Irish Drinking Games

• 🕗   1. Power Hour
• ☘️   2. Rattlin Bog
• 🥔   3. Shot Potato
• 🃏   4. Irish Poker
• 😍   5. Irish Dodgeball
• 👑   6. Kings Cup
• 💋   7. Fisty Kisses

It’s no secret that the Irish know how to have a good time, and what better way to celebrate their heritage than with some fun drinking games? These traditional games have been passed down for generations and are a staple at any Irish celebration.

Whether you’re planning a St. Patrick’s Day party or just looking for a unique way to spend the evening with friends and family, these 7 Irish drinking games will do just the trick.

1. Power Hour

We hope you can hold your liquor because this first game is a real challenge. The goal of Power Hour is to take one shot of beer every minute for an hour straight. That’s 60 shots in total!

How to play Power Hour

This Irish drinking game is best played with a large group of people, so gather your friends and grab some beer. Here’s how it works:

1. Set a timer for one minute, 60 times. You can just use a playlist containing 60 one-minute songs.

2. Get to drinking! When the timer goes off, or the song ends, take a shot of beer.

3. Pace yourself. It may be tempting to chug the beer, but remember you have to last for an hour!

4. Keep track of time and drinks. Once you hit an hour, congratulations! You’ve completed Power Hour.

2. Rattlin Bog

Ready to sing and dance your way through this traditional Irish drinking game? Rattlin Bog is an iconic game based on a classic folk tune; it’s a perfect way to bring some Irish culture into your celebration.

How to play Rattlin Bog

Playing this popular game is easy! All you need is a group of friends, drinks of your choice, and the song “Rattlin Bog” by The Irish Rovers. Here’s how it works:

1. Gather everyone in a circle. Make sure everyone has a drink.

2. Pick who starts. You can decide by asking for a volunteer or by playing a quick game like rock-paper-scissors.

3. Play the “Rattlin Bog” song. If someone doesn’t know the song, play the chorus a few times to help them learn it.

4. Start drinking when it’s your turn. The first person drinks during the first chorus of the song.

The chorus goes, “Now in that bog, there was a tree, a rare tree and a rattlin’ tree, and the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-o.”

5. Pass it on to the next person. After the first person drinks, the next person drinks during the second chorus, which is longer. Keep passing the drink every new chorus.

6. Keep going until the song ends. Sing along and enjoy the Irish drinking game until the song is over.

3. Shot Potato

Put on some Dropkick Murphys, grab yourself a goddamn potato, and let’s play Shot Potato! This Irish drinking game is a unique twist on the classic “hot potato” game and is perfect for any St. Patrick’s Day party.

How to play Shot Potato

This game is exactly like a hot potato, except instead of passing a potato quickly before the music stops, you’re throwing it around and trying to catch it. Here’s how to play:

1. Gather everyone in a circle and turn on some Irish music. This Irish drinking game is best played with fast-paced Irish tunes.

2. Choose someone to be the Lucky Charm DJ. This person will control the music and when it stops.

3. Start throwing the potato around when the music starts. Pass it quickly, but try not to fumble or drop it!

4. Take a shot if you’re holding the potato when the music stops. No one gets eliminated, so keep playing until everyone is adequately tipsy.

5. Add a new rule for extra fun! As the Irish drinking game goes on, you can add a new rule where whoever drops or fumbles the potato has to take a shot regardless of when the music stops.

4. Irish Poker

Like any classic Irish drinking game, Irish poker is about ensuring everyone’s drink stays topped up. This game requires some guesswork, so it’s fun and always different!

How to play Irish Poker

This game doesn’t require any special items, just a deck of regular playing cards and some drinks. Here’s how to play:

1. Gather everyone around a table with their drinks. Make sure there’s enough room for the deck of cards in the middle.

2. Shuffle the deck and deal out two rows of four cards each, face down. One row will be for giving out drinks, and the other will be for taking them.

3. Starting with the “give out” row, flip over one card at a time. The number on the card represents how many drinks you have to give out, starting with 2 drinks for the first card and increasing by 2 for each subsequent card.

For example: The second card would be 4 drinks, the third would be 6 drinks, and so on.

4. If you have a matching card in your hand, choose someone to take drinks. The number of drinks they take is based on the position of the card that was flipped over.

So if it’s the second card and you have two hearts, that person would take 4 drinks.

5. Move on to the “take” row. The same rules apply for this row, except now you’ll be taking drinks based on the position of the cards flipped over.

6. Keep going until all cards have been flipped. This Irish drinking game is meant to be fun, so make sure to play responsibly and stop when you’ve had enough.

5. Irish Dodgeball

Looking for a more active drinking game? Irish Dodgeball combines the classic gym class game with some drinks for some added fun. Don’t get hit!

How to play Irish Dodgeball

Irish Dodgeball is best played outside, so grab some friends and head to a park or backyard. Here’s how to play the Irish drinking game:

1. Divide into two teams and set up a dodgeball court. Use cones or other markers to designate boundaries for each team.

2. Get a green ball, frisbee, or other St. Patrick’s Day-themed object. You will use this as the “shillelagh” (meaning club or cudgel in Irish).

3. Start the game by throwing the shillelagh into the air and yelling, “Go!” Both teams will rush to grab the shillelagh and start throwing it at each other.

If someone gets hit by the shillelagh, they have to take a drink and sit out until the next round.

4. Keep playing until one team is eliminated, or you’ve had enough fun. Remember to play safely!

6. King’s Cup

King’s Cup is a classic drinking game that can be played with a regular deck of cards. This card drinking game is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day because you can add special holiday rules.

How to play King’s Cup

This Irish drinking game requires a deck of cards and drinks for each player. Here’s how to play:

1. Spread the deck of cards in a circle around an empty cup or container. Each card represents a different rule, as follows:

• Ace: Waterfall - Everyone starts drinking at the same time and can only stop when the person to their left stops.
• 2: You - Pick someone to take a drink.
• 3: Me - The person who drew the card takes a drink.
• 4: Floor - Everyone must touch the floor; the last one to do so takes a drink.
• 5: Guys - All guys playing have to take a drink.
• 6: Chicks - All girls playing have to take a drink.
• 7: Heaven - Everyone must point to the sky, last one to do so takes a drink.
• 8: Mate - Choose someone to be your drinking mate for the game. Whenever you drink, they have to as well, and vice versa.
• 9: Rhyme - Pick a word and go around the circle, saying words that rhyme with it until someone messes up. They then have to take a drink.
• 10: Categories - Choose a category (e.g., types of beer) and go around the circle naming items in that category until someone messes up. They then have to take a drink.
• Jack: Make a rule - The person who drew the card gets to make up a new rule that everyone must follow until the next Jack is drawn.
• Queen: Questions - The person who drew the card asks someone a question, and they have to respond with another question. Whoever hesitates or repeats a question has to take a drink.
• King: Pour your drink into the cup in the middle. **The person who draws the fourth King has to drink whatever concoction is created in the cup.
• Joker: Wild card - The person who drew the Joker can make up any rule they want.

2. Go around the circle, taking turns drawing cards and following their rules. Keep playing until all cards have been drawn or you’ve had enough fun.

7. Fisty Kisses

Angry drunk folk are the best kind of folk, so why not have a little fun with it? This Irish drinking game does include some punches, so play at your own risk.

How to play Fisty Kisses

Fisty Kisses is exactly what it sounds like - a combination of punching and kissing (or, in this case, drinking). Here’s how to play:

1. Get a cup, a lipstick, and some liquor. This Irish drinking game is best played with local whiskey, but you can use any alcohol of your choice.

2. Fill the cup with the drink of your choice. Then, everybody applies lipstick (yes, even guys) and takes turns drinking from the cup while trying to leave a lipstick mark.

3. Whoever drinks from the cup last says, “Hey! Who put lipstick on my glass?” The first person who laughs gets socked in the mouth (not too hard, though). If nobody laughs, the person who drank last gets to punch someone of their choice in the arm.

4. Keep playing until you decide to stop or run out of liquor. Remember to play responsibly and have fun!

These Irish drinking games are a fun way to celebrate the holiday with friends and family. Remember to drink responsibly and have a designated driver or sober person if necessary. And of course, don’t forget to wear green! Sláinte!