Local drinking game sinks competition

A bucket, a pitcher, a glass and a crowd help formulate "Bloomington's Best Drinking Game," Sink the Biz. For some, the strategy is to never sink the cup, but for others, drinking is the main goal.\nThere's no clear winner or loser in Sink the Biz, said Pete Mikolaitis, Nick's English Hut manager. \n"I guess everybody's a winner."\nSink the Biz has become a tradition at Nick's English Hut, where it was created. On a busy night at Nick's about 60 tables will be playing the game, Mikolaitis said. There are a few basic rules, but tables are encouraged to make up their own, he said.\nNick's provides customers with a 48-ounce bucket and a 60-ounce pitcher of beer for $12 Monday through Thursday or $16 on weekends. Customers are also given a five-ounce glass known as the high ball, which floats in the bucket. Players take turns pouring any amount of beer from a cup into the high ball, Mikolaitis said. The cup must be held higher than the handle of the bucket. The player who sinks the high ball during his turn must drink the five-ounce glass of beer.\nSenior Morgan Schutte said drippage is not allowed during pours when she plays Sink the Biz.\n"It has to be a steady stream," Schutte said.\nRules vary, and sometimes veterans try to use this to their advantage when playing with rookies. Graduate student Nick Rossi quickly discovered this during his first game of Sink the Biz.\n"They told me I had to drink the bucket if I sank it three times," Rossi said. "That's not an official rule."\nSenior Melissa Myres was sitting at Rossi's table Thursday, Nov. 1, during Rossi's first game. She said the best way to avoid drinking the high ball is to sit next to a rookie.\nIt's go big or go home when it comes to Sink the Biz for senior Alex Maloney. He tries to pour as much beer into the high ball as he can no matter what the situation.\n"I'm not one of those guys who lets a little drop," Maloney said.\nStrategies may vary, but after 108 ounces of beer, drunkenness is usually the result.