It was born of desperation: seven teenage friends from suburban Ohio without any alcohol. In December of 1996 drastic measures were conceived, and the call of destiny was the nightlife of Toronto, across the Canadian border-a nine-hour drive to legal drinking. Nine hours to freedom. In autumn days, as everyone packed for colleges across the country, a vow was taken to ensure that every year they would return-a three-day reunion in December. The Trip was born. Each year saw new faces, new drinks. Group identities emerged and traditions took hold. Craig sought to break his record of the 3.4 second beer chug, as A.J. progressively gulped shots of whiskey in a single swallow, adding one ounce per year. Pre-partying became an art, and ottomans took to the skies. With college graduations, marriages, and full-time jobs, the Trip became the common denominator in a diverse array of lives-an escape; a chance to remember what it’s like to be young; a chance to drink. “Under the Influence” chronicles the story of the Trip through its tenth year, having now reached the lives of over 40 young men nationwide, four cities, and over 3,000 beers-with no end in sight. This is the true story of a ten-year party.