Beer Pot

Also called Pass the Pitcher, The Pot, Pitcher Game

By Emma Lily Carter · Updated Aug 22, 2026

Players: 3+
You need: Cups and Other
Buzz: Strong
Time: About 20 min

Rules in 30 seconds

Every player pours a beer into one big pot, then the pot goes around the circle and each person drinks as much or as little as they like. Whoever empties it wins, and the player who drank right before them loses and refills the pot for the next round.

A big steel pot brimming with foamy beer in the middle of a circle of outstretched hands

Beer Pot has one rule and one decision. The rule is that the pot goes around the circle and whoever empties it wins. The decision, every time it reaches you, is how much to drink. Too little and you have done nothing. Too much and you have set the next person up to win, which makes you the loser. It is the simplest of the party drinking games on this site and the one with the most nervous silence in it.

What you need

A big pot, pitcher, or punch bowl (opaque is better, because the game is about not knowing how much is left)
One beer per player to start, plus spares for the refills
Cups, if your group would rather pour than drink straight from the pot
3 or more players, with 6 to 10 the sweet spot

Setup

Sit in a circle with the pot in the middle. Floor or table, it does not matter, as long as the pot can be passed hand to hand.
Everyone pours one beer into the pot. Same size beers, so nobody starts the game arguing about who poured a tallboy.
Agree on the refill rule before the first sip. The standard is that the loser refills the whole pot, one beer per player. The split version is under variations. Decide now, not when someone has just lost.
Pick who drinks first. Whoever owns the pot, or the person whose idea this was. Play goes to their left from there.

How to play Beer Pot

The first player lifts the pot and drinks. As much or as little as they like. One sip is legal. Half the pot is legal.
Pass the pot to the left when you stop. The moment the pot leaves your mouth your turn is over, and you cannot take it back for a second go.
Each player does the same in turn. The pot goes around the circle as many times as it takes. Nobody may skip a turn.
Whoever drains the pot wins. Turn it upside down to prove it. The winner pays nothing for the next round.
The player who drank just before the winner loses. They handed over a pot with one drink left in it, and that is the whole crime.
The loser refills the pot with one beer for every player. Then the winner starts the next round. Play as many rounds as the beer supply allows, which is usually fewer than you expect.

Variations and house rules

Split refill. Instead of the loser paying for the whole pot, the loser pours in two beers, the winner pours none, and everyone else pours one. Gentler on the loser and it keeps the pot the same size every round, so the game lasts longer.
Pass the Pitcher. The bar version. Order a pitcher, pass it around the table, and the loser buys the next one. Bars add one rule of their own: a turn ends the moment you pause for breath, so you cannot sip, look at the pitcher, and sip again.
Minimum sip. A count of three for every turn. This stops the single-sip stall, where everyone takes a mouthful and the pot goes round eleven times.
Cup version. Each player pours from the pot into their own cup, as much as they choose, and has to finish what they poured before passing the pot. Same game, better hygiene, and you can see exactly how much you committed to.
Winner’s beer. The loser hands the winner a full, unopened beer on top of the refill. Makes winning worth something beyond not losing.
Blind pot (our house rule). A tea towel over the pot between turns. You lift it only to drink, and you cannot look in. Even with an opaque pot people peer over the rim, and this ends it.
Two pots. With more than 12 players, split into two circles with a pot each. A pot that takes three laps of a 15-person circle is a slow game and a warm beer.

Tips

Size the pot for the group. Eight players is eight beers in one vessel, and the refill is another eight. With more than eight, pour half a can each to start, or you will run out of beer, fridge space, or people before the third round.
Keep it to beer. The pot holds whatever goes in, and a round of spirits in a shared pot is a hospital game, not a party game.
Stainless steel or ceramic, not glass. A glass pot shows the level, and a glass pot dropped by the fourth-round loser is the end of the evening.
Count how long each person drinks. It is the only information you get about what is left, and the people who win this game are the ones who were watching.

Beer Pot, answered

What are the rules of Beer Pot?

Everyone pours one beer into a big pot or pitcher. The pot goes around the circle and each player drinks as much or as little as they want before passing it on. The player who empties it wins. The player who drank just before the winner loses and refills the pot with one beer per player.

Who loses in Beer Pot?

The person who passed the pot to the winner. They are the one who left a finishable amount in it, so they pay for the refill. The winner contributes nothing to the next round.

Is Beer Pot the same as Pass the Pitcher?

Yes, it is the same game with a pitcher instead of a pot. Pass the Pitcher is the name most bars use, and the usual penalty there is that the loser buys the next pitcher rather than pouring beers into it.

How big should the pot be?

Big enough to hold a beer per player with room to spare, and ideally one you cannot see through. The whole game is guessing how much is left, and a clear pitcher gives that away. A stock pot or a punch bowl is ideal.

Can you play Beer Pot at a bar?

Yes, and it might be where the game works best. Order a pitcher, pass it around the table, and the loser buys the next one. Ask the bar first; some do not love a pitcher being drunk from directly.

Is there any strategy in Beer Pot?

A little. You want to pass the pot with too much left for the next person to finish in one go, but not so much that you have barely drunk. Small sips early, a big one when you think the pot is nearly done, and watch how long each person takes, because that is the only clue to how much is left.