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Wolff's Biergarten, 106 Montgomery St., is located in a former Syracuse fire station across the street from City Hall.

(Don Cazentre)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Long before cementing his reputation as Central New York's chugging champion, Adam "Dump Truck" Rupczyk walked into Wolff's Biergarten for the first time last winter.

The new bar had just opened in downtown Syracuse and bartenders were spreading word about their boot beer challenge.

The bar keeps a running score of patrons who can finish their famous 2-liter boot of beer in the shortest amount of time.

The birthday boot at Wolff's Biergarten.

On that day, the men's record hovered around five minutes. Easy, Rupczyk thought.

After drinking a couple regular-sized beers, he ordered the boot, much to the delight of his buddies. At that point, though, he felt too full. His energy was low.

"I was not successful on that first night, and I kind of made a fool of myself," said Rupczyk, who lives on Tipperary Hill in Syracuse. "But Wolff's is one of our favorite places so I said I'd come back and try again."

The boot is free to anyone celebrating a birthday, so Rupczyk vowed to return on Feb. 20, 2016, when he would turn 24. He knew he could beat it.

Patrons can fill "Das Boot" with any beer they want, but the free birthday boot is filled with the Hofbrau Original of Hofbrauhaus Munchen.

"It's the same for everyone to make it a level playing field," Rupczyk said. "It's not the strongest beer but it's not the lightest either."

On his birthday, Rupczyk returned as promised. It was a Saturday night and the bar was packed, with fans spilling over from the Orange basketball game that afternoon. Syracuse University lost to Pittsburgh, and hundreds of people were drowning their sorrows.

Rupczyk ordered his birthday boot and sat with it quietly in one corner. A Wolff's bartender later described the scene as a champion facing off with his enemy. He studied the beer for about two minutes, mentally preparing himself.

At this point, his friends had riled up nearly every table in the bar, telling people he was about the beat the record.

"It was ridiculous and I was kind of nervous," Rupczyk said. "There was such a build-up from my friends. People were standing on tables to watch. Every phone was out."

To make matters worse, the boot guzzling bar had been set much higher. The time to beat was no longer five minutes. It was 45 seconds.

Rupczyk had a plan. He would try for the record in two big gulps.

Eyes shut, he took his first gulp and drank as much as he could. When he thought he hit the halfway point, he opened his eyes and saw the empty foot of the boot, with only beer left to drink in the leg. He kept going.

People in the crowd shrieked and whooped loudly as Rupczyk drained the boot in 17.75 seconds. He paused for a moment to gather himself.

"It got silent and I was at a point where I would either throw up or I'd be good," he said. "I turned around and threw my arms up. Everyone was screaming. The place went nuts. I used to play football, basketball and baseball, and my adrenaline has never been that high. The reception was so epic."

He did not throw up.

Birthday patrons must put down a $40 security deposit for the free drink, in case anything happens to the glass boot. This happens often. The boot has a little foot and a large calf. It's top-heavy and fragile. Upon finishing the boot, many people drop it, smash it down on a table or toast with it too hard.

Adam "Dump Truck" Rupczyk holds up his record time for finishing two liters of beer in 17.75 seconds at Wolff's Biergarten.

Rupczyk's boot broke at some point during the celebration. He barely heard the smash over all the screaming.

"It was the best 40 bucks I ever spent," he said. "People were coming up to take photos with me, asking me to sign business cards."

The night cemented "Dump Truck" in Syracuse beer culture, but Rupczyk's nickname originated in college. At SUNY Oswego, Rupczyk was involved in several clubs, so when it came time to meet up with his friends at a party, he'd always be hours behind.

"I got pretty good at catching up with them," he said. "I could drink fast. Also, I'm a Buffalo Bills season ticket holder, so we're just animals."

Rupczyk's name and time have been scrawled on Wolff's champion board for nearly a year. Few have managed to close in on his record. The closest male attempt hit 22 seconds. Rachel Bantelman currently holds the best record time for women, finishing her boot in two minutes and 40 seconds.

Rupczyk, a Western New York native, works in communications. He and his friends regularly return to Wolff's, where people often recognize him.

"Word gets around, even if I'm just playing darts in the back," he said. "Someone will come up and buy me a beer. It's fun. It was great, but truthfully, if the stars were aligned, I don't know if I could do it again."

Rupczyk will turn 25 next month. When he returns to Wolff's for another birthday boot, he will sit and enjoy this one. The only way he will compete again is if someone beats his record. Then he may have to defend his title.

Syracuse.com does not encourage overindulgence of alcohol or any liquid beverage. It is not healthy to drink two liters of beer, soda or even Kool-Aid in 17 seconds. However, we do encourage fun local people to share their interesting stories. Please drink responsibly.

Katrina Tulloch writes music and culture stories for Syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Contact her: Email | Twitter | Facebook