If you don’t already know who Zane Lamprey is, then there’s really no hope for you. You can redeem yourself by checking out one of our favorite comedians turned alcohol enthusiasts here.
We caught up with Zane to discuss his newest adventure, “Chug,” and ask him a few questions that have been on our minds.
Where did the idea for “Chug” come from? What makes you most excited about this project?
“Three Sheets” was an amazing show. I traveled the world, learning about drinking cultures by bellying up the bar with locals. We shot 50 episodes, and it was doing fantastic… until the network that it was on went off the air. It then bounced from Fine Living Network to Travel Channel to Spike. After it looked like it could go no further, I pitched “Drinking Made Easy,” the domestic version of “Three Sheets,” to Mark Cuban. After three seasons, and over 60 episodes, DME met a similar fate. Although they continue airing the episodes, HDNet, where it originally aired, became AXS, a live music channel, so we didn’t get renewed for another season.
We started throwing around ideas for another drinking show and wanted something clever. Some suggested “Cheers!” and we all thought it was a great idea, until it hit us that that’s already been a show. We pitched “Chug” around to all of the networks, and it got passed up. They didn’t want a traveling drinking show, but the fans still asked us when we’d be making new episodes. So , with the success of reviving the “Veronica Mars” TV show, we decided that Kickstarter might also work for us. I got the original director from “Three Sheets,” Mike Kelly, on board, and we launched the “Chug” campaign. And the rest, we hope, is history.
What’s your favorite…
Man, these are difficult questions… I get asked them a lot. Mostly, what I’m drinking, in the place that I’m drinking it, is my favorite. I mean, how can you compare drinking a Guinness in the oldest bar in Dublin to drinking with the Masai tribe in Tanzania? How could I decide if I had more fun drinking at an abandoned flat in Moscow in the dead of winter or drinking on a night in Iceland that never got dark? That being said, if I were at a beach-side bar in St. Maarten, I wouldn’t be jonesing for a Guinness. And, I wouldn’t want Masai bee-brew while sitting in a Dublin pub. So, that preface will explain the following answers.
Bar
The one I’m in.
Alcoholic beverage
The one I’m drinking.
Moment during filming
When the camera is filming.
Place you’ve traveled
All the places I’ve been.
Foreign/Domestic Booze
Yes! Sorry, but I think that sums it up.
Drunk Snack
This is almost MORE difficult. I’ve had some amazing drunk snacks. From water buffalo and shark and alligator to pizza and nachos and tortas ahogadas.
Movie
Die Hard.
What is your go-to hangover cure?
Time… the only cure that I know that works for sure. And the older I get, the more of it I need.
What has surprised you most since you’ve become a celeb in the booze business?
People tend to think that when I’m drinking on television, that I’m somewhere drinking in real life… they’re right.