There are a number of alcoholic beverages you’ll consume in college, from boxed wines to cheap 30-racks to a sugary bottle of vodka. Though we all go back and forth when it comes to our drink of choice, these are six of the beverages that have held steady in shaping the memories — or lack thereof — of our time at Syracuse University.

Jungle Juice

In all honesty, you never really know what you’re getting into when you drink Jungle Juice. Nobody really likes it, but everyone is familiar with it. This is a college staple you’ll find at your first basement party freshman year and in your last day-drink of senior year. Do you know what’s in it? You’ll never be 100 percent sure, but you do know that two or three Solo Cups of this sugary, fruity, rum/vodka/tequila-filled concoction will have you sufficiently drunk, and probably wanting more.

Fireball

When people are asked what they think of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, usually the response is something along the lines of, “I can’t drink that anymore.” Fireball will always be an essential freshman year adventure, and it will always have a special place in the heart of the class of 2016. The reason? Fireball really lit up Syracuse freshman year. It doesn’t mix well with anything except a hard cider, which still doesn’t taste very good. The best bet with a bottle of Fireball is taking a few shots of the excessively sugary liquor. Fireball will give you some of the best and craziest stories from college — but it comes with the price of some of the worst hangovers you’ll ever have.

Honey Brown

Smoother and heavier than Bud Light, but not on the same AVB level as a mixed drink, Honey Brown will always be Chuck’s go-to. The fact that Honey Brown pints are $1.75 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and pitchers are $4.25 on Fridays, makes the dark lager an obvious choice for the cash-conscious. Honey Brown’s website claims, “This isn’t your watered-down light beer from college.” But while you can take the Honey Brown out of college, you’ll never be able to take the college out of Honey Brown.

Genesee Beer

You probably had your first can of Genesee in the beginning of junior year. Here’s how it probably happened: you were throwing a football around with some buddies on a Saturday morning, wondering what kind of 30-rack to pick up. You’re all tired of Keystone, a concerning amount of which you had as an underclassman. Conveniently, there’s a cheaper, better option named Genny. It may be cheaper by about 40 cents, but tastes no better. It is the first and last time you got a 30-rack of Genny, but it’s an experience we all have around our junior year.

Blue Moon

Blue Moon never intended to be a “college beer.” But when the crowd at Faegan’s is knocking down plastic cups full of the stuff after guessing correctly on the flip of a quarter, it’s hard to argue that it isn’t indeed a college beer. Don’t get me wrong — poured in a tall pint glass with an orange slice hanging on the rim, Blue Moon is perfect for classy occasions. But that’s not how we’ll remember it. Although we’ll soon be enjoying them on front porches and at dinner tables alike, memories of clutching on to four Blue Moons at a time in Faegan’s will always have a special place in our hearts.

Keystone Light

The number of times that we have all said, “Well, that was the last Keystone I’ll ever drink,” is really high. Yet, for some unexplainable reason, we just can’t let Keystone not be a part of my life. When it comes to light beers, Keystone is certainly one of the lowest of the low, but the frat party and day-drink staple has become forever associated with my time here at Syracuse. Despite its bland and metallic taste, we salute you, Keystone, for being the beer hero that we deserved, but definitely not the one we needed.

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We hope you enjoy commencement and always remember to drink responsibly.

Published on May 9, 2016 at 5:25 pm