Advice on General Bar Etiquette

[Thrawn183]

Alright, I'm a recent college grad. and I'm going to be moving to North Carolina (U.S. for those it might concern). I'm looking to meet new people and make some new friends. I'll be living with my brother and we plan on going out/being as socially active as possible as most of his friends from his college days have moved on and he's as interested in getting to know new people as I am. Anyway, I never really got into the bar scene previously and have essentially zero knowledge on what to do. I do not know how to order, how much/when to tip, or basically anything.

I just don't want to do anything too atrocious to start off with.

[Faulty]

If someone starts a bar fight you need to make yourself seem so threatening and crazy that no one is going to want to fight you. Most people will not touch you if they think doing it will send them to the ER. For starters, scream as loud as you can. It makes you look nuts, fills your lungs with oxygen, and gets adrenaline pumping. Then, arm yourself. Be extreme, grab a pair of beer bottles and smash them on the bar at the same time, and make it look like you'll stab anyone who gets within three feet. Maybe pick up a chair. If you do have to fight someone, do it in a way that shows you're not afraid and willing to really hurt people. Head butt someone, it shows that you're not afraid to injury yourself in the process of injurying someone else. Hopefully, no one will try and lay a finger on you. Take advantage of the bit of time where they're stunned and run. Avoid side streets, go to busy avenues where you can blend into crowds in case someone called the cops.

[DraPrime]

Don't get really drunk. Some intoxication is mandatory, but just being a drunk tool isn't.

[RTGoodman]

There are a lot of websites with general bar etiquette, but it mostly boils down to:

-Don't make an ass of yourself. Know your limits, don't get rowdy or try to start a fight, argue with staff, etc.

-Know what you want - don't ask what's on tap if you're standing at the bar, don't stand there trying to look at everything while the bartender's waiting, and all that. Pick a few kinds of drinks you like, and in general stick with them. I like whiskey sours, but occasionally I'll have a SoCo and Lime, DisAronno on the rocks, or some other kind of easy mixed drink. If you don't know what you want, ask your brother or a friend to suggest something.

-If you plan on setting up a tab, make sure you've got a credit card on you. It makes everything MUCH easier.

-Tipping is based on service, but a good general amount is about what you'd tip a waiter or waitress - 15-20%, give or take. Remember, that's what the bartender is living off of, usually. Also, you don't want to stiff a bartender, since he's making your drinks. :smallwink:

-In general, just be chill. You don't have to buy a round for the whole place to be cool. If you're out with friends, you can chat with them or strike up conversations with other folks. If you're by yourself, don't just sit in the corner and drink. At least be social a little.


That's the basic idea. Most bars that I've been in, for the most part, don't really have strict rules or anything. Different kinds of bars have different atmospheres and etiquette (pubs are way different from dance clubs as far as "acceptable" things goes, whereas bars in restaurants might have tighter rules, and strip clubs are COMPLETELY different). It just depends on where you go. In general, though, follow the above and you should be fine.


As an aside, what part of NC are you moving to? I'm in the general Triad area (Winston, Greensboro, High Point, etc.) right now since, well, it's my hometown, but I'll me moving out east to Greenville in the Fall. I do know people and places in Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, Boone and the mountains, and most of the other parts of the state if you need any help/advice.

[Faulty]

Being serious, you should probably try to socialize places other than at institutions where most people are at least partially inebriated. Go to a class of some form... like pottery. :smallconfused:

[Hazkali]

If the bars you go to are less... extreme than the bars that Amesoeurs goes to, then the following applies (in the UK, at least):

In most bars, you order at the bar. Fairly simple, go up to the bar, the barman/woman will ask you what you want, you tell them, money is exchanged and you receive your beverage. If it is busy, then you may have to wait your turn, and you might need to be assertive (but not pushy) about keeping your place in the queue. Don't get too worked up if, in a crush, someone cuts in or a barperson accidentally serves someone before you.

In the UK, there is no obligation to tip, but I don't know if this holds generally.

If you go somewhere regularly, try and strike up a rapport with the publican. It's always nice to have a 'local' where everyone knows your name.

My advice on meeting people in a bar would be that it's a better plan to invite someone to a bar than to hang around trying to meet someone. If you do want to try meeting people for the first time in a bar, probably avoid couples and large groups- your company isn't needed in either. Chat about something fairly common and non-partisan (i.e. no geek-talk, politics or religion) and don't be perturbed if people brush you off, most people that I know don't go to bars to talk to strangers. This could be because I live in Britain, and we are (apparently) quite reserved.

[raitalin]

Lol "Bar etiquette"

The ordering process depends on the type of bar & how busy it is. If it's fairly quiet and has free tables, just sit down & a waitress(er) will be with you shortly. You'll generally have the option of either paying for each drink individually or starting a tab. Tabs are generally done on good faith with regulars, but if you're new you'll have to fork over your credit card (you can use a debit card, but it puts a temporary hold on your account, so its not advised). Tip your waitress at the end of the night if you're keeping a tab, or have her keep the change from each drink otherwise (large tips at the beginning of the night will ensure better service throughout). You tip should, naturally, be between 15-20% of your total tab at the end of the night.

Now if it's a crazy busy college bar between Thursday and Saturday you likely won't find a table until you spend a fair amount of time hovering. You'll most likely have to retrieve your own drinks from the bar. I suggest dealing in cash at these places, so bring plenty in small bills. Try to get one person to get drinks for as many people as possible and take turns making trips to the bar (females will generally get served faster). If you want you get prompt service and strong drinks make a show of dropping a 10 in the jar at the beginning of the night. After that you can just drop the change for the following drinks.

[RTGoodman]

Being serious, you should probably try to socialize places other than at institutions where most people are at least partially inebriated. Go to a class of some form... like pottery. :smallconfused:

I completely disagree - bars are a completely normal, healthy place for mature folks to hang out and socialize. There are stupid people that show up, binge drink, and make asses of themselves, but those are the wrong people to associate with normal bars and bar atmospheres. At least where I hang out, anyway.

EDIT: Also, if someone can get Shadow in here at some point, he runs a bar. I'm sure he can offer some good advice, too.

[Totally Guy]

Queueing is different in bars as the barman or woman picks who to serve next at random rather than based on position in queue. If this doesn't favour you don't worry too much about it. Alternatively if someone next to you has been waiting longer than you have and you are picked it would be polite to defer the servers attention to that person. It has a couple of advantages, you get to share a couple of lines of friendly dialogue with that person and you tend to get served straight after that person anyway.

When the bar has too many people for you to reach try to stand is a position where you can move into more than one potential space. Standing directly behind someone is bad as you have to wait for that one person to be served. Standing in a triangle with two people at the bar is better as when one of those two leavve you can occupy their square. Think of it a a hex grid and not 5 foot squares.:smallbiggrin:

Navigating crowds is difficult too but there are good tips. People tend to move in flows and counterflows. That is a line of people moving in one direction sometimes accompanied by a line moving in the opposite direction. Even if there is no opposite direction line it's still an efficient path to move along as you can keep occupying the "hex" that people in the moving line are moving out of.

Then again I'm only small so I have to concentrate on sneaky crowd movement rather than barging forward.

[Faulty]

I completely disagree - bars are a completely normal, healthy place for mature folks to hang out and socialize. There are stupid people that show up, binge drink, and make asses of themselves, but those are the wrong people to associate with normal bars and bar atmospheres. At least where I hang out, anyway.

EDIT: Also, if someone can get Shadow in here at some point, he runs a bar. I'm sure he can offer some good advice, too.

I guess. Hopefully it works out for him regardless of what he does.

[opheliagonemad]

From my experience--queuing depends on the bar, and where you are. For example, here in Seattle, people typically queue up, whereas in New Orleans (my home for 5 years) there was a less of a line than a mass of people. Take a cue from what people seem to be doing, and, if unsure, just try to be polite. Know your limits--there's no shame in ordering water, or a soft drink, or coffee in lieu of or between drinks if you are trying to take it easy. Don't make an ass of yourself. Be polite, and friendly. Don't be aggressive, either in the sense of picking fights or bothering people you don't know if they seem uninterested in talking to you.

Ordering--as others have said, try to stick with something you know and like unless it's one of 2 situations--you're at a place that specializes in various house cocktails and you want to try one or it's slow and you have a good rapport with the bartender. I'm assuming you know nothing about ordering, so have an idea of what level of quality alcohol you want. Well is the cheapest, followed by call, then top shelf. Most places I go to (goth clubs) generally assume you want well unless you specify; this isn't true in some of the nicer establishments, though. The various types of alcohol will be displayed, so stand back away from the bar and look at them if you aren't sure what you want. When it's your turn in line, have your method of payment ready and be ready to order. For example, if I want a cranberry and citrus vodka, and I want Stoli and the well vodka is something cheaper, then I will ask for a cranberry and Stoli citrus.

Tipping--should be around 15-20%. HOWEVER--if you are at a place where drinks are cheaper, then I would say at a minimum, tip $1/drink (speaking from a US point of view). If you are ordering something more complicated than a beer or a liquor+mixer cocktail, tip more. If you are ordering a round of drinks for more than one or two people, tip more. If the bartender concocts something especially for you, tip more. For example, I am a regular at a bar that specializes in vodka cocktails Thursdays after work. It's slow there that night, and happy hour, so the bartender will experiment with cocktail recipes with me. My 3 cocktails generally add up to $10-15. I always tip at least $5 on top of that (33-50%) because the bartender takes extra time for me (and she's awesome).

Hope that helps. Going to bars is a normal part of life for many adults, and doesn't have to entail getting stupidly drunk. Have fun, and be polite, and things will be just fine. :smallbiggrin:

[Thrawn183]

Good to know about the debit card as I only have a debit card and not a credit card.

[snoopy13a]

Good to know about the debit card as I only have a debit card and not a credit card.

Leave the debit card at home. Only carry cash, that way you don't pull out your cards and start buying shots for random people.

A good way to get a bartender's attention to hold a $20 in your hand. Don't wave it but make sure he can see it. Always leave a tip, it ensures that he'll get your next drinks quicker.

Don't hit on female bartenders, it is a waste of time and they are only flirting with you to get bigger tips. Never talk to a group of girls without a wingman. Don't order a "top shelf" mixed drink. That "Gray Goose" vodka is probably plastic bottle stuff poured into a Gray Goose bottle.

Honestly though, it sounds like you're more of the brewpub type instead of the meat market bars. Those bars tend to more laid back and people often go for the beer instead of trying to hook up for the night (although that is a noble pursuit :smalltongue: )

[reorith]

Don't get really drunk. Some intoxication is mandatory, but just being a drunk tool isn't.

.04 is a fun destination. not quite sobbing with your head on your floor and not sober enough to realize everything sucks.

also, don't try and pick up anyone in a bar. i have a couple of reasons.
1. it is the domain of the professional pick up artists.
2. alcohol impairs judgment. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_goggles)
3. my parents me in a bar :smallyuk:.
4. ???
5. profit

[xPANCAKEx]

i'll bullet point anything i can think of

general
*I'd advise against holding money in hand as that looks like you're waiting to pay. Just try and catch their eye contact and give them a nod - they'll know that you're waiting. Polite/curtious customers get served faster than impatient ones
*NEVER be rude to the bar staff, even if they get your drinks wrong... repeatedly.
*Just be patient at the bar. It takes a while to get served usually.
*If someone says you've cut infront of them when the bartender serves you, just politely appologise and offer to let them be served first - avoids any bruised feelings/hassle, and sometimes give an excuse to get talking to people
*tip 15-20%
*don't try to buy friends by buying a round of drinks
*A please and a thanks don't go a miss
*Don't be afraid to go with the bar staffs recommendation. As a non-drinker i often have fun with this one. "Something non-alcoholic without caffine" - has led to some interesting results in proper cocktail bars. Just make sure you tip/offer to buy the barstaff a drink/shot for doing so. Even if they come back to you with just a bog standard bottled beer - tip!
*Pace yourself - don't feel obliged to keep up with your friends drink-for-drink, even if they pressure you to do so
*If you buy a friend a drink, you should expect a 1-for-1 return basis. Although with proper friends it usually work out that way, don't be offended if a friend doesn't keep up on things
*That being said, dont let people take advantage of any generosity, and if you have been buying rounds for a few friends, don't be afraid to say "your round" when you want a drink


fights (if they ever come up - and i hope you go to the type of place where they dont):
*don't use weapons - you'll get in more **** for it if you do, and likely have weapons used on you in return
*take it outside - The barstaff will appreciate that - it causes less hassle/property damage/mess for them
*don't pick fights, even if someone is annoying.

chatting up women assuming you're a straight male here (appologies if you're not)
*Don't be an *******
*Don't invade their personal space
*Your opening gambit should not be an offer to buy a drink
*If they're sending out signals that they're not bothered, then politely excuse yourself and leave. If on the off chance you've just caught them in a bad mood, then a "well, enjoy your evening ladies" will go a lot further in increasing whatever chances you had than turning to insults. Seems obvious, but some fail with such social graces, so i point it out.
*Be aware that some girls will talk to you JUST to get a free drink - don't take it personally or get too angry if the girl you've bought 2-4 drinks for over the course of a few hours isn't that interested
*Don't be TOO eager to ply them with booze. If you've bought them a drink, and they finish it, offer to buy them another when YOU want another.
*Be especially cautious of any girl who asks when you're going to buy their next drink - it should not be expected
*the last three points are just things you have to have a bit of social nouse for - they are not set in stone...

[moondog]

i see some advice given here about ordering, but nobody has said what it means, so i will attempt to make a little terminology clearer :)


Well is the cheapest, followed by call, then top shelf.

this is for ordering mixed drinks (i.e. an alcohol mixed with something else). you don't actually order these by saying "well drink please" or "top shelf drink please", you just order the type of liquor and how you want it mixed.

"rum and coke" will get you a "well" brand rum and is the cheapest mixed drink on the menu.

"captain morgan and coke" is going to be slightly more expensive (but not by too much) because you're specifically "calling" for that type of liquor.

"bacardi and coke", while still technically a "call" liquor, is considered a top shelf liquor in many bars and you will pay even more than the other two in most bars.

each bar is *slightly* different for what they consider their "top shelf" liquors, but usually you can tell because they'll be prominently displayed on or around the bar somewhere that you can see them. the "lesser liquors" (my term, not theirs) will be placed in such a way to be easier to get to, but not necessarily where customers can see them. after all, the bar wants you to pay as much as possible for your drinks, and displaying the cheapest thing they have is not going to get you to spend more money :smallbiggrin: i may suggest trying a few things at home if you're able just so you know what you like before walking into a bar for the first time.

after that, just follow most of the other advice here, and as a general rule i always tip $1 per drink per round, even for non-alcoholic drinks like soda and water. tipping for water ensures that your bartender not only remembers you but may even go out of their way to serve you the next time you show up at the bar.

as a last bit of advice, you are not obligated to order any alcohol just because you're in a bar, but just remember that those sodas are not going to have free refills like at a restaurant, and they may cost just as much as a beer in some places.

[OverdrivePrime]

• Go in with some stories to share and a mood to talk to random strangers.
• If you can't get the bartender's attention, hold a $20 bill on top of the bar inconspicuously. Do not, under any circumstances, wave your money at the bartender. Do not wave at bartenders except to say 'hello' when you enter.
• Don't drink hard liquor unless you're with multiple friends. Avoid doing shots, if you can be polite about it.
• Order and drink local beers. Find a local craft brewery you like and explore their brews to get a feel for what you like. Drink that and make it your usual.
• If you're new to the area, ask the bartender to recommend a good local beer - most of them love to talk up their favorite brewery. However, do your homework and at least know how to answer the "what kind of beer do you like" question - Porter, Bock, Heffe Weisse, Scotch ale, etc.
• Don't get drunk unless you're having a party.
• If you've had more than one drink per hour, don't drive home. It's a total douchebag move, no matter how sober you think you are. Take a cab or a bus. Or be like my stupid self and walk 3 miles in a blizzard to get home. These days I usually just go to pubs in close walking distance or take a bus there in the first place. No sense having to go pick up the car in the morning.
• Don't hit on people you're interested in the first time you see them. The first couple nights you go, just get a feel for the place, and a feel for the patrons. If you're a dude, share stories with other dudes - ask them about the area, the local music scene, whatever. People love to talk about their towns. Have some stories about your home town or your life to trade, but make sure they aren't drawn out and boring.
• If you do find yourself telling a lame story that no one cares about, cut it short and wrap up with "And then I found five bucks!" It's an ending anyone can appreciate.

[Trog]

TROG'S TAVERN TIPS:

• If you plan to be out for a while order a water in between drinks to slow down your consumption while still giving your hands something to do. Don't feel weird about ordering water, bartenders get that a lot.
• Always keep track of the number of drinks you've had. If you've somehow lost count, congratulations, you're drunk... so do NOT think you are okay to drive home.
• If you are out with friends make sure you have either a designated driver (who will not be drinking ANY alcohol - typically designated drivers can get free soda) or cab fare home. Cabs can take a while. If you are not sure how to call one ask the bartender to call you one. Also it's best to stick to the plan you made to get home when you were sober. Drinking impairs judgment and changing your mind later after you've had a few is usually a bad idea.
• Best to stop drinking before they call last call. Having some time to sober up before you get kicked out is a good thing.
• Often you can follow the closing time crowd to a nearby place with good food (Good meaning cheap and greasy, usually). Nothing like that late night junk food snack to go well with the alcohol and buy you even more time to socialize and sober up. Know the neighborhood before you go wandering off anywhere though.
• Tipping: $1-$2 per drink ordered. Tip half of the cost of the round if the house (bartender) buys you a free round. This is easier than trying to figure out percentages whilst inebriated.
• If you are interested in talking to a girl, walking over and starting a conversation is probably the easiest and least jerky way to do so.
• If you recognize an attractive someone you sort of know and they recognize you across the bar you can buy them a drink instead to open if you like. Just smile and ask them what they've been up to since you've seen them last if you don't know where else to start.
• Don't expect that buying a girl a drink (or even multiple drinks) will necessarily "get you anywhere." Likely you will get used for free drinks instead if you take this tactic. And yes, you would deserve it.
• Be sure to keep track of your buddies. They can wander off sometimes if everyone gets pretty drunk.
• To stave off a hangover be sure to drink a large glass of water before bed to rehydrate and refill it and set it by the bed for morning. Also take two aspirin before bed to stave off the headache.
• In my experience you get less of a hangover drinking clear drinks such as vodka or gin and the like. Your mileage may vary.
• Liquor before beer - never fear. Beer before liquor - nothing's quicker. In other words don't switch to much harder stuff after you have already been drinking lighter fare or you will get pretty messed up fast.
• Shots are evil. That said buddies are prone to buying them when you first come of age. Indulge in no more than two and remember that those small glasses count the same as one beer. If the pour them in larger glasses they probably count for even more. Again: eeeeeevil.
• If you have to puke you better get to a restroom or an alley asap. If you followed the above advice you probably stopped long before getting there.

EDIT: @v Whoops. College grad. I skimmed over that part. One of these days I'll learn not to skim first posts and to read them instead (I... I never learned to read! :smallfrown: :smalltongue:). Yeah... you already know this stuff then. :smallwink:

[Thrawn183]

Well, the drinking itself I've been doing since I was 14 so I've got that covered. It's good to know that ordering itself is pretty informal, I prefer things that way personally. In particular, it's good to know that you tip after every drink, that hadn't occured to me.

Thanks for the advice everybody!

Oh hey, what beers do you all recommend? Due to an unfortunate incident (long story) I wasn't able to drink beer for a couple of years and now that I've gotten past that bit of unpleasantness, I'd like to try beer out again and would love some tips.

[snoopy13a]

Oh hey, what beers do you all recommend? Due to an unfortunate incident (long story) I wasn't able to drink beer for a couple of years and now that I've gotten past that bit of unpleasantness, I'd like to try beer out again and would love some tips.

That depends mostly on personal preference. Most Americans prefer light bodied pilsners and lagers (Budweiser, Miller, Coors and their light varients). These beers are designed to not offend with their taste. Others like more full bodied beers like Sam Adams, a local microbrew, or an import. Just experiment with the beers on tap until you find stuff that you like.

[Dirk Kris]

There are a lot of websites with general bar etiquette, but it mostly boils down to:

-Don't make an ass of yourself. Know your limits, don't get rowdy or try to start a fight, argue with staff, etc.

-Know what you want - don't ask what's on tap if you're standing at the bar, don't stand there trying to look at everything while the bartender's waiting, and all that. Pick a few kinds of drinks you like, and in general stick with them. I like whiskey sours, but occasionally I'll have a SoCo and Lime, DisAronno on the rocks, or some other kind of easy mixed drink. If you don't know what you want, ask your brother or a friend to suggest something.

-If you plan on setting up a tab, make sure you've got a credit card on you. It makes everything MUCH easier.

-Tipping is based on service, but a good general amount is about what you'd tip a waiter or waitress - 15-20%, give or take. Remember, that's what the bartender is living off of, usually. Also, you don't want to stiff a bartender, since he's making your drinks. :smallwink:

-In general, just be chill. You don't have to buy a round for the whole place to be cool. If you're out with friends, you can chat with them or strike up conversations with other folks. If you're by yourself, don't just sit in the corner and drink. At least be social a little.


That's the basic idea. Most bars that I've been in, for the most part, don't really have strict rules or anything. Different kinds of bars have different atmospheres and etiquette (pubs are way different from dance clubs as far as "acceptable" things goes, whereas bars in restaurants might have tighter rules, and strip clubs are COMPLETELY different). It just depends on where you go. In general, though, follow the above and you should be fine.


As an aside, what part of NC are you moving to? I'm in the general Triad area (Winston, Greensboro, High Point, etc.) right now since, well, it's my hometown, but I'll me moving out east to Greenville in the Fall. I do know people and places in Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, Boone and the mountains, and most of the other parts of the state if you need any help/advice.

Good advice. Well said, rtg! Also, I wanna know whereabouts - you might not be too far from me.


Good to know about the debit card as I only have a debit card and not a credit card.
Same difference. To bartenders, they are the same exact thing, as long as it has a Visa or MC logo or whatever.

[xPANCAKEx]

DEALING WITH HANGOVERS
trog made the excellent points of
*drink a pint of water before bed
*darker booze has been scientificially proven to give worse hangovers - stay clear of brandy
*If you can, drink a glass of cranberry juice too - it rebalances your mineral levels and helps avoid hangovers
*take two asperin before bed with your water

Beers
*if you can - get german beers. They have strict laws on what you can put in them, so they won't be full of chemical crap
*try lots of different things
*be aware that the guiness you'll get stateside (even in 'irish' bars) will be rubbish. Absolutely rubbish.



ALSO - VITAL SURVIVAL POINT
*never eat from the bowl of snacks on the bar. Just don't. Think of the amount of people who don't wash their hands and eat from it. Think of how long its been sitting there. Grim.
*just
*don't
*do
*it

[RTGoodman]

Oh hey, what beers do you all recommend? Due to an unfortunate incident (long story) I wasn't able to drink beer for a couple of years and now that I've gotten past that bit of unpleasantness, I'd like to try beer out again and would love some tips.

I mostly despise the generic "American" beers (Bud, Miller, etc.), but they're not ENTIRELY undrinkable if you're looking for something relatively cheap. I tend to drink a lot of imports or at least slightly "fancier" beers - Smithwick's, Hobgoblin, Blue Moon or other Belgian-style Witbiers, certain Sam Adams varieties (I LOVE their Oktoberfest seasonal beer and their Irish Red, but I can't stand the Honey Porter or Black Lager), and stuff like that.

Here in North Carolina we also have several local microbrews you can try when you get here - basically EVERYTHING by Natty Greene's (a local restaurant and brewery in Greensboro and, I think, a location in Raleigh) is good, and the Red Oak brewery is just between Greensboro and Burlington, right off I-40. You can buy Natty Greene's varieties in most grocery stores or have a pint at the restaurant itself, and you can find Red Oak on tap at MOST places in the Piedmont, I think.

Really, try some different KINDS of beers (ales, stouts, lagers, wheat beers, and so on) and when you've found which of those you like, you can try different kinds within those to find your favorite beers.

[Supagoof]

If you plan on going to the bars to get drunk, a little pre-warm up drinking is advisable to cut costs. Make sure you have a DD (designated driver) before doing this though.

If you plan on going to hang out/socialize - I'd recommend testing the waters to find a place earlier in the evening. You can get a comfy seat then, and perhaps one that lends itself to a good view of the whole place. Then you can judge when groups/people/girls come in whether or not to approach them. Plus going early avoids a cover charge (if applicable).

Places that charge a cover usually due to so to profit from larger crowds and or bands playing. Gauge what you want to do by finding out more on the local band scene. The web is your friend for this. If the bar charges a cover without a band, then it probably will be a bar that is busier then most (hence the cover) - so determine if it's worth your while to pay the price for the exposure to that amount of people.

Look at the bar setup upon entry - if the bar has fewer tables/larger open area, that's usually to accomodate for the larger crowds. If it has more tables/less open area for dancing - then expect something more intimate.

And if you want to have fun, I'd suggest looking for bars with a "hook". And by hook, I mean like a piano bar, dueling piano bar, video game bar, pool tables etc... Places that offer these things are often more enjoyable even if you have nothing/less to drink. For example, a bar with pool tables offer up the chance to invite other groups of play a game/round of pool which increases social opportunites. That will save you some $ if you are doing it more for social and less for being drunk. :smallwink:

I guess what I'm boiling down too - Do you want to go out drinking in a place that's crowded and noisier (more people = more chances of meeting many people though less likely for long conversations), or are you looking for places that a quieter and a little less crowded (less people = ability to talk at longer length though smaller pool of people to meet.)?

[reorith]

I mostly despise the generic "American" beers (Bud, Miller, etc.), but they're not ENTIRELY undrinkable if you're looking for something relatively cheap.

Those, my good sir, are fighting words. Such an affront to the dignity of the American lager can only be settled with the shedding of blood. They sub-par nature of crappy domestic beers embody the "screw you attitude" that makes this country great! I will be in Asheville from mid July to the end of August. Perhaps, we could meet up and settle this dispute like gentlemen.
hahaha just kidding


ALSO - VITAL SURVIVAL POINT
*never eat from the bowl of snacks on the bar. Just don't. Think of the amount of people who don't wash their hands and eat from it. Think of how long its been sitting there. Grim.
*just
*don't
*do
*it

i usually just handle the snacks and place them back into the bowl to satisfy some kind of sociopathic drive. oh yeah and i rarely wash my hands.:smallyuk:

[LCR]

• If you've had more than one drink per hour, don't drive home. It's a total douchebag move, no matter how sober you think you are. Take a cab or a bus. Or be like my stupid self and walk 3 miles in a blizzard to get home. These days I usually just go to pubs in close walking distance or take a bus there in the first place. No sense having to go pick up the car in the morning.


Do not drive if you've had more than one drink at all.

[Pandaren]

As a certain article in Esquire mentioned, have money out before you order, get as close to where the bartender is mixing drinks as you can, and no hand signals/gesticulations/waving your hands around, this isn't some fish market, it's a bar. And tip high.

[TheBST]

And tip high.

Nah, I've worked many a bar and I can tell you tips are nice but not expected. On a busy night it's hard enough to keep track of who's next to be served, let alone what people tip, so it doesn't get you anything except a sense of self-satisfaction, especially since most bars and pubs run a communal tip ajr that's equally divided between staff at the end of the night anyway. On the plus side no-one thinks less of you if you don't tip, especially since we know what ridiculous mark-ups are being put on the booze. So I wouldn't bother with high tips.

Dammit man, we're bartenders, not waiters!

[xPANCAKEx]

different ball game over here than the otherside of the pond though

[Evil DM Mark3]

In the UK, there is no obligation to tip, but I don't know if this holds generally.Here in the UK people are paid a living wage. This is often not the case in the US and Canada. Here tips are a bonus, there they are factored into what you need to live.

Yeah, I prefer the way we do it here, although in some parts of Europe tipping is considered an insult and in others it is illegal.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Just a few points:

- Beware "Buy me drink" girls. They're really popular in Japan, for example. They'll just keep having you buy drinks for them and you'll go home with an emptier wallet. At least the Japanese ones work FOR the bar.

- Barfight tip: Don't get involved. If you happen to get yourself in a barfight you cannot extricate yourself from, back into a corner and keep a chair, barstool, or any other kind of impliment with reach in-hand or at-hand, to keep people away from you.

[Totally Guy]

I've just been to the most backward backwater bar in my life.

I stood at the bar and I was told that I wouldn't be served because I'd pushed in the queue. There was no queue. Or at least no obvious one. And the place where the bar... crone... barcrone indicated was in fact where I'd been standing 5 minutes prior.

I told her that I'd be buying nothing today because she told me I'd violated an etiquette which was just plain untrue. I take slurs upon my social rule observance very seriously. And so I'm still angry.:smallfurious: