A Power Hour is the perfect way to pregame with a large group of people before a night out. The idea is simple: just take 1 shot of beer every minute for 1 hour, or 60 shots of beer total. You’ll end up drinking up to 7.5 beers when time’s up, so it’s definitely an efficient way to get your night started! In this article, we’ll explain exactly how to play the Power Hour drinking game, plus show you how to make your own Power Hour playlist to fit the vibe of your party and offer some tips on how to stay comfortable (and safe) with all that beer in your belly.
How do you play Power Hour?
Grab a shot glass and 6–7 cans of beer for each player. Turn on a playlist or timer that goes off every minute for 1 hour. Every time the song changes or the timer beeps, take one shot of beer. The goal of the game is to take all 60 shots (or last as long as you can before getting too full or tipsy).
Steps
How to Play the Power Hour Drinking Game
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Get 1 shot glass and 6–7 beers per player, then gather in a large room with a speaker. Choose a space like a patio or living room where everyone can gather comfortably and hear the timer or speaker you’re going to use. Make sure each person has their own shot glass to drink from, and at least 6 beers (or about 72 oz (2.1 L) of a different beverage) to last them throughout the hour, assuming they’re able to drink each minute. [3] X Research source
- Besides your drinking materials, you’ll also need a timer or playlist to mark the minutes and signal when it’s time to take a shot.
- Warning: You can technically play with whatever drink you want, but a light beer is best for endurance and for not making yourself sick. Shooting wine or liquor can get you very drunk very fast, so pour smaller shots or take shots less often if you opt for something stronger than beer.
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Pour a shot of beer, start the playlist or timer, and take your first drink to start the game. Have everyone who’s playing fill up their shot glass. When everyone’s ready, start the playlist (or your timer) and have everyone take a shot together. This is drink 1 out of 60!
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Use the following minute to refill your glass and prepare for the next shot. Pour a new shot once you’re done drinking so that you’re not scrambling to refill before the next drink in 1 minute (this is especially helpful for beer, which will have some time to settle and de-foam). Other than that, you really don’t have any responsibilities during the minute; talk, hang out, take a sip of water, or zone out until you hear the song change or the timer go off. There’s no real competition or thought involved! [4] X Research source
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Keep taking a shot of beer each minute until the hour’s over (or you give up). Drinking at this rate means you’ll have about 1 beer every 10 minutes, so you may get full quickly. Keep taking beer shots every minute until the end if you can; if not, feel free to tap out early, start drinking every other minute, or take smaller sips each time. Since you’re not really competing, you can change your drinking strategy to suit you and your body. [5] X Research source
- Remember that everyone’s alcohol tolerance and metabolism are different, so just because you feel great after 20 minutes of beer shots doesn’t mean everyone will. Respect someone’s choice to cut back or take a break if they need to.
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Finish the game when 60 minutes have passed or no one is left standing. There’s no singular winner in a Power Hour; anyone who takes all 60 shots has completed the challenge! However, if only 1 person makes it all the way, you might consider them the de facto champion.
- Competitive variation: If you want to add some stakes to the Power Hour, consider giving a prize to whoever finishes the challenge or who lasts the longest. Prizes could be something tangible like a few dollars or a bottle of wine, or something mischievous and playful like the ability to “give a drink” to another player.
How to Make a Power Hour Playlist
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Choose a genre or theme for your playlist and pick 60 songs to fill it. Your playlist doesn’t have to have a theme (it can have any songs you like!), but choosing something like “disco” or “2000’s hits” makes for a fun atmosphere and gives players something to listen to or enjoy between drinks. Once you’ve settled on a theme, choose 60 tracks for your playlist (1 song for each minute or round). [7] X Research source
- Platforms like Spotify and YouTube are typically the easiest to use for a Power Hour playlist.
- Tip: If you don’t have time to make a playlist (or just don’t want to), there are a ton that already exist! Try searching YouTube or Spotify for “power hour playlists” and see what genres and themes they have to offer.
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Use a power hour extension to switch tracks every minute on Spotify. These browser extensions control the music for you so you don’t have to keep resetting 1-minute timers and changing the song yourself. All you have to do is install or open the extension, sign into Spotify on a browser , and connect your account to the extension with the prompts on screen. Click “Start” to begin!
- Some extensions and sites you could use include Power Hour by Netlify , PowerHourProject.com , or Power Hour from the Chrome webstore.
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Or, use the Powerd app to build a power hour playlist from YouTube. First, make a YouTube playlist of 60 videos with music you want in your power hour. Then, register for a free account with Powerd to import your playlist, arrange the song order, and select where you want each song to begin so you don’t have to hear intros-only for an hour. [8] X Research source
- You can also browse other users’ power hour playlists and choose to make yours public for others to use, too!
Expert Q&A
Tips
- Have a sober designated driver on hand before you start playing if you plan to travel after the pregame. Drinking 6+ beers in an hour will definitely put you over the legal limit to drive (0.08% BAC).Thanks
- Stick to 1 round of Power Hour to avoid people getting too drunk too early. Plus, if you play all 60 rounds, you’ll have already passed a whole hour and be feeling a strong buzz anyway!Thanks
- Have a small meal or a hearty snack before you play. You may feel a little full as the hour goes on, but it’s better in the long run than sloshing 7 beers on an empty stomach and feeling sick.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://beerismylife.com/beer-games/power-hour-drinking-game/
- ↑ https://drinkinggamezone.com/drinking-games/power-hour/
- ↑ https://beerismylife.com/beer-games/power-hour-drinking-game/
- ↑ https://drinkinggamezone.com/drinking-games/power-hour/
- ↑ https://beerismylife.com/beer-games/power-hour-drinking-game/
- ↑ https://the-game-farm.com/party-games/drinking-games/power-hour/
- ↑ https://beerismylife.com/beer-games/power-hour-drinking-game/
- ↑ https://www.powerhourproject.com/youtube-playlist-help
- ↑ https://beerismylife.com/beer-games/power-hour-drinking-game/
- ↑ https://beerismylife.com/beer-games/power-hour-drinking-game/
- ↑ https://www.abc.ca.gov/education/licensee-education/alcohol-facts/
- ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/7-steps-to-cure-your-hangover
- ↑ https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/home-remedies-tips-for-reducing-belching-intestinal-gas-and-bloating/