Are you looking for a cool way to make your next celebration really sparkle? You may be familiar with a certain alcohol and ping-pong ball based game, synonymous with raucous college students from the US. Well, there’s now a much more refined version available for you and your more glamorous guests to enjoy. Prosecco Pong is a fabulous way to get your party going with… well… not so much a ‘bang’… but certainly a ‘pop-fizz-bubble’.

Prosecco is now one of the most popular tipples in the UK. It is enjoyed as a wedding toast, a light white wine with meals, and a pleasant pre-drink before a night. With this drink also being perfect for summer BBQs and any kind of party you can imagine, we’re delighted to add Prosecco Pong to the variety of ways you can enjoy this fruity, Italian delight. Read on to find out more about the game, how to play and where to buy, as well as to work out when you can next experience its fun.

About Talking Tables

Just before the turn of the millennium, Talking Tables began selling party supplies to customers eager to enjoy the event in style. Since then, we’ve become a trusted supplier to thousands of independent shops and boutiques, both in the UK and internationally. You can also find our wide variety of party supplies and products in established high-street stores, including John Lewis, Selfridges and Paperchase.

In the last 20 years, we have seen our business expand and opened new offices in London, New York and Shanghai. All of our employees are driven by the same commitment – to bring people together so that they can share in love, laughter and fun. As we design and develop many of the items in our extensive product range, we are always up to date with what our customers think is fun, original and engaging. And during our exciting journey, we’re delighted to say we created Prosecco Pong.

What is Prosecco Pong and how do I play?

You’ve probably seen some over-zealous college students play ‘Beer Pong’, either in a movie or on television. While often a noteworthy example of what not to do when studying, the game has always brought people together to enjoy a few drinks and a little competition.  Traditionally, it involves throwing or bouncing a standard ping-pong ball across a table, with the intention of it landing in a disposable cup filled with beer.

Like many alcohol-fuelled adventures, the specific origins of the game are one of life’s many mysteries. However, it is often associated with Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, where it became a popular game on campuses during the 1950s and 1960s. There is also now a World Series of Beer Pong that attracts participants from all over the world, and smaller competitive tournaments are played regularly across the United States.

It could be argued that Prosecco Pong is the more refined cousin of the original game. Beer and lager are replaced by Italian sparkling wine, and disposable cups are switched for shapely cocktail glasses. The result is that the game sheds its brash, freshman flavour, replacing it with a more elegant, competitive enthusiasm. This means more savouring, and far less ‘chugging’ when it comes to finishing drinks!

The rules, however, have remained very similar. The Prosecco Pong game by Talking Tables contains 12 plastic glasses and three pink ping-pong balls. Split your party (even if it’s just you and a friend enjoying a drink before you go out) into two teams of up to six people. Use the 12 glasses to create two equilateral triangle shapes, facing one another, at either end of a table surface.

Then, everyone takes turns attempting to throw or bounce a ball into the glass. Each time the ball lands in a drink, a member of the opposition has to drink the Prosecco inside, and the glass is either removed or returned to the table. This depends on how challenging you want the game to be; returning the empty glass means the chance of a ball landing is greater. Removing the glass from the table means that every subsequent turn becomes more difficult. Either way, the first team to lose all of their drinks, loses. However, they do get to drink a few glasses of Prosecco in the meantime, so you could also say that everyone’s a winner!

Did you notice we missed a crucial step in the instructions above? Of course you did. When you’ve created two triangles with the glasses, pop open a bottle and pour yourself 12 glasses. If you’re really lucky, your team might just lose quickly enough for you to enjoy them very soon. Finally, don’t forget to let us know you’re playing, by hashtagging #ProseccoPong on Instagram every time you enjoy a game.

How many bottles do I need for each game of Prosecco Pong?

This is really up to you, your guests and how much you want to spend on Prosecco (or at least how much more you want to spend on it!). With 12 small glasses, a standard 750ml bottle won’t last you many rounds of Prosecco Pong, so you should encourage your guests to bring a bottle with them too. You could also water down the wine to make it last for longer.

However… not everybody finds the idea of Prosecco Pong particularly enticing, so you should also check that there are no objections beforehand – or you may see the odd grimace appear as the drinks are divided up. If you’re playing with families or there’s a designated driver in the group, it’s also worth filling a couple of glasses with something softer. This also means more Prosecco for you, later.

As a rough guide, you’ll go through one bottle every game, or more if everyone’s got another drink on the go at the same time. Be warned, though – such is the competitive nature of the game that one round is never enough! You normally find that losing sides, however happy they are to have ‘won’ six glasses of Prosecco, usually want at least one chance for revenge. If you’re supplying the drinks yourself, you should budget for three bottles, or water the drinks down with a little diet tonic or still water.

When is the best time to play Prosecco Pong?

Since becoming a popular party game across the UK, Prosecco Pong has helped parties to bounce, fizz and sparkle. It is the perfect game to play while enjoying your pre-drinks or before a big night out. It’s also a great way to get the hens clucking before the big night, and ideal for birthday parties at all times of year. Even during the winter months, for instance at Christmas, it’s a game that can be enjoyed as family and friends come together to make merry.

During the summer, why not set up your Prosecco Pong outside while the BBQ coals begin to flame? And what about the next time you entertain several guests for the evening? Getting together for a quick game and a glass of wine is an ideal ice breaker that even the most retiring of people can engage with. Does your business throw the odd fundraiser? All you need for competitive Prosecco Pong is a small entry fee and a prize – usually a bottle of bubbly – and you’ve got yourself a game, and entertainment.

As long as you don’t encounter any veterans from the World Series of Beer Pong, everyone who plays has practically the same skill level – and is almost guaranteed to win a glass of Prosecco along the way. Prosecco Pong is a game that can be enjoyed at any party, and before any night out, by Prosecco Princesses and Princes alike.

Are there any other versions of Prosecco Pong?

At Talking Tables, we do like to ensure our products make everyone happy. That’s why we also stock a Tropical Prosecco Pong kit, which is perfect for those who like to add a little fruit to their fizz or mix cocktails before they head out. There is also a wedding version – which is ideal for engagement parties, hen nights or even fun for your guests on the big day itself – and the opportunity for a dedicated battle of taste and culture in the shape of our Pong Wars set.

Pong Wars involves six beer cups, like the original game, and six Prosecco glasses – lager lovers against wine connoisseurs. You can also make this version really interesting by having the losers drink from the cup or glass they would normally avoid! Creating an extra level of competition, the team that wins can celebrate by finishing their favourite drinks, before going in for another round.

Finally, you can also buy a dedicated version of G&T Pong on our site. As we mentioned earlier, we do like to keep up with what our customers are interested in, and gin has certainly become a popular aperitif in the last few years. The same rules apply – 12 cups, three balls and the first team to lose their cups loses. When you’re getting your supplies in for this one, you should ensure you don’t forget to buy the ‘T’ when purchasing the ‘G’ – otherwise, you could be dealing with some disastrously exhausted guests at your next event.

What else creates a great Prosecco-inspired party?

Now that you’ve got your main party game sorted, if you’re putting together a party for the Prosecco Princess in your life, here are several more essential supplies you could purchase. First of all, are you going straight in with the Prosecco Pong, or are you going to leave that until later? If the latter, you could knock together a batch of Prosecco cupcakes to be enjoyed first, with wine infused in the sponge, or spoil your guests with some Prosecco chocolates or truffles.

If your party takes place on a warm and sunny day (or you’ve at least planned it that way), you could also have some Prosecco ice pops chilling in the freezer. With a few bottles already cool in the fridge, you just need some food to suit the light, fruity flavour, and enough of everything to go around. Luckily, with Prosecco being an Italian wine, it is perfect for some of the most delectable and universally enjoyed food around.

You could serve an antipasto platter, including some Italian cheeses, a selection of seafood and a light pasta salad, plus finger food like nuts and olives. If you would like to give your party an extra layer of Prosecco glam, why not add some Prosecco Party Table Scatter, hang Prosecco String Table Lights, and leave Prosecco Party Pink Cocktail Napkins by your plates and cutlery?

Is Prosecco Pong safe to play?

Like any drinking game, the more you play, the less likely you are to play so well. No doubt you’ve heard someone suggest before that ‘fizzy drinks get you drunk quicker’. Essentially, it’s the volume of alcohol a person drinks that leads to intoxication, but the aforementioned claim is not without substance. Carbonated drinks, Champagne and Prosecco are absorbed by the body more quickly, in a process known as carbonation.

This increases pressure in the stomach, which forces alcohol into the bloodstream faster via the stomach lining. While this often leads to a bloated feeling, this often goes unnoticed as people become more intoxicated. So, along with the giddiness of socialising and the exciting, competitive nature of Prosecco Pong, you may inspire some earlier-than-anticipated revels at your party.

But this isn’t anything you won’t be used to if you drink socially and regularly anyway. Other than the usual side-effects of drinking games, Prosecco Pong is perfectly safe. The ping-pong balls are lightweight and won’t damage anything in your home. As long as you have enough space to allow for outbursts of victorious excitement, you surely won’t encounter anything other than fun, laughter and great times with friends and family. Naturally, though, we do advise you to drink responsibly, which is the best way to be certain of incredible time playing Prosecco Pong.