Competitive Eater Eric Booker Just Broke This Guinness World Record
Eric "Badlands" Booker, an American competitive eater and competitive eating-themed hip hop artist, has broken the world record for the quickest time to drink two liters of soda. The official blog for the Guinness Book of World Records reported on August 9 that Booker managed to consume the two liters of sugar-free cola in 18.45 seconds. Those interested in seeing the feat can watch the submitted video on the official YouTube for the Guinness Book of World Records. Despite Booker's attempt to keep the brand of the soda out of the video, a commenter on The Takeout's piece noted that the bottle's shape was Coke's and that the black cap meant it was likely to be Diet Coke or Coke Zero.
All in all, 2021 has proven a good year for Eric Booker. ESPN reported that Booker had also won the first ever chug contest at Nathan's. In the space of 40 seconds, he managed to consume an entire gallon of lemonade.
A trick for chugging
One thing you might notice while watching the video of Booker's latest triumph is that Booker pours the entirety of the two liter bottle into a measuring flask before letting his son take a picture for photographic evidence. This, he explains, is to show that it is a full two liters. However, the soda came from a mass produced two-liter bottle. So, another commenter on The Takeout's article suggests an additional point is at play.
They wrote, "1. Out of the bottle would be much harder. 2. How long did the beaker sit out allowing the cola to go flat?" This savvy commenter's point is that without carbonation, soda goes down much easier. In fact, Renegade Brewing recommends that beer chuggers pour their beer and allow it to sit for a few moments so that some of the carbon dioxide dissipates. Obviously, beer and soda are not the same drink, but since both are carbonated, it is fair to assume that Booker was following a similar strategy. Also obviously, however, the Guinness Book of World Records was happy to allow it.