December 12, 2020 | By Kalimah Mustafa
Drunken Dreidels: 8 Drinking Games to Play This Hanukkah
Are you looking for more ways to incorporate craft beer into Hanukkah? Try one of these eight drinking games! No need to search the house for solo cups or a deck of cards, every single one can be played with just your dreidel, a cold pint and some gelt.
1. Gimel Dat Dreidel
On the first night of Hanukkah, you can play the easiest, most straightforward game to get everyone warmed up. To play, you just play a regular game of dreidel, but whenever anyone spins gimel, everyone drinks! You may lose some gelt, but you’re in for one hell of a consolation prize.
2. Classic Dreidel
As the name suggests, this is a classic game of dreidel. Except, instead of gelt, you’re playing with beers. Empty a beer into a cup or bowl and place in the middle as the “pot,” and then adhere to the dreidel:
- Nun: you don’t drink
- Hei: chug half the pot
- Shin: add more beer into the pot
- Gimel: drink the pot
3. Drinking Dreidel
For this game, you play just like Classic Dreidel, but each word takes on a new meaning:
- Shin: the spinner drinks
- Hei: the spinner picks someone else to drink
- Gimel: everyone but the spinner drinks
- Nun: everyone drinks!
4. Twin Dreidels
This is another game that’s easy and to the point. Each person gets a dreidel and everyone spins at the same time. Anyone who has a letter that matches someone else’s drinks!
5. Hei, Nun, Shin
It’s like rock paper scissors, but with a dreidel and the loser drinks. Everyone gets their own dreidel and spins. Certain letters beat out others, and whoever gets beaten out by all the other players has to drink:
- Gimel is highest and beats all
- Hei is second and beats nun and shin
- Nun is third and only beats shin
- Shin is the lowest and always loses
- If anyone rolls the same symbol, they must go head to head
6. Singing Dreidel
This is a game of dreidel with a deafening twist. When someone spins gimel or hei, they collect their gelt, but they also have to drink their beer. While this lucky lad or lady doesn’t have to chug it, their opponents will be belting their favorite Hanukkah songs at the top of their lungs until the beer is completely done.
7. Loose Latkes
Spin the dreidel. Whatever letter it lands on, each player must take turns thinking of words related to Hanukkah that begin with the first letter of the word. For example, if the dreidel lands on gimel, you are trying to think of words that begin with the letter G, such as “gelt.” Go around taking turns saying “G” words. Whoever can’t think of a word has to drink. Once you go through the first letters of all four words, move on to the second letter, and so on.
8. On the last night of Hanukkah…
Go around in a circle. The first person starts by saying “It’s the last night of Hanukkah…” and finishes the sentence with a unique phrase. For example, someone might say, “It’s the last night of Hanukkah and the menorah is lit.” The next person will repeat what the person before them said, while tacking on their own addition: “It’s the last night of Hanukkah, the menorah is lit, and grandma’s wig is on the floor…” and so on. Whoever messes up has to spin:
- Gimel: the spinner finishes their drink
- Shin: the spinner picks someone to “share” a drink with. Both people have to finish their drink
- Hei: everyone drinks
- Nun: everyone but the spinner drinks