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Dear England, I am just about getting used to the grand ol' American tradition of...beer pong! Why did it take so long? I think it's because beer pong is only really available in a few DC bars, the ones scattered to the edge of town. But when you find them, boy, do they go all out!

For those uninitiated into the delights of beer pong, you arrange 10 cups in a triangle (as in the picture) then each team take turns to throw a ping pong ball - not leaning too far over the table! - into your opponent's cup. Like all drinking games, the harder you play, the harder you fall.

A similar game is called flip cup, where you stand in a line on opposite sides of the table, and have to flip your cup upright using the edge of the table, after you've drunk it of course! Take too long to drink (the flipping is usually the problem) and you'll slow the team down.

This one kind of reminds me of college "Rowing Eights" where we'd stand our 8-man crew, pints in hand, to take on another 8. One pint each round. If you're losing, you could sacrifice the drink by pouring it over your head to win some speed!

Tipping up your beer? A cardinal sin on both sides of the Atlantic!