drink for free
If there’s one thing in life I love more than a cocktail, it’s a free cocktail.
Modern Drunkard has an excellent article eschewing the proper ploys to get you soused on the cheap.
The techniques run the gamut from beginner (almost anyone can do it, with little or no guilt) to the truly diabolical (and even more powerful) advanced techniques that may require a bit of, ahem, suspension of morality.
Either way, you’re getting drunk.
BEGINNER
- Art Gallery openings (Beer, Wine usually provided to guests)
- Brewery Tours (Free samples of the suds. Here in Colorado some of the tours, including Coors, offer what they call the ’short tour’ where you can skip the tour proper and head straight to the tasting room. Worth asking for)
- Beverage Promotions (Free samples courtesy of lovely liquor promo girls. Typically feature top shelf booze)
JOURNEYMAN
- Crash a Business Conference (find an event at a downtown hotel, follow the name badged employees to the hosted beverages)
- Crash a wedding (In addition to the open bar, plenty of available women)
- Pop In on a friend who keeps his liquor cabinet stocked (”Got anything to drink?” is the perfect opener)
ADVANCED (Check your morals at the tavern door)
- Ladies Night Transvestite (Just how it sounds, you thirsty pervert)
- The bump and sip (Get a water with a lime. Walk down the crowded bar. “Accidentally” bump into someone who’s already tipsy, spilling your drink down your shirt. Ask them to replace your “Gin and Tonic”)
- I’m with the band (Show up early at a bar that features out of town bands. Introduce yourself as the bass player, saying “The rest of the boys are taking a shower.. they’ll be here soon”. Most bars have a tab open for the band members. Have a few, and make a quick exit before the actual band can arrive).
CASH’S PERSONAL TIPS
- Tip at least $2 a drink. For every drink. This has a fair success rate for me, with every 3rd or 4th round often being comped
- Get curious. RIDICULOUSLY curious. I like to act positively enthralled at a bartender’s knowledge of a particular spirit. Asking lots of questions will sometimes result in “Here, why don’t you try some???” I used this to good effect just this past Saturday with Greg. We were doing a tequila tasting and I was able to sample a very expensive anejo just by showing interest in the bartender’s recommendation.
- If the bar offers draft beer, ask for a ‘taster’ of a few kinds, insisting you’re trying to ‘make up your mind’. They will typically give you a small glass worth. After enjoying each, say “these just arn’t doing it for me”. Leave a tip and head out to the next bar. Repeat until tipsy.
- Watch for happy hours. In most cities, there are entire websites dedicated to this. For instance, in Denver we have Denver Mix. I suggest using Google to search for “happy hours Chicago” or whatever city you might live in.
Reference: Modern Drunkard - The Fine Art Of The Free Drink
Technorati Tags: drinking for free, happy hour, finding a bar, cheap drinks, cheap booze, getting drunk, drunkard, beer, wine, vodka, gin, tequila, tastings
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“Get curious. RIDICULOUSLY curious. I like to act positively enthralled at a bartender’s knowledge of a particular spirit. Asking lots of questions will sometimes result in “Here, why don’t you try some???” ”
That’s how I tried the Oban 32. Just talked to the bartender about what I knew about scotch and he recommended something else and ended up giving me a very generous sample.
Personally, I’m usually “positively enthralled” when I’m drinking. No acting necessary.
Here’s a great way to get it done, through it takes a few weeks to complete. It’s not free, but it’s well worth it.
Head to a local place that you think you’ll be visiting on a somewhat regular basis. Go on off days at off times, like Tuesday at 8pm, then follow up by coming in on a Saturday around 7pm (after the day shift leaves but before the night shift gets busy.)
You’ll find you end up with the same 1 or 2 bartenders. Sit at the bar and chat them up from time to time, make sure you run a tab and don’t pay drink to drink. If you order drinks that don’t come in a bottle (no traceability for a shortage) you’ll notice your tab get smaller and smaller. After a few weeks you can go in on their Friday shift and your $60 tab will be $20 and you’ll start getting drinks you didn’t order. A complementary shot, or something they made wrong for another patron. Of course, you’ll need to tip accordingly. It doesn’t hurt to bring in a small group either, just keep the tabs seperate so the tip doesn’t get slapped together at the end.
A good way to get going with 1 bartender is to complement them on their mixing when you order a second drink. You’ll get better pours and eventually be on their good side. They’ll pass it on when they work with other people and your around. Eventually the place will be like Cheers for you, at least with the employees, even when you come in during a busy time.
So last night I was watching Spike TV and they had a show that TOTALLY reminded me of what you guys are doing here on the site. The show is called The Playbook (hosted by Donald Faison)and the little segment I watched last night had “how to drink for free at the bar” and gave tips on how to score free drinks at the club. It also showed guys how to “game” their way past a cop (just like Glenn’s post earlier). The last segment I watched, showed the guy how to work his way at the door of a club without paying cover. While the show just tries to help guys through stick situations and difficult scenarios, I still thought it had something in common with your site.
Kevin; you and I are on the exact same wavelength. I used that technique with a local ‘uber-lounge’ to go from spending around $24 for THREE level vodka+sodas (sans tip) to getting SIX level sodas for $6. No joke. Granted, I was tipping $20 on top of the $6 each time, but for top shelf booze this was still a ridiculous savings.
Raquel; invite me over to watch some Spike TV. As you may recall I am sans cable/satellite.
Sounds like a kewl show though!