As if you needed another reason to drink during the holidays…

For many, drinking is synonymous with the holidays, and what better way to ring in the season than with a few new drinking games to add to the old favorites.

PHOTO by Kayla Nguyen

Eggnog with elf: Who says you can’t knock back a few adult beverages during a kid’s movie?

Although these days it’s easy to just go online and look up a few cinematic drinking games, I decided to create some rules of my own. I have also taken the liberty of pairing these movies with a few of my favorite winter-oriented brews.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Christmas Vacation is a personal favorite of mine. Growing up, I had the pleasure of watching it time and again during the holiday season, beginning with a viewing after Thanksgiving dinner and continuing all the way to New Year’s Day.

It still has the ability to make me laugh until I’ve effectively worked off the calories from my various holiday feasts, and I’m sure pairing it with a drinking game will make it all the more effective.

Enjoy with:
Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale
Take one drink:
When Bethany gets confused
When the Christmas lights fail
When Clark causes some sort
of destruction
When a Christmas tradition (e.g. Christmas tree or Christmas dinner) fails
Take two drinks:
When a new family member arrives
When Eddie or his family act like hillbillies
When someone sings a song
Finish your drink:
When the Christmas lights actually work

Gremlins (1984)
Though many overlook Gremlins as a holiday classic, it is a personal staple this time of year. My group of friends enjoys a Christmas Eve tradition that revolves around a slightly (er, drastically) blurred viewing of the film and an overwhelming sense of camaraderie.

Enjoy with:
Ninkasi Sleigh’r
Take one drink:
When Gizmo talks
When an invention malfunctions
When someone says “mogwai”
When a new gremlin is spawned from a mogwai
When a gremlin smokes a cigarette
Take two drinks:
When Gizmo gets scared or jittery
When someone says “gremlin”
Finish your drink:
When someone breaks
one of the “three rules”
(don’t feed the mogwai after midnight, don’t get the mogwai wet, don’t
subject the mogwai to bright lights)

Elf (2003)
Leave it to Will Ferrell to bring out the childlike joy and wonder in all of us around the holidays. Though Elf is geared toward the young, a drinking game is still in order.

Enjoy with:
Deschutes Brewery’s Jubelale
Take one drink:
When Buddy eats sweets
When Buddy misunderstands
something
When someone says “Santa”
Take two drinks:
When Buddy does something
socially awkward
When Buddy’s dad disparages him

Bad Santa (2003)
Bad Santa is one of those new classics born out of disdain for the holidays. Between Black Friday and having to spend money on people who probably won’t appreciate your gift anyway, the sentiments of this movie pair nicely with all of those bitter feelings and gives us a chance to laugh at all of the season’s irritating traditions.

Enjoy with:
Anchor Brewing’s Christmas Ale
Take one drink:
When a character smokes
or drinks alcohol
When someone says
the word “sandwich”
Take two drinks:
When Santa is only wearing
part of his suit
When Christmas decorations
get destroyed
Finish your drink:
When Santa gets lucky