College kids are masters of unconventional innovation — most famously, new ways to get sloshed. Borgs are one of these new inventions that have been sweeping college campuses by storm. These portable gallons of masterfully-concocted mixed drinks make it easy to keep your drink safe, and half the fun is the process of making them. While a convenient way to party, there are some general rules to stick to so you stay out of trouble and get the most out of your gallon.

College students are always looking for a new way to party, and borgs have been one of the newest trending creations to do so. Born out of convenience and the desire to save money, these new mixed drinks have become a staple of any college party.

A borg, otherwise known as a blackout rage gallon, is practically a pocket punch bowl. Like the name suggests, they were made as a quick and easy way to get the party started. The original recipe was one part water, one part vodka and some squirts of Mio, Crystal Light or other concentrated flavorings. Compared to other drinks, they might seem very strong, but they were made with the intention of lasting an entire party.

While seemingly a chaotic force, borgs have a lot of good aspects. Since you’re the one making the borg, you get to customize it. So it can be a tailored drink that works with your tolerance. Since they’re in gallon water jugs and other similar containers, not only are they easy to keep on you, but their caps significantly lower the risk of drink spiking.

Over time, the borg evolved into something completely new. While the original borgs were made using normal water gallons, people started to opt for fancier containers: jars, cartons, juice bottles and anything that would turn people’s heads.

Recipes got more involved, too — people have experimented switching out the usual vodka for different liquors and changing the water bases into something else. For example, with some lemonade and tequila you could make yourself a bastardized borg margarita. And for the more adventurous, you can bring bottomless to the pregame and make yourself a borg out of orange juice and champagne.

One of the most notable — and fun — features of a borg is its name. It’s not a true borg without a personalized name written on the side of the gallon in Sharpie pen. You can practically call it anything, but the only rule is that it must have the word “borg” incorporated into it somehow.

People make borg names based off their favorite celebrities — Borgan Freeman — songs and movies — Certified Lover Borg — or expressions that match a party’s theme. Just make sure it fits, unless you want to be clowned on at the function.

While they are a fun time, make sure to drink responsibly. Yes, you get to choose what goes in it, but always make sure you measure how much you’re putting in with shot glasses or other measurement cups. Some good advice is to always add more mixer than liquor, or to add in some anti-hangover saviors like Liquid IV or Pedialyte powder. And remember, borgs are made to last. Pace yourself so you don’t get hurt and have enough to last through the rest of the function.

Borg Concoctions

• Old Faithful: 1 part vodka, 1 part fruit punch
• Berry Blitz: 1 part vodka, 1 can of mixed berry Celsius, 1 bottle of grape Fanta
• Sour Shocker: 1 part vodka, ½ part lemonade, ½ part Sprite
• Taste of the Tropics: 1 part Malibu rum, 1 part Tropicana pineapple mango juice

Borg Names

Backstreet Borgs, SeBorgstian the Ibis, Regina Borge, Go Borg or Go Home, Outer Borgs (OBX), Baby Got Borg, Ruth Bader Ginsborg, Spongeborg Squarepants, Borgalicious

words_sal puma. photo&design_lizzie kristal.

This article was published in Distraction’s Summer 2023 print issue.