After a few days of focusing on vs and co-op play, I buckled down for an arcade marathon, and was able to break the scoreboard, and did so with ease, having 8 lives remaining when it rolled over. I gotta say though, I found myself going after the empty mugs a good portion of the time, frequently running 1/4 of the way down the bar to make collections. I didn't find that it hindered my ability to clear a level in time for the most part, and it kept things a little bit more calm. Making sure the slow drinkers never got too far down at any cost was definitely key though.
Never realized how exhausting this game could be till tonight!