Bar Belle from 8/27/08 LEO Weekly

BY SARA HAVENS

The Face Chug — Everybody’s doing it!

As Bar Belle, it is my duty to keep a blurry eye on trends in the Louisville bar scene. Often I call them out and advise that you steer clear — like drunken texting or Miller Chill. But there’s one activity spreading through the corner taverns in this city that must be addressed and applauded. I’ve been both a perpetrator and victim of this random act — and I must say it’s fun on both sides of the Face Chug.

I scoured the states and located the man responsible for regionalizing the Face Chug. He’s a Louisville native now living on the West Coast. For obvious reasons, LEO Weekly has agreed to keep his identity a secret. He says the Face Chug was invented at Dartmouth College in 2003, and that although there are many variations, “in its purest form, it involves grabbing the collar of a fellow bar patron or bystander and chugging your beer closely in his or her face. Spilling on the recipient is acceptable and, at times, even encouraged.”

Mr. F-C has performed the act roughly 30 to 40 times over the last two years to an array of responses — from high-fives to eye-rolls, and even some re-chug challenges. “I would not recommend doing it to complete strangers,” he advises, “as the act could easily be misinterpreted.” So no Face Chugging on the first date? “I wouldn’t recommend using it as a first move, especially if you are trying to be taken seriously by the recipient. But it could potentially be a conversation starter if the instigator is not extremely clever or coherent.”

I tried it out last weekend on friends and acquaintances and noticed that while men seem to accept and embrace Face Chugging, women take longer to warm up to it. I’d also encourage Face Chugging only with bottles or cans — unless, of course, you’re into F-Cing yourself. I’m not judging.