Andre the Giant's Legendary 156-Beer Drinking Session

When professional wrestler Andre the Giant walked into a bar, bartenders knew they were in for a long night. The 7-foot-4, 520-pound French wrestler didn't just drink—he drank at a scale that matched his legendary size. According to fellow wrestler Mike Graham, Andre once consumed 156 beers in a single sitting, a feat corroborated by wrestling icons Dusty Rhodes and Michael Hayes.

To put that in perspective, 156 standard 12-ounce beers equals approximately 73 liters or 16 gallons of liquid. That's roughly the capacity of two full-size beer kegs consumed by one man.

Was It Really 156 Beers?

The exact number varies depending on who's telling the story. In a 1984 appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, Andre himself confirmed drinking 117 beers in one sitting, though he admitted he couldn't remember if he got drunk because he "passed out." Hulk Hogan claimed he once witnessed Andre knock back 108 beers in just 45 minutes at an airport lounge. Ric Flair stated, "Brother, I was with him one night and we drank 106 beers."

Whether it was 106, 117, or 156, all accounts point to the same conclusion: Andre the Giant could drink more alcohol than seemed humanly possible.

The Science Behind the Legend

Andre's extraordinary tolerance wasn't just about willpower—it was rooted in biology. He suffered from acromegaly, a condition caused by excess growth hormone that resulted in his massive size. His enormous body mass meant he had:

• More blood volume to dilute alcohol
• A larger liver to metabolize it
• Greater body water content to absorb it
• More body mass overall, requiring more alcohol to feel effects

Andre once told a doctor that "it usually takes two liters of vodka just to make me feel warm inside." This wasn't bravado—it was his reality. Anesthesiologists reportedly struggled to determine proper dosages for his surgeries.

A $40,000 Bar Tab and Other Stories

The beer consumption was just one chapter in Andre's legendary drinking career. During the filming of The Princess Bride in London, Andre racked up a bar bill exceeding $40,000 for a single month at the Hyatt hotel. His favorite cocktail, called "The American," consisted of 40 ounces of various liquors poured into a pitcher.

Wrestler Gerald Brisco recalled: "Andre used to ask me to get him six bottles of Mateus wine and ice them down. He would drink those before we went to the ring and no one could tell." On a flight to Tokyo, Ric Flair remembered, "We drank every bottle of vodka on the plane."

The Pain Behind the Legend

According to The Princess Bride co-star Cary Elwes, Andre didn't drink for entertainment—he drank to cope with chronic pain. Carrying over 500 pounds on a 7-foot-4 frame, combined with the nightly physical demands of professional wrestling, caused constant agony. His acromegaly was never properly treated, and drinking became his primary pain management strategy.

It's been estimated that Andre consumed approximately 7,000 calories worth of alcohol daily—not including food. The humor magazine Modern Drunkard dubbed him "The Greatest Drunk on Earth," a title both impressive and tragic.

Andre the Giant died on January 28, 1993, at age 46 from congestive heart failure, likely related to his untreated acromegaly. He passed away in a Paris hotel room while attending his father's funeral.