 Red borg labeled "SpongeBorg SquarePants" | |
| Type | Mixed drink |
|---|---|
| Ingredients |
|
| Standard drinkware | Plastic gallon waterjug |
Aborg (sometimesBORG, short forblackout rage gallon)[1] is amixed drink made in a plastic gallonjug, generally containing water,vodka, flavoreddrink mix such asMiO orKool-Aid, and sometimeselectrolyte mix such asPedialyte. The drink gained popularity at universities in the United States in the early 2020s, spreading among members ofGeneration Z onTikTok in late 2022 and early 2023.[2][3] A borg is designed to be held and consumed by one individual throughout a party, distinguishing it from older communally-served party drinks (which may have similar ingredients) such asjungle juice andpunch.[4] Drinkers typically label their borg jug with a nickname, often apun on the word "borg."[3][5][6][7]
A borg's high alcohol content and convenient packaging facilitatesbinge drinking, with a typical recipe calling for afifth of vodka, equivalent to about 16 drinks.[1] The drink has been touted as ahangover remedy and aharm reduction strategy, supposedly counteracting the effects of alcohol with water andelectrolytes, but these claims are not grounded in scientific evidence.[8][9]
Officials blamed borg consumption for a mass hospitalization event at theUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst in March 2023.[10]
Borgs originated at parties atstate universities in the United States as early as 2018, especially at large outdoor daytime parties, or "darties".[3][4][11] The drink's popularity grew throughout the following few years, largely due to video trends onTikTok in which drinkers shared recipes and punny nicknames for their borgs.[3][12] TheCOVID-19 pandemic may have also contributed to the popularity of the drink, as it is typically consumed by one person and not shared, reducing the risk ofgerm transmission.[5]
One common claim is that the drink's high water content and inclusion ofelectrolytes may reduce the risks ofbinge drinking, includingdehydration,alcohol intoxication, andhangovers.[3][8][13] Borgs are typically made by the drinker, giving them more control over the contents.[1][2][14] Other proposed benefits of borgs include their flavor additives masking the taste of alcohol,[15] their translucent jugs allowing drinkers to see how much they have consumed and pace themselves,[9] and their sealed containers allowing drinkers to circumventopen-container laws as well as reducing the risk ofdrug-facilitated sexual assault.[15]
Medical experts have rejected the borg's claimed benefits, instead blaming the drink for promotingbinge drinking. Many experts have warned that a borg's typicalfifth of vodka, equivalent to roughly 16shots, is dangerous for one person to consume, even when mixed with other ingredients or spread out over a full day.[1][2][14] Some borg flavoring powder, such asMiO, also containscaffeine, which experts have noted can have dangerous effects when mixed with alcohol.[13] TheNational Capital Poison Center links borg consumption to increased risks foralcohol poisoning,cancer, and otherchronic diseases.[16]
Boston University health law professor David Jernigan noted that the borg does not "meaningfully reduce the risks of drinking," includingalcoholic liver disease.[8] Gus Colangelo, an Emergency Medicine Physician atTufts Medical Center, asserted borgs are even more dangerous than traditional alcoholic beverages, calling them a method of "uncontrolled drinking."[14]Stanford University psychiatry and addiction medicine professorAnna Lembke said that drinking a borg "can lead to potentially life-threatening consumption and alcohol poisoning", as the drink's alcohol quantity "totally overwhelms the capacity of the liver tometabolize it".[4]
The risks of borgs drew national attention after March 4, 2023, when 46 students at theUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst were hospitalized after consuming borgs during an annualSaint Patrick's Day celebration called the Blarney Blowout.[17] Patients were transported to the hospital in 32 ambulances, a record in the history of the annual event.[15] They were treated for a variety of alcohol-related issues includingalcohol intoxication, but all were discharged without life-threatening injuries.[15][17] In a statement, university officials said this was their first observation of notable borg usage and warned students about the risks of binge drinking.[18]
The 2024Broadway adaptation ofWilliam Shakespeare'sRomeo and Juliet, directed bySam Gold, prominently featured a borg as a prop, held byLord and Lady Capulet (portrayed bySola Fadiran) throughout the play and used byRomeo (Kit Connor) to ingest the poison pill at the play's climax.[19] Described byToday as "Chekhov's borg", the jug was labeled with various Shakespearean puns at each performance, including "to borg or not to borg" and "William Shakesborg".[19]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)