The "BORG" Drinking Trend Is Taking Over College Campuses — What Is It?

Gen Z does things a little differently. In today's world, many young people are reevaluating the way they party and drink alcohol. It appears they've learned from the millennials' mistakes of club culture, hangover tragedies, and more. So, they've invented the BORG.

College campuses are being filled with BORGs, a pseudo-cocktail that the next generation created. They're using it not just as a trend, but as a way to try to stay safer while partying their hearts out.

In short, the BORG stands for "blackout rage gallon," and it can definitely get you messed up pretty quickly — but with some supposed benefits too. It all starts with a gallon jug of water, which first gets emptied a bit.

One thing about BORGs is they are personalized to one's liking, so how much water a person keeps in it depends on their own tolerance and preference. From there, the person can add their alcohol of choice. Yes, it'll be a little watered down, but that water is meant to serve a purpose.

After that, what the person adds is up to them. Some people choose to go for a more jungle juice approach where they throw in a few different types of liquor. Others keep focus on making it taste better by adding in juices, sodas, and more.

Some BORG drinkers even mix in liquid IV and electrolytes. For some extra added taste, a splash of water flavor like Mio is typically added, too. The creation will be a massive drink that students can carry around throughout a rager or darty (day party).

BORG drinkers typically cite a few supposed benefits to this new trend. While they are sure to get you drunk, they're apparently meant to make waking up the next day a little less scary.

The idea is that since there is a decent amount of water in most BORGS, you'll still be getting hydrated while you get intoxicated; the extra water will then come in handy the next morning, whereas typical drinkers tend to be dehydrated as they forget to drink water alongside their cocktails. And as mentioned earlier, some folks add liquid IV as well.

However, it's worth noting that experts don't necessarily believe BORGs will actually prevent hangovers — especially when there's a lot of alcohol involved. The toxicity effect of all that alcohol will remain the same. Not to mention, hydration is only one piece of the hangover puzzle.

Fans of this drinking trend also believe another benefit is that because BORGs are fully enclosed by the jug, it should be harder for your drink to get spiked at a party. While it's most definitely not foolproof, hopefully it can add an element of extra security.

The customization aspect of BORGs is also a huge advantage, fans say. After all, college parties don't always offer the best selection of drinks, and with a BORG you're in full control of how much alcohol you'll be drinking instead of letting someone else mix for you.

And another benefit of a BORG is that they don't even need to have alcohol. There's a rising trend of sobriety among younger people and, while they aren't typically ashamed of that, there's still pressure to drink at events. Carrying a BORG that is all juice can help deter people from asking questions or peer pressuring.

For some extra fun, students say it's typical to decorate their BORG however they want with some Sharpies. Plus, people will often assign a name to their BORG for the night, just for the laughs.