Chicago’s annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations saw a new trend on March 14 as Downtown streets were left scattered with empty plastic jugs from BORGs, or “black-out rage gallons.” The drink, popular among younger revelers, consists of vodka, water, drink mix, and electrolytes mixed in gallon-sized containers.
The growing popularity of BORGs has changed the way many celebrate the holiday. Advocates say these large individual containers are considered more sanitary than communal punchbowls and can be made non-alcoholic to avoid peer pressure. However, concerns have been raised about their high alcohol content and potential health risks.
According to police and eyewitness accounts during Saturday’s festivities, officers were seen confiscating and dumping out BORG jugs along Wacker Drive as crowds gathered for the dyeing of the Chicago River and other events. “I keep seeing them everywhere,” a bystander said in a viral video while speaking to an officer pouring out a BORG jug. The officer replied, “We got kids drinking this and, I mean, we don’t know what’s in it,” as he added another jug to a pile collected on the street.
BORGs have faced criticism due to their sweeteners and caffeine masking the amount of alcohol consumed. Nearly 50 people at a University of Massachusetts Amherst party in 2023 were hospitalized for alcohol poisoning linked to BORG consumption, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Despite these concerns, social media posts show that BORG culture continues to spread among young people during major events like St. Patrick’s Day. Videos from Saturday also showed fights breaking out downtown; however, it is unclear if there is any direct connection between these incidents and BORG use.
Chicago police reported three arrests related to Saturday’s celebrations: a 17-year-old charged with possession of liquor in public and resisting an officer; an 18-year-old charged with reckless conduct; and a 23-year-old facing charges including battery and obstructing traffic.
