"Blackout Rage Gallons", aka BORGS, Are The New Craze at College Parties Now. And Adults Are Scared

NBC News - The borg — "blackout rage gallon" — has become the drink of choice on college campuses across the country.

Made with half water, half vodka, a caffeinated flavor enhancer and a dash of powdered electrolytes, the drink has been hailed by many students on TikTok as a hangover-proof party staple.

Binge drinking, which involves consuming an excessive amount of alcohol over a short period of time, remains a widespread issue that many college administrators have struggled to control. But as borgs go viral, some harm reduction advocates — who don't condone binge drinking — have said the trend may actually mitigate the dangers of college drinking culture.

When making borgs, drinkers get “complete control” over what they’re drinking, and can pace themselves appropriately, Monroe said. She described borgs as “really solid harm reduction,” when paired with other tactics like catching a ride with a trusted designated driver.

One of the earliest TikTok videos about the borg dates back to March 2020. The drink, which became more common in the wake of social distancing and other Covid prevention measures, is especially popular for tailgates and outdoor parties.

"after covid the whole 'communal drink' thing kinda went out the window for us," one TikTok commenter said on a video about the drink. "borgs came out of necessity."

First off, if you hate on this move you need to change your diaper. 

We bash on generation Zers a lot around here, and for good reason, but this is not one of those cases where you'll hear me calling them out. 

I actually love this move. 

I also love the name. BORG goes hard in the paint. It sounds like a Star Wars character. One syllable. Rolls right off the tongue. Chant-able. Definitely belongs in the frat-bro lexicon. 

Kids in America have been getting blacked out for eternity. And they'll continue to as long as we have these archaic 21 and over drinking laws, which promote it. To quote Dan Patrick, "You can't stop it, you can only hope to contain it." So if today's college kids wanna fill up milk jugs with the alcohol of their choice, and mix in some pre-hangover powder packets, to then carry it around with them for the day/night, like they're the guy who never does leg day at the gym, more power to them. 

I agree. Taking a swig from bottles of vodka and passing them around is gross as fuck when you think of it. Back when I was in school I never even heard of meningitis, but that shit scares the absolute piss out of me. 

And that was just the shit you did with friends and roommates and people you knew!

We used to throw house parties, where we'd mix Everclear (the real XXX stuff I would buy in Rhode Island, and then fly back to Chicago with me in my checked suitcase like a fucking psychopath), in a trash can with a bunch of knockoff Kool-Aid plastic containers. And fill it with hose water. Kids would walk buy with a plastic cup, and scoop it out of the TRASH CAN and drink it. 

So fucked up.

So chill out parents. It could be much worse. And you have way bigger things to worry about.

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The part I don't get about this whole "movement" is the insane amount of tutorials the fans of BORGS are posting everywhere on social media.

What is so hard about making these things? You aren't Julia Child making boeuf bourguignon here guys. You're making jungle juice in a gallon-to-go-jug. 

I do love the requirement to name your BORG and write it on the jug though. Some of the best names I've seen in my brief research so far are:

BORGan Donor
501c Charity BORGanization
Humphrey BORGart
BORGage Broker
Save a BORG, ride a Cowboy
Soulja BORG
Brown vs. The BORG Of Education
Our BORG and Savior
SpongeBORG

p.s.- the obligatory Blackout Mixes