Denver's Call to Arms Brewing invents the beer slide challenge

Chris Bell, the owner of Call to Arms Brewing in Denver, had an idea. A bartender would slide a full pint of beer down the bar to him and he would catch it at the other end and chug. Both would look only at the camera — all set to George Michael's "Careless Whisper."

Why, you ask? "For us levity is everything, especially when this last year happened," Bell told Axios.

Naturally, the post — tagged #beerslidechallenge — went viral on TikTok and Instagram.

• The original video, shared later on another account, recorded 400,000 likes and 5,000 comments.
• More than 100 other breweries posted their own versions.

What they're saying: "Craft beer at the end of the day has always been about having a good time," Bell adds. "This was a way for all us breweries to reconnect over the internet and enjoy a laugh."

Drink the beer: The American lager from the original video — Ballroom Beer — and other great Call to Arms favorites hit distribution for the first time next week.

This story first appeared in the Axios Denver newsletter, designed to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news unfolding in their own backyard.

• Sign up here.