Andre's Beer Challenge: How Much Can He Drink?

Andre the Giant was a man of many talents, and drinking was one of them. The Eighth Wonder of the World, Andre was a colossal 7 feet tall and weighed over 500 pounds. His immense size meant that he had a superhuman ability to consume vast amounts of alcohol. From downing 100+ beers in a single sitting to chugging 12 bottles of wine in three hours, Andre's drinking prowess was legendary. With a $40,000 bar tab at the Hyatt in London while filming The Princess Bride, his drinking exploits were larger-than-life, just like the man himself.

108 beers in 45 minutes

Andre the Giant, the legendary pro wrestler and actor, was known for his colossal stature, standing at 7 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 500 pounds. His size was the result of a form of gigantism, which also led to him earning the title of 'The Eighth Wonder of the World'. While his size made him a champion in the ring, it also gave him intense joint pain, and to ease his discomfort, Andre would often drink copious amounts of alcohol.

One of the most famous stories of his drinking prowess involves him drinking 108 12-ounce beers in just 45 minutes. This tale was recounted by his friend and fellow wrestler, Hulk Hogan. Hogan recalled receiving a call from Andre, who was at the Tampa airport with a one-hour layover. Hogan drove to the airport and met Andre at the Delta Crown Lounge. With about 45 minutes before Andre's next flight, he proceeded to drink 108 beers.

While this may seem like an extraordinary feat, it was not an isolated incident. Former wrestler Gerald Brisco shared that there are "a lot of crazy stories about Andre that sound fake, but most are true, especially his drinking". For example, Brisco recalled that Andre would drink six bottles of Mateus wine before going into the ring, and no one could tell. On another occasion, while travelling with Andre, they pulled over and got two cases of tall boys, which were finished by the time they reached their destination.

Another wrestler, Ric Flair, shared a similar story, recalling a flight to Tokyo during which he and Andre drank every bottle of vodka on the plane. Andre's drinking abilities were not limited to beer and vodka, as he was also known for his love of wine. Hulk Hogan shared a story about a trip to Japan, where Andre drank 12 bottles of strong white French wine in just three hours.

Andre's drinking habits were not without consequences, and he passed away in 1993 from congestive heart failure, which many believe was aggravated by his excessive alcohol consumption. While his drinking may have contributed to his health issues, it is important to note that his size also played a role, as doctors struggled to find appropriate pain medication for him due to his unique physical condition.

12 bottles of wine in three hours

Andre the Giant, the Eighth Wonder of the World, was a man of legendary drinking prowess. At 7 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 550 pounds, his immense size meant that he had a superhuman ability to consume vast amounts of alcohol.

On one occasion, fellow wrestler Hulk Hogan recounted how Andre drank 12 bottles of wine in three hours. Hogan had purchased a case of Pouilly-Fuissé wine—12 bottles of this very powerful, strong white French wine. Hogan and Andre were on an eight-hour bus ride, and about three hours later, Andre said, "Boss. Boss. I need a pit stop." In just three hours, he had drunk 12 bottles of wine.

To put this into perspective, a standard bottle of wine is 750 milliliters (ml) or 25 fluid ounces. A standard pour of wine is 5 fluid ounces, so a bottle contains about five servings. Drinking a bottle of wine will get you legally intoxicated, and it will take at least five hours for the alcohol to leave your system. It will affect your balance, coordination, and reaction time, and it will increase your blood pressure and heart rate.

For Andre, however, this amount of alcohol seemed to have little effect. He once admitted to drinking 119 beers in a single session, and he claimed it took him "two liters of vodka before [he] feels warm." His drinking abilities were so renowned that he earned the title of "The Greatest Drunk on Earth" from the humor magazine American Drunkard.

While Andre's drinking may have been impressive, it's important to remember that his size was due to gigantism, and his ability to consume large amounts of alcohol was directly related to his condition. As a doctor explained, "bigger people can drink more because they are bigger. They have more tissue to absorb the alcohol, and everything else internally is larger and will be less affected by average portions of alcohol."

Attempting to replicate Andre's drinking feats is not recommended and could be dangerous.

$40,000 bar tab

Andre the Giant's drinking prowess was legendary. The 7-foot-4-inch, 500+-pound wrestler was known for his ability to consume vast amounts of alcohol. And during the filming of The Princess Bride, he allegedly racked up a $40,000 bar tab at the Hyatt in London over a month-long period.

To put that into perspective, that's the equivalent of a $119-$156 bar tab for 119-156 beers. But for Andre, this was just the cost of a good time.

His go-to drink was something called "The American," a concoction of 40 ounces of various liquors poured into a pitcher. His co-star in The Princess Bride, Cary Elwes, described the drink as tasting like "airplane fuel," and even then, to Andre, it was like "chugging water."

Andre's drinking was fuelled by his size, which was the result of gigantism, causing him intense joint pain. He once said, "What God gave me, I use it to make a living." And indeed, his immense size and drinking abilities became part of his larger-than-life persona.

His drinking was not without consequences, however. His co-stars on The Princess Bride, including Elwes and Mandy Patinkin, tried to keep up with him, resulting in massive hangovers or arriving on set still intoxicated. And while Andre rarely appeared drunk, when he did, chaos could ensue. On one occasion, he fell on a man waiting for a cab in New York City, seriously hurting him.

Despite the consequences, Andre's drinking remains a legendary part of his story. He chose to "pack his days with as much insane, drunken fun as they could hold," and his friends and colleagues were happy to join him, even if they couldn't keep up.

40 vodka tonics in one sitting

Andre the Giant, the 7-foot-4-inch-tall, 550-pound wrestler and actor, was known for his superhuman drinking abilities. One of his most legendary drinking stories involves 40 vodka tonics.

On one fateful night, Andre walked into the Marriott Hotel bar in Kansas City, Missouri. The bartender, recognising him from his previous visit, approached his fellow bartender in panic and asked if Andre was with him this time. When he heard that Andre was indeed in the bar, he breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that he wouldn't have to endure another all-nighter with the giant wrestler. The last time Andre was at the hotel bar, he had refused to leave at closing time, and the bartender had been forced to serve him until 4 am.

This time, Andre ordered 40 vodka tonics, a drink typically made with a shot of vodka, a hint of lime juice, and topped with tonic water. He drank these until 4 am, matching his previous feat at the same bar.

This drinking session is just one of many legendary stories involving Andre the Giant's extraordinary alcohol consumption. He once drank 156 beers (in 16-ounce cans) in one night, which equates to 19.5 gallons of beer or 32 standard bottles of wine. He also drank a plane dry of vodka on a flight to Tokyo, with some help from his wrestling colleague, Ric Flair.

Andre's immense size, due to a condition called gigantism, allowed him to consume vast amounts of alcohol. His large body could absorb more alcohol, and he had built up a high tolerance due to his frequent drinking. Despite his drinking prowess, it's important to note that attempting to match his alcohol intake would be deadly for most people.

156 beers in one sitting

Andre the Giant was a man of many talents, but his drinking prowess was perhaps his most famous skill. Standing at 7 feet 4 inches tall and weighing in at around 500 pounds, Andre's immense size meant that he had a superhuman ability to consume vast amounts of alcohol.

One of the most legendary Andre the Giant drinking stories involves him consuming 156 beers in one sitting. That's right, according to fellow wrestler Mike Graham, Andre drank an astonishing 156 16-ounce cans of beer in a single night. This incredible feat equates to 2,496 fluid ounces of beer, or approximately 19.5 gallons. To put that into perspective, it would take the average person around three minutes to drink just one 12-ounce beer.

Andre's drinking abilities were not limited to beer, however. He was also known for his love of wine and liquor. In one instance, he drank 12 bottles of wine on a bus ride in Japan, and on another occasion, he rang up a $40,000 bar tab at the Hyatt in London while filming "The Princess Bride." His favourite cocktail was called "The American," which consisted of 40 ounces of various liquors poured into a large pitcher. He would often drink several of these in one sitting.

Andre's size was the result of gigantism, a condition that caused him intense joint pain. To ease his discomfort, he often turned to alcohol. Despite his immense size, Andre rarely appeared drunk or out of control. However, when he did get drunk, chaos could ensue. His drinking buddies included fellow wrestlers such as Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, and Dusty Rhodes, who were often left in awe of his drinking abilities.

While Andre's drinking stories are certainly entertaining, it's important to remember that excessive alcohol consumption can be dangerous and even life-threatening. Andre's tolerance for alcohol was exceptionally rare, and his drinking habits should not be emulated.

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