The Irish Volunteer / Hockey Bar will host the second annual charity cornhole / corntoss tournament this Saturday at 3 PM. I talked to IV’s Zach Lewison about the nomenclature debate surrounding the sport, his plans to sell “Pickle Zachs“, and more (see below). Note: Irish Volunteer will also host the Homewreckers Challenge, a sausage-eating contest sponsored by Andy’s Craft Sausages, the same day. Details here.

Q: This sport involves teams throwing bags of corn at a sloped board with a hole in it and there has been spirited debate as to whether to call it “corntoss” or “cornhole”. Where do you stand?

A: It is cornhole. Always has been and always will be. As a member of the American CORNHOLE Association, I can safely say that I’m right. After all, native Americans did invent it. And as the official ref of the tournament, I have the last say on the matter.

Q: Say I’ve never played corntoss before. How tough is it for a beginner?

Never played? No problem. It’s super easy. You have two teams of two players. You stand opposite each other behind two boards that are 27 feet apart. Then you take turns with the other team tossing bean bags at the hole in the board across from you. If you land a bag on the board, that is one point. If you land it on the board and partially cover the hole, that is two points. And if you it in the hole, that is three points. Simple as that.

Q: You guys are also selling Pickle Zachs for charity on November 22. What is a Pickle Zach and why should I buy one?

A: The Pickle Zach is a craft version of the classic pickleback. It’s a shot of homemade pickle juice made by Jimi from The Corner Melt and a shot of 49 percent alcohol Moonshine I personally bring back from the U.S. every year. The moonshine has a tangy smoky taste that goes hand in hand with the pickle juice. Why should you get one? Well first is for charity, and second, it’s the super cool hipster pickleback.

Get more details on the corn toss tournament here.

Maovember focuses on quirky events for good causes. Our 2022 partner is Library Project, which has furnished thousands of reading rooms in rural schools. Learn more about Maovember here. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.