What is an adtje?
An adtje (say "at-chuh") means downing your drink in one go. Most of the time it is beer, but you hear it with other drinks too. The word comes from ad fundum, a Latin phrase from student slang that literally means: drinking to the bottom.
Where the adtje comes from
In traditions like a cantus, a student singing night, the adtje has been a well known ritual for a long time. The word stuck in the student world. And in the end it spread all over the Netherlands and Flanders.
That is also where the verb atten comes from. Simply put, it means knocking back your drink in one go. Someone shouts "adtje?" and a few seconds later there is an empty glass or can on the table.
How to chug a beer fast
Chugging a beer looks easy. Still, it often goes wrong. Usually not because you can't do it, but because someone starts to hesitate halfway. A few simple tips already get you a lot further.
01Make sure the drink isn't too cold
Ice cold beer sounds great. But it often goes down less smoothly when you want to chug fast. A little less cold is usually easier.
02Drink from a glass
Drinking from a glass often works better than from a bottle or can. You have more control and it just flows a bit easier.
03Take a deep breath
Before you start it is smart to take a good breath. Then you don't have to stop halfway because you run out of air.
04Open your throat or take the biggest sips you can
Take small sips and you have usually lost before it has really started. Either open your throat or just take the biggest sips you can. Hesitating doesn't help either way.
05Don't make a fuss
This might be the most important one. An adtje usually goes fine. Unless you make it bigger than it is. Grab the glass, go and don't overthink it.
Example (from our own role model)
What is a shotgun?
A shotgun is a way to empty a can extra fast. Instead of only drinking from the normal opening, you first make an extra hole in the side of the can.
Then you put your mouth on that hole and pull the tab on top. The extra air makes the drink flow out of the can much faster.
So the idea is the same as an adtje: empty it as fast as you can. Only the way you do it is a bit more chaotic.
How does a shotgun work?
You usually shotgun a can of beer or another fizzy drink. The idea is simple: make an extra opening, let air in and go.
Step by step
- Grab a can. Hold the can horizontally or slightly tilted.
- Make a hole in the side. Usually near the bottom. Big enough to drink from.
- Put your mouth on the hole. Seal it well. Otherwise half of it ends up on your shirt.
- Pull the tab on top. That lets air in and empties the can faster.
- Keep drinking. Don't think. Just finish it.
A shotgun often looks spectacular. But it is also just a pretty messy way to empty a can fast.
When do you do an adtje?
You usually do an adtje at moments like:
- Celebrating something
- A drinking game
- A penalty
- When you have to take an anytimer
Sometimes it is part of the deal. Sometimes it just happens to you. And sometimes you should have just kept your mouth shut.
What is a rietbak?
A rietbak is someone who drinks with a straw ("riet" in Dutch). Usually to finish a drink as fast as possible. You mostly see it at parties, drinking games or moments when speed suddenly matters more than style.
The word is mostly used as a bit of a joke. Nobody seriously calls themselves a rietbak. But everyone roughly knows what it means.
So a rietbak is not really about what you drink. It is mostly about how. With a straw it goes faster. It often hits harder. And it usually looks a little more hopeless too. That is exactly why it sticks.
Adtje vs. Shotgun
The difference is actually really simple.
Adtje is about what you do
You finish your drink in one go.
Shotgun is about how you do it
You make a hole in a can. So it goes even faster.
So a shotgun is a way to chug faster. But not every adtje is automatically a shotgun.
