Beer can pyramid

A beer can pyramid, often called a beeramid as a portmanteau, is a pyramid made of discarded beer cans or cups.^[1][2] It can also refer to a drinking game that utilizes playing cards in the shape of a pyramid.^[3]

An example of a beeramid

Sports

Beeramids are sometimes built in grandstands of Major League Baseball games, with one made of cans being knocked down by Miami Marlins outfielder Austin Dean in a game against the Washington Nationals in 2019 and another constructed of cups being knocked down by Adam Duvall in 2024.^[4][5] Later in 2019, Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves fans cooperated to assemble a pyramid consisting of more than 40 empty beer cans.^[6] Larger still was the 112-can structure built during the two-dollar beer night by Cleveland Indians fans before stadium staff removed it. ^[7]

The minor-league hockey team the Cincinnati Cyclones, who play in the ECHL, embrace spectator-made beeramids as a "staple of Cyclones games". Their website instructs fans to build them on the corners of the rink glass to be knocked over in the 2nd period.^[8] An eight-tiered pyramid was constructed during a matchup between the Cyclones and the Wheeling Nailers before being knocked down by colliding players.^[9]

Following National Hot Rod Association drag races at Brainerd International Raceway, a pyramid of 1,100 cans was constructed by fans.^[10]

College culture

Due in part to the heavy drinking present in college fraternities and alcohol use among college students, beer pyramids are also common on college campuses.^[11][12] Their frequent appearances in spring break rental properties lead some landlords to ban them.^[13][14]

In 1979, the Kappa Sigma sorority at North Carolina State University stacked 140 empty beer kegs into a seven-keg-high pyramid and applied to Guinness World Records for inclusion. However, due to a lack of other attempts in the category, it was deemed unlikely to be included in the official records.^[15]

Largest beeramids

An E Clampus Vitus chapter based in Butte County, California stacked 14,281 beer cans into a 14-foot pyramid in 1985. The cans were sold for scrap for $140 and the proceeds donated to seal conservation.^[16]

Members of the Singapore Polytechnic rock climbing club constructed a beer pyramid out of 6,930 empty beer cans in 1997.^[17]

In November 1999, the American staff of Stuff magazine built a beeramid standing 16 feet high out of 22,140 Miller Lite cans over the course of over 100 hours, with the assistance of University of Wisconsin engineering students. ^[17]

On 23 September 2000, the Malaysian Can team, consisting of 12 college students from the INTI College Subang Jaya, Malaysia built a free standing can pyramid created from 9,455 empty aluminium drink cans in 24 minutes at the Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It had a square base of 30 × 30 cans, measuring 1.98 m × 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in × 6 ft 6 in). This feat made a successful entry into the Guinness World Record and as of 27 January 2008^[update] this record has yet to be broken.^[18]

Another attempt to break the world record Beer Can Pyramid was made with 10,660 beer cans glued into blocks and stood over 5 metres (16+1⁄2 ft) high.^[19][20] It was built by the Melbourne University Student Union in 2005, and was featured on Blokesworld and in mX.^[21]

In media

A beeramid is featured in the 1978 National Lampoon movie Animal House, constructed by college students who are members of a fraternity.^[22]

A beer can pyramid was shown on the outside of Duff Gardens in The Simpsons episode 9F11 "Selma's Choice", in 1993, as a parody of Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World.^[23]

Drinking game

The drinking game of the same name involves a pyramid of playing cards laid facedown and each player having a number of cards in their hand. One of the cards in the pyramid is flipped over, and if a player has a card of the same number, they can tell any other player to take a drink. Some variants of the game allow for bluffing, with additional drinks being taken based on the outcome of the bluff.^[3][24]

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