‘Borg’ TikTok Booze Trend Lands Dozens of UMass Students in the Hospital After 28 Ambulances Called

Two UMass students are pictured, each holding a borg, which is short for blackout rage gallon. (Photo: TikTok/kettlebellkel)

Dozens of students at the University of Massachusetts were hospitalized last weekend after taking part in a TikTok drinking trend, which involves binge-drinking a boozy concoction from a gallon jug, referred to as a “blackout rage gallon” — or “Borg” for short.

Twenty-eight ambulances were called after scores of UMass students participated in the Borg trend during the school’s annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration called the “Blarney Blowout,” according to the New York Post. Neighboring towns even had to send emergency vehicles to keep up with the number of students requiring hospitalization.

None of the cases of alcohol poisoning were life-threatening, the Amherst Fire Department said, per the New York Post. Two people were arrested for underage drinking, according to UMass police.

Read More: What is a Borg? The Gallon Jug Drinking Trend Started by Gen Z

Borgs have become popular among college students due to the trend going viral on TikTok. To make a Borg, the drinker buys a gallon of water, pours out about one-third to one-half of it and fills the empty portion with as much booze (usually vodka) as they desire. Then, they add flavoring packets or drops, often from brands like Liquid I.V., Crystal Light, Kool-Aid or MiO. Some recipes may also include ingredients like soda, energy drinks or juice.

The idea is to combine booze with water and electrolytes to keep the partier hydrated while drinking — certainly important during all-day binge-drinking sessions common on college-campus drinking celebrations like the Blarney Blowout.

Of course, if you’re going to day-drink, it’s key to pace yourself — a lesson these students will hopefully learn — so perhaps imbibing a gallon of mixed-drink isn’t the smartest idea.

A TikTok video posted by user kettlebellkel showing all of the different names students gave to their Blarney Blowout Borgs has garnered over 2 million views.

@kettlebellkel bad day to be a borg at umass #umass #blarney ♬ original sound – kelley

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