Get Buzzed with Boozy Spelling Bee

Not to hype up today’s post, but I’ve been waiting to write about this subject for three years.

As I mentioned before, back in 2005, I would come in to work at 7:00 a.m. and read stories about alcohol for two hours a day. That’s when I ran across this bar that was hosting an alcohol-themed spelling bee. Since that day, I’ve been waiting to host my own!

With the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee only five days a way, host a drunken spelling bee! This is an awesome game to add to a rained-out Memorial Day Party.

Ways to Host a Buzz-worthy Spelling Bee:
* Prior to the party, make name tags for the contestants. Don’t forget to include a number, the guests name, a newspaper sponsor and the Bee logo. Print each name tag on 8x10 paper and then paste it on to a thicker poster board. Punch two holes in to the top of the paper and add a string lanyard. Make a few extras for last minute guests.

* Gather as many alcohol words as you can find. I’ve started a list of some good ones below. Bundle the words together with the easiest ones first.

* Assign one person, preferably the host of the party, to be the moderator for the night.
Have people pick numbers out of a hat to determine who will go first.

* Just like grade school, each guest will come to the front of the room and attempt to spell a word. Once a person misspells a word, they are out of the competition. For the official rules, click here

* For some added excitement, print out a list of the real 2009 Scripps Howard contestants and have friends bet on who will take home the cup in ’09. For a full list of participants, visit the roster here. My money is on #39 Emilio James-Craig Lachaine-Robertson from The Chronicle Journal, Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada. I’m sure he learned killer spelling skills learning his own five word name.

Potential Buzzed Spelling Bee Words
You’re a Dumbass if you Miss These
- Beer
- Rum
- Drink
- Martini
- Cocktail
- Wine

Super Easy
- Jim Beam
- Crown Royal
- Canadian Club
- Jack Daniel’s
- Scotch
- Bourbon
- Tequila
- Vodka
- Spirits

Easy
- Alcohol
- Martini
- Bacardi
- Guinness
- Cuervo
- Whiskey or Whisky
- Sauza
- George Dickle (Whisky)
- Smithwick’s (beer)
- Absolut
- Skyy
- Patron
- Beefeater (gin)
- Dewar’s
- Seagram’s
- Hendrick’s (gin)
- Baileys
- Budweiser
- Labatt

Medium
- Cognac
- Liqueur
- Smirnoff
- Svedka
- Tanqueray
- Hennessy
- Champagne
- Dom Perignon
- Moey & Chandon
- DeKuyper
- Finlandia
- Prosecco
- Bulleit (bourbon)
- Ciroc (vodka)
- Rumple Minze
- Cristall
- Diageo (Manufacturer of spirits, beer and wine)
- Pernod Ricard (International owner of spirits and wine brands)
- Kahlua
- Bombay Sapphire
- Sobieski (vodka)
- Stella Artois
- Belvedere (vodka)
- Chivas Regal
- Cruzan
- Finlandia (vodka)
- Glenlivet (scotch whiskey)
- Michelob

Difficult- Cointreau
- Goldschlager
- Oronoco (rum)
- Frangelico
- Alize
- Hpnotiq
- Yuengling

Really Difficult- Stolichnaya (aka Stoli)
- Kalashnikov (vodka)
- Jagermeister
- Drambuie (whisky)
- Courvoisier

The Preliminary and Semifinal rounds of the Scripps Howard Bee are on ESPN next Wednesday (May 27th) and Thursday (May 28th) with the Finals on ABC Thursday, May 28th. Watching the Bee at the gym in 2007 was the inspiration behind my Spelling Bee Contestant Halloween Costume.

(Sources: spellingbee.com, yahoo.com, wikipedia.com; Photos: me, spellingbee.com, groupme.com, jpegmag.com, smh.com, zazzle.com)