Beer Die

Beer Die is played two against two at a long table, traditionally a sheet of plywood about 8 × 4 feet. Each team takes one end and every player has a cup in front of them, about a hand’s width from the edges. Before you start, agree on the minimum throwing height – usually at least above head height.

Teams take turns throwing, one throw per player per round. The die is tossed underhand in a high arc onto the opponents’ half of the table.

• Point: the die hits the opponents’ half, bounces off their end and nobody catches it. Catches count one-handed only – no trapping it against your body, no two-handed grabs.
• Hitting a cup: the throw is dead and the cup’s owner drinks a sip.
• Sink: if the die lands in an opponent’s cup, that team finishes its drinks. Agree in advance how many points a sink is worth.
• Self-sink: landing it in your own team’s cup loses the game under most house rules.

The first team to 7 or 11 points wins – by two.

Penalty sips

A cup equals five sips. You drink one if you miss the table, throw too low, hit the ceiling or throw out of turn. Then there’s the number rule: say “bizz” instead of five and “buzz” instead of seven – say the real number and you drink.

Variations

• Snappa: the seated California version; every score is worth one point and you play to 7.
• Point values: many groups play 1 point for the table, 2 for clipping a cup and 3 for a sink.
• Singles: one against one works too, with one cup per side.

Tips

There’s no official rulebook for Beer Die – settle throw height, point values and the sink rule before the first throw. A normal 16 mm die is all you need.