Andre The Giant's Unbelievable Beer Drinking Capacity

Andre the Giant, the professional wrestler, was a legendary drinker. The 7-foot-4-inch-tall, 520-pound Frenchman was known for his drinking exploits, from downing 119 beers in six hours to chugging 12 bottles of wine on a bus. His drinking prowess was so renowned that it even helped doctors determine the correct amount of anaesthesia to use during his surgery. When asked how much alcohol it takes to get him drunk, Andre reportedly said that it usually takes two litres of vodka just to make him feel warm inside.

Andre the Giant drank 106 beers in 45 minutes

Andre the Giant was a professional wrestler, actor, and one of the greatest drinkers the world has ever seen. Standing at 7 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 520 pounds, he was a force to be reckoned with both in the ring and at the bar.

One of Andre's most legendary drinking feats was when he consumed a staggering 106 beers in just 45 minutes. That's an incredible rate of nearly 2.4 beers per minute! To put that into perspective, it would take the average person several hours to drink that amount, if they could even come close to matching the Giant's drinking prowess.

Andre's drinking abilities were not limited to beer alone. He was known to enjoy a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, including wine, vodka, and gin. In fact, he once drank 12 bottles of wine in the back of a bus and on another occasion, he reportedly drank 40 vodka tonics in a single night.

His remarkable tolerance for alcohol was likely due to his large size and high body weight, which meant he had more tissue to absorb the alcohol. Additionally, he had built up a significant tolerance over time, as drinking was a regular part of his life.

Andre's drinking was not without consequences, however. His size and condition, known as gigantism or acromegaly, caused him significant pain and discomfort, and his drinking was often a way to cope with these difficulties. Despite his fame and success, Andre's life was a tormented one, and he ultimately passed away at the young age of 46 from a suspected heart attack.

While his drinking abilities were legendary, they also highlight the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption. Andre the Giant's story serves as a reminder that drinking to excess can have serious health consequences and should not be glorified.

He drank 119 beers in six hours

Andre the Giant was a man of legendary appetites, and his drinking was no exception. In fact, he holds the world record for the largest number of beers consumed in a single sitting.

During one drinking session, Andre the Giant drank 119 12-ounce beers in six hours. This equates to drinking one beer every three minutes, non-stop, for six hours straight. To put it in context, this drinking session would see Andre consuming 1,428 fluid ounces or 19.5 gallons of beer.

After this marathon drinking session, Andre passed out in a hotel lobby and was so large that his friends couldn't move him. They resorted to covering him with a piano cover and letting him sleep it off.

Andre the Giant's drinking prowess was legendary, with stories of his exploits shared by fellow wrestlers and colleagues. He was known to have an extremely high alcohol tolerance, with one story claiming he drank 119 beers before showing any signs of being drunk. Another story claims he drank 106 beers in 45 minutes.

Andre's size certainly contributed to his ability to consume large quantities of alcohol. At 7 feet 4 inches tall and around 520 pounds, he was a force of nature. A doctor weighed in on the topic, stating that bigger people can generally drink more due to having more tissue to absorb the alcohol. Additionally, Andre's tolerance was likely built up over time due to his frequent drinking.

He drank 156 beers in one night

Andre the Giant was a man of legendary drinking ability. Standing at 7 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 520 pounds, the professional wrestler and actor was known for his incredible alcohol tolerance.

One story, recounted by fellow wrestler Mike Graham on an episode of WWE's Legends of Wrestling, claims that Andre drank an astonishing 156 beers (in 16-ounce cans) in a single night. That's the equivalent of five 30-racks and one six-pack, or one keg, one 30-rack, and two cans of beer. In other words, an extraordinary amount of alcohol.

To put this into perspective, it would take the average bartender around two and a half hours just to serve Andre his drinks for the night, assuming it takes one minute to serve each drink. And the bill for this monumental drinking session? A staggering $936.

Andre's drinking prowess was so renowned that it even helped save his life. When he underwent surgery, the anesthesiologist was unsure of how much anaesthetic to administer, so they asked him how much alcohol it usually took for him to feel drunk. Andre replied that it typically took "two litres of vodka just to make me feel warm inside". Using this information, the doctors were able to extrapolate the correct dosage, a technique that is still used today.

Andre's drinking was fuelled by his constant discomfort due to his size. He suffered from acromegaly or gigantism, which caused him to grow abnormally large from the age of 16. This condition made everyday activities like flying or even using a bathroom on a plane extremely challenging. Drinking was his way of coping with the pain and discomfort caused by his condition.

While Andre's drinking tales are certainly impressive, it's important to remember that his consumption was extreme and should not be emulated. His size and tolerance were unique, and attempting to match his drinking would have severe consequences for the average person.

He drank 16 bottles of wine in three hours

Andre the Giant was a man of legendary appetites, and his capacity for alcohol was no exception. The professional wrestler and actor, who stood at 7 feet 4 inches and weighed around 520 pounds, was known for his drinking prowess, consuming astonishing amounts of alcohol that would leave the average person in a state of inebriation.

One such instance occurred when Andre the Giant reportedly drank 16 bottles of wine in just three hours. This feat, recounted by fellow wrestler Hulk Hogan, took place during a bus ride in Japan. Hogan, who was travelling with Andre, purchased a case of Pouilly-Fuissé wine, a strong French white wine. As the bus set off on its eight-hour journey, Andre began drinking. Three hours later, he had finished all 12 bottles of wine and requested a pit stop.

This was not an isolated incident for Andre the Giant. On another occasion, he consumed 119 12-ounce beers in six hours, which equates to a beer every three minutes without stopping. His drinking exploits also included ringing up a $40,000 bar tab over a month-long period while filming "The Princess Bride" and drinking a plane dry of vodka on a trip to Japan, with the help of his colleague Ric Flair.

Andre the Giant's drinking abilities were not just a result of his large size. He also had an extremely high alcohol tolerance, with colleagues recalling that he rarely showed signs of intoxication, even after consuming vast quantities of alcohol. In an interview, Andre himself stated that it would take "two litres of vodka just to make me feel warm inside."

The wrestler's drinking was not without consequences, however. His size and condition made flying uncomfortable, and he often drank heavily to ease his discomfort during travel. Additionally, his drinking led to a £40,000 bar bill during his stay at the Hyatt in London while filming. Despite his struggles, Andre the Giant remains an iconic figure, known not only for his in-ring achievements but also for his larger-than-life personality and legendary drinking tales.

He drank 40 vodka tonics in one night

Andre the Giant was a man of legendary appetites, and his drinking was no exception. On one occasion, while out for drinks with Bobby Heenan and several other wrestlers in Kansas City, the bartender called last orders. Roussimoff, annoyed at the prospect of having to leave, announced that he wasn't going anywhere. The bartender, unwilling to risk an altercation with the giant wrestler, told him he could stay as long as he kept drinking. Roussimoff then ordered 40 vodka tonics and drank them until 5 am.

This was no mean feat, even for a man of Andre the Giant's stature. A vodka tonic typically contains 1.5 ounces of vodka, meaning that over the course of the night, Roussimoff consumed 60 ounces of vodka, or around 1.7 litres. To put that in context, a typical vodka bottle contains 750 ml, or just under three-quarters of a litre.

This was far from the only time that Andre the Giant's drinking prowess was on display. In his memoir, Bobby Heenan recalled another incident in which Roussimoff drank 40 gin and tonics. On another occasion, he drank 119 12-ounce beers in six hours, or one beer every three minutes. In an interview with David Letterman, Roussimoff himself claimed that it would take "two litres of vodka just to make [him] feel warm inside".

Andre the Giant's drinking was fuelled by his enormous size. Standing at 7 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 520 pounds, he suffered from gigantism and acromegaly, rare conditions caused by a benign tumour on the pituitary gland that affect growth hormones. As a result, his body produced an abnormally high level of growth hormones, leading to his tremendous size. This size also meant that he had more tissue to absorb alcohol, allowing him to drink more than the average person without feeling the effects as strongly.

However, his drinking also caused him problems. On film sets, he kept his castmates up drinking and often caused them to turn up to set hungover or still drunk. His drinking also exacerbated the pain and discomfort caused by his condition, and he often drank to cope with the difficulties of travelling and performing. Despite his fame and success, he led a tormented life, and his drinking was a way of masking his pain.

Frequently asked questions