[media-credit name=’MEGHAN CONLIN/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]The starter yelled, "Go!" and nine 96 oz. glass boots filled to the brim with beer were lifted from the bar and pressed against the lips of nine patrons.

Just a few minutes later, the team "Uhhhh, drink?" narrowly edged out "Sir Chuck Norris and His Mustache Riders" in a team speed drinking contest held Wednesday night at Dotty Dumpling's Dowry on North Frances Street.

As Dotty's gave free french fries to the participants and as the bar calmed down from the cheers and screams of the contest, Dotty's manager Rachael Stanley looked out across the Wednesday night crowd occupying the warmly-lit room and smiled.

"This is fun!" she said. "This was successful."

However, some city officials would not agree with Stanley.

According to representatives of the Policy Alternative Community Education project, Wednesday night's contest represented the side of Madison's culture that needs to change.

Earlier this week, Sue Crowley, coordinator of the organization, spoke with Stanley and asked her to call off the event.

"We're putting a lot of resources in trying to change the culture of this community that the only way to have a good time is to drink," Crowley said in a phone interview. "This contest sends the message to students that it's okay to drink as much as you can."

For the past few years, PACE has worked to draft a citywide alcohol policy, focusing on such issues as keg registration — limiting the number of kegs somebody can purchase — and the type and amount of liquor licenses granted to downtown establishments.

This past Tuesday, the group heard a presentation from Ald. Paul Skidmore, District 9, who tried to reintroduce a keg registration ordinance in time for the Mifflin Street Block Party.

According to Crowley, Dotty's contest was not in line with PACE's goals.

"PACE is opposed to any drinking games or promotions to encourage students to drink," Crowley said.

However, Stanley shook off the criticisms, and said the contest was geared towards Madison's older, "professional" crowd.

According to Stanley, the concerns over Wednesday's contest were "extremely" overblown.

"If PACE has issues, I'm more than happy and willing to talk to them," she said, noting this was the first such event Dotty's ever held. "In no way am I supporting this. I'm just as much on their side."

Stanley added Dotty's is, first and foremost, a restaurant and intends to remain so.

"We don't want to become that type of bar," she added.

Ultimately, whether the contest was a success was left up to the participants to judge.

And Chris Bentz, a member of the winning "Uhhhh, drink?" team, believed it was.

"There's nothing like combining the competitive spirit of sport with the majestic art of drinking," he said. "It represents the culture of Madison and how we like to have fun."

For Bentz's teammate, Seth Imhoff, however, it was not all about the drinking.

"There's nothing but good feelings in this whole room," he remarked.