diff --git a/bot/bot.go b/bot/bot.go
index a49bd46..057ab37 100644
--- a/bot/bot.go
+++ b/bot/bot.go
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ type User struct {
 type Message struct {
 	User          *User
 	Channel, Body string
+	Command       bool
 }
 
 // NewBot creates a Bot for a given connection and set of handlers.
diff --git a/bot/handlers.go b/bot/handlers.go
index b76fd27..f03a83f 100644
--- a/bot/handlers.go
+++ b/bot/handlers.go
@@ -34,39 +34,76 @@ func (b *Bot) checkuser(nick string) *User {
 	return user
 }
 
+// Checks to see if the user is asking for help, returns true if so and handles the situation.
+func (b *Bot) checkHelp(channel string, parts []string) {
+	if len(parts) > 1 {
+		// just print out a list of help topics
+		topics := "Help topics: about"
+		for name, _ := range b.Plugins {
+			topics = fmt.Sprintf("%s, %s", topics, name)
+		}
+		b.SendMessage(channel, topics)
+	} else {
+		// trigger the proper plugin's help response
+		if parts[1] == "about" {
+			b.Help(channel, parts)
+			return
+		}
+		plugin := b.Plugins[parts[1]]
+		if plugin != nil {
+			plugin.Help(channel, parts)
+		} else {
+			msg := fmt.Sprintf("I'm sorry, I don't know what %s is!", parts[1])
+			b.SendMessage(channel, msg)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// Checks if message is a command and returns its curtailed version
+func (b *Bot) isCmd(message string) (bool, string) {
+	cmdc := b.Config.CommandChar
+	botnick := b.Conn.Me.Nick
+	iscmd := false
+
+	if strings.HasPrefix(message, cmdc) && len(cmdc) > 0 {
+		fmt.Println("Got a commandchar prefix")
+		iscmd = true
+		message = message[len(cmdc):]
+	} else if strings.HasPrefix(message, botnick) {
+		iscmd = true
+		message = message[len(botnick):]
+
+		// trim off the customary addressing punctuation
+		if message[0] == ':' || message[0] == ',' {
+			message = message[1:]
+		}
+	}
+
+	// trim off any whitespace left on the message
+	message = strings.TrimSpace(message)
+
+	return iscmd, message
+}
+
 // Handles incomming PRIVMSG requests
-func (b *Bot) Msg_recieved(conn *irc.Conn, line *irc.Line) {
+func (b *Bot) MsgRecieved(conn *irc.Conn, line *irc.Line) {
 	// Check for the user
 	user := b.checkuser(line.Nick)
 
 	channel := line.Args[0]
 	message := line.Args[1]
+	iscmd := false
+	iscmd, message = b.isCmd(message)
 	parts := strings.Fields(strings.ToLower(message))
 
+	if iscmd {
+		fmt.Println("Hey, I got a command!")
+	}
+
 	user.MessageLog = append(user.MessageLog, message)
 
-	if len(parts) > 0 && parts[0] == "help" {
-		if len(parts) == 1 {
-			// just print out a list of help topics
-			topics := "Help topics: about"
-			for name, _ := range b.Plugins {
-				topics = fmt.Sprintf("%s, %s", topics, name)
-			}
-			b.SendMessage(channel, topics)
-		} else {
-			// trigger the proper plugin's help response
-			if parts[1] == "about" {
-				b.Help(channel, parts)
-				return
-			}
-			plugin := b.Plugins[parts[1]]
-			if plugin != nil {
-				plugin.Help(channel, parts)
-			} else {
-				msg := fmt.Sprintf("I'm sorry, I don't know what %s is!", parts[1])
-				b.SendMessage(channel, msg)
-			}
-		}
+	if strings.HasPrefix(message, "help") {
+		b.checkHelp(channel, parts)
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -76,6 +113,7 @@ func (b *Bot) Msg_recieved(conn *irc.Conn, line *irc.Line) {
 			User:    user,
 			Channel: channel,
 			Body:    message,
+			Command: iscmd,
 		}
 		if p.Message(msg) {
 			break
diff --git a/config.json b/config.json
index 29c8190..c988cb4 100644
--- a/config.json
+++ b/config.json
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 	"Server": "127.0.0.1:6666",
 	"Nick": "AlePaleTest",
 	"Pass": "AlePaleTest:test",
+	"CommandChar": "!",
 
 	"comment": "Follows is the old bot",
 
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index b4ecdf0..8c31d57 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	Plugins            []string
 	Nick, Server, Pass string
 	Version            string
+	CommandChar        string
 }
 
 // Readconfig loads the config data out of a JSON file located in cfile
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index be576b5..c423417 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@ func main() {
 
 	b := bot.NewBot(config, c)
 	// b.AddHandler(plugins.NewTestPlugin(b))
+	b.AddHandler("skeleton", plugins.NewSkeletonPlugin(b))
 	b.AddHandler("talker", plugins.NewTalkerPlugin(b))
 	b.AddHandler("beers", plugins.NewBeersPlugin(b))
-	b.AddHandler("skeleton", plugins.NewSkeletonPlugin(b))
 
 	c.AddHandler("PRIVMSG", func(conn *irc.Conn, line *irc.Line) {
-		b.Msg_recieved(conn, line)
+		b.MsgRecieved(conn, line)
 	})
 
 	// Tell client to connect
diff --git a/plugins/beers.go b/plugins/beers.go
index aee3017..b706852 100644
--- a/plugins/beers.go
+++ b/plugins/beers.go
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 package plugins
 
-import "bitbucket.org/phlyingpenguin/godeepintir/bot"
+import (
+	"bitbucket.org/phlyingpenguin/godeepintir/bot"
+	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
+)
 
 // This is a skeleton plugin to serve as an example and quick copy/paste for new plugins.
 
@@ -15,11 +21,72 @@ func NewBeersPlugin(bot *bot.Bot) *BeersPlugin {
 	}
 }
 
+type UserBeers struct {
+	Nick      string
+	berrcount int
+	lastdrunk time.Time
+	momentum  float64
+}
+
 // Message responds to the bot hook on recieving messages.
 // This function returns true if the plugin responds in a meaningful way to the users message.
 // Otherwise, the function returns false and the bot continues execution of other plugins.
 func (p *BeersPlugin) Message(message bot.Message) bool {
-	// This bot does not reply to anything
+	parts := strings.Fields(message.Body)
+
+	if len(parts) == 0 {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	channel := message.Channel
+	user := message.User
+	nick := user.Name
+
+	// respond to the beers type of queries
+	if parts[0] == "beers" {
+		if len(parts) == 3 {
+
+			// try to get a count out of parts[2]
+			count, err := strconv.Atoi(parts[2])
+			if err != nil {
+				// if it's not a number, maybe it's a nick!
+				if p.doIKnow(parts[2]) {
+					p.reportCount(parts[2], false)
+				} else {
+					msg := fmt.Sprintf("Sorry, I don't know %s.", parts[2])
+					p.Bot.SendMessage(channel, msg)
+				}
+			}
+
+			if count < 0 {
+				// you can't be negative
+				msg := fmt.Sprintf("Sorry %s, you can't have negative beers!", nick)
+				p.Bot.SendMessage(channel, msg)
+			}
+			if parts[1] == "+=" {
+				p.setBeers(user, p.getBeers(user)+count)
+			} else if parts[1] == "=" {
+				if count == 0 {
+					p.puke(user)
+				} else {
+					p.setBeers(user, count)
+					p.reportCount(nick, true)
+				}
+			} else {
+				p.Bot.SendMessage(channel, "I don't know your math.")
+			}
+		}
+
+		// no matter what, if we're in here, then we've responded
+		return true
+	}
+
+	if message.Command && parts[0] == "imbibe" {
+		p.setBeers(user, p.getBeers(user)+1)
+		p.reportCount(nick, true)
+		return true
+	}
+
 	return false
 }
 
@@ -34,3 +101,26 @@ func (p *BeersPlugin) LoadData() {
 func (p *BeersPlugin) Help(channel string, parts []string) {
 	p.Bot.SendMessage(channel, "Sorry, Beers does not do a goddamn thing.")
 }
+
+func (p *BeersPlugin) setBeers(user *bot.User, amount int) {
+}
+
+func (p *BeersPlugin) addBeers(user *bot.User) {
+}
+
+func (p *BeersPlugin) getBeers(user *bot.User) int {
+	return 0
+}
+
+func (p *BeersPlugin) hasBeers(user *bot.User) {
+}
+
+func (p *BeersPlugin) reportCount(user string, himself bool) {
+}
+
+func (p *BeersPlugin) puke(user *bot.User) {
+}
+
+func (p *BeersPlugin) doIKnow(user string) bool {
+	return false
+}