BORGzilla, USA BORGer Patrol, RIP Queen ElizaBORG. This is an interesting memification of “BORG” itself, as each drinker gets to engage with the name of the drink.
The BORG, the students say, is a cheap and long-lasting way to consume alcohol during tailgating events. Some say that it is also more hydrating. Although the male students have all tried BORGs, they tell me that they prefer to spend their tailgate drinking beer, jello shots, moonshine, Fireball, or some flavored version of Crown Royal.
In light of the BORG’s viral fame, it is easy to feel trepidation for the health and wellness of female students. Indeed, many major publications have done just that. And there is truth to this. WVU is a known party school in a country where college drinking is synonymous with binging. One half gallon of vodka is more alcohol than anyone should be drinking on any one occasion. These are well established criticisms, but let’s consider the positive side of BORGs.
For starters, the female association with the BORG is not something that the media is too focused on. If they did explain to parents that it was mostly women drinking the BORG, would America be even more concerned? Those are our daughters after all! But what if the girls are onto something?
See, the BORG has its benefits–namely, control. While the male students I spoke to said that you drink or pour out half a gallon of water, then add the half gallon back in vodka, the reality is that every individual can mix at any ratio they please. No one will be any the wiser. Vodka is clear, water is clear, and the flavoring turns the gallon into the color of a Jolly Rancher. Really, the BORG drinker is in tight control over the amount of alcohol they are consuming.
Compare this to yesteryear’s loathsome binge drinking trend, Jungle Juice. The anonymous Frat Brother who was playing mixologist on any given night had total control over how much grain alcohol would go into the cocktail. Even dizzying strengths of alcohol can be covered with enough Kool Aid powder. Drinkers who dip their cup into the vat are doing so without knowing how much alcohol they are drinking. Students who make their own BORGs, and adorn them with their own creative slogans, are more in control.
On top of this, a female student carrying around a gallon jug of water has removed the open container from the drinking equation. Jungle Juice, in some cases, is a potion of drugs in addition to alcohol and sugar. And spiking drinks at parties and bars is a frightening and real crime that occurs in this world.
The little plastic disc that seals these jugs is not particularly sturdy, but it is a formidable barrier for would-be drink-spikers to overcome. Once again, there may be a reason that women have gravitated to this trendy beverage more than men. While binge drinking has clear health risks (and women binge drink now more than ever), there may be some risk-mitigating behaviors at play with the mass female adoption of the BORG. If binge drinking is going to occur, the BORG may not be the worst option.
If this argument falls on flat ears, there is another side to consider. The BORG is nothing new. It is a modern version of the Jungle Juices and punches of college drinking before.
Interviewing some of the WVU students, one Senior described a tailgate beverage that he drank with his family. He called it “boilo.” In fact, he had some boilo inside the house and he poured me a shot and microwaved it (it is usually served hot.)
As I sipped the hot liquid, I could understand why someone would want it on a cold fall gameday. It was an opaque honey-brown liquid that tasted of spiced apples and oranges–with a bit of alcohol burn to boot. But when I asked him how he made it, he deferred to an older generation. So we called his father.
On the telephone, I was given detailed instructions as to how boilo is made. It is a mulled concoction of apple cider, Everclear (grain alcohol), Golden ginger ale (it’s spicier and more gingery), a handful of caraway seeds, six cinnamon sticks, the zest of an orange, and 16 ounces of honey. To make it, boil the cider and add the ginger ale, honey, zest, and spices until it’s at a rolling boil. Remove from heat and cool. Add in the grain alcohol and bring to a light boil (WARNING FLAMMABLE: Do not add grain alcohol to hot stove top!). Strain through cheesecloth and serve hot.
While this is more complicated and culinary than making a BORG, this student’s father essentially described an equally alcoholic pre-game beverage. Grain alcohol is usually sold above 90% alcohol by volume. The father did not specify how much should be used. Boilo could easily rival the BORG in alcohol content. It even rings similar in name. But this recipe comes from an older generation, not from the kids these days.
Consider, also, a recipe given in the 1984 WV Tailgater’s Cookbook by Vick and Roger McLaughlin. One pregame drink is called “Grape and Grain Punch.” The recipe is as follows:
“Grape and Grain Punch
1 large can frozen orange juice
1 large can frozen grape juice
1 large can frozen lemonade
2 extra cans of water
2 oranges
1 lemon
1 jar maraschino cherries
½ pint grain alcohol
Mix juices according to cans. Slice oranges and lemons thin. Add all ingredients in a large thermos. 7-Up or club soda can be added if desired.” Such a recipe would likely result in a drink around 10% alcohol by volume, which is likely less than BORGs and boilo. Still, grain alcohol punches are cheap, long-lasting ways of consuming alcohol during a long day. The idea is nothing new.
Concern for youth drinking habits is also nothing new. But, while most people are making noise about the dangers of the BORG, it is worthwhile to point out how the drink could bring positives with it. If students are going to be binge drinking, it is best that they are aware of how strong their drinks are. As the next school year rolls around, and the Mountaineers take the field again, be on the lookout for thousands of colorful jugs in the hands of students taking part in a long held tradition at WVU–drinking a lot of alcohol.
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