The REAL Memorial Day Drunk Thread! USA! USA! 5/28/10

I have a question regarding drinking in America.

What do people usually drink in a bar most of the time? Do you all drink out of bottles very often? When drinking draft beers what size glass do you use? Is it a pint glass?

When drinking spirits, do you pour your own from a bottle, or get set measurements with each drink.

I really don't understand it, in American films and TV everyone seems to be drinking out of branded bottles or small glasses, would love to know how you guys do it.

This might sound a silly question, but in the UK and Ireland, everyone pretty much just drinks pints of draft beer or 30ml (or 60 which is a double) measures of spirits. On US TV shows I almost never see a pint glass so am curious.

 

All the beers here are drank out of hollowed-out ram's horns, which we raise above our heads to our mouth and we shriek a high-pitched Norse cry for our fallen brothers in Valhalla. Then, the door-to-door raping begins.

Seriously, we drink whatever is cheaper that day at the bar. The end.

RIP Dennis Hopper. Personal fave: Hoosiers. He stole that movie, and it was a good one.

 

Depends on the bar and atmosphere. A laid back, neighborhood sports bar and grill like my friends and I frequent, we generally get pitchers of beer, and everyone has pint glasses. Occasionally, someone will get a bottle of something else, but more likely a draft. It helps that a lot of bars have draft specials. If you're getting a mixed drink, a single will likely be in a tumbler like so:

A double would be in a similar glass, only larger.

If you're in a dance club, a beer will generally be in a bottle, while mixed drinks are still in tumblers.

The reason why you see people drinking almost exclusively from bottles on TV is simple. Advertising. Product placement.

 

Just drank a martini out of a yellow bell pepper. Not bad

 

I am busy learning French in a wonderful, shiny, happy, friendly place south of Montreal. Well I'm home right now (ish) but nevermind that.

This "real" memorial day thread business has me wondering - what was the fake memorial fake drunk thread? Last week's thread was the Queen's birthday thread. No memorial business of any type there.

I also tried a lemon tea beer from a local brewery. Holy tits was it delicious.

 

Everything, and lots of it. For liquor I think Jack and Coke might be the most common for guys, rum and Coke is up there too; vodka and Diet Coke for ladies, or vodka and cranberry or vodka and soda (water). For doing shots, the most common things I've seen are Jameson and Patron, but that's obviously going to be limited by income.

Bottles are very common, though some fancier places will pour bottles into glasses. Cans are rare, but if you can find Bombshell, try it.

We use a pint, though some places (especially Irish bars) will serve "imperial pints" which are 20 ounces.

Pour your own? Shit, I want to see the place that lets your do that!

Most bar tenders I've talked to are trained to do a "count." Basically, you just pour from the bottle and count to a certain number, and if you always count at the same speed, you should get the same amount. Some states have laws governing how much liquor must be in a drink (unless the drink is otherwise advertised). I think here in Alabama is 1.5 ounces, though you'll likely get closer to 2 oz. Some places will have a spout that measures drink size, but that's not too terribly common.

A shot here is normally considered 1.5 ounces, though if there's a really good happy hour price, it might be a 1 ounce shot.

Yeah, bottles are super common, and especially good in crowded bars because they don't spill. Also, when you want another drink the bar tender can see what you've got.

The small glass is an Old Fashioned glass and is commonly used for serving straight liquor or mixed drinks containing ice (though these are also done in the taller, thinner Collins glass); what glasses are used varies based on what glasses the bar has purchased.

I think we attach more meaning to what brand people are drinking. Your beer choice is almost like a fashion statement here, and that plays out on TV. We'll think differently of someone who orders a Bud (pretty normal dude) and someone who orders a Heineken (pretty normal douchebag). Homer Simpson drinks Duff, Peter Griffin drink Pawtucket Patriot, Drew Carey drinks Buzz Beer, Dr. House drinks whiskey, Fraiser Crane drinks wine and sherry, Martin Crane drinks Ballentine, the ugly bitches on Sex and the City drink cosmopolitans, John "JD" Dorian drinks appletinis, and so forth. Drink choice conveys a lot about your social class and your background, and so drinks are used to show these traits in a character. A guy in a suit who orders a Budweiser probably makes more money than his parents.

I'm sure there's also some product placement angle.

And...sorry to say, but that 30ml shot is holding your country back. I went to Dublin for New Years a couple years ago and the locals said I drank too much. It's easy to put away a 30ml shot when you've been trained on 45ml (1.5oz). You boys have some catching up to do.

 

Do Europeans drink their beer out of Stella Artois champaigne flutes with a raised pinky?

 

No, but it's a very popular drink in England most bars would have it on tap and you'd drink it in a pint glass.

But what's with the rich guys drinking budweiser? No-one ever tell them it's mass produced rubbish? Over here the only people drinking that stuff are people who've never done any real drinking, kids etc.

 

Bud is usually cheap, and I'll drink it whenever I just don't care what I'm drinking.

 

Cheap alcohol is a false economy.

On that note, I'm not sure how much longer I can continue to live in a country like Canada knowing that across the pond in the wonderful utopia that is Germany I can find a litre of the world's finest helles for 5 or 6 Euros at a beer hall, and 2 Euros at the grocery store.

 

It is snowing. I am opting to sit inside, wear a sundress and cowboy hat, drink beer and pretend it's not.

 

Trade you?

 

Check it out, check it out. V for Vendetta. Ahahahahahahahahaha.

Spoiler

 

I'll trade you if she won't! I'm sweating my balls off and I don't actually have balls. Well, I kind of do but they are attached to some snoring fucker three rooms away.

In my struggle to conjure up a joke in my feeble memory about why men snore when laying on their backs, I did what anyone else my age would do. I googled the first thing my half-hammered brain could piece together. Thus I typed in:

men snore balls over asshole airlock

I am CRYING over here for that shit is so funny. I asked it in some bizarre Yoda speak but it ultimately answered my question!

I am too easily amused. Sorry for the intrusion. Carry on.

 

Suga, you took it to Rampage tonight. He exposed your chin and now you're fucked because Shogun is a much more varied striker who found a hole in Machida and will certainly exploit you. Looking forward to the fight, it should an entertaining 6:00 minutes

 

I'll trade you.
Nothing.
Unless it involves you and Dcc001 and me. Then I'll give everything.

In other news: zombie movie night blew. I'm drunk and my roommates GF is coming over and I'll have to entertain her two friends. Might be interesting?

I also taught myself Californication on the bass today. I fucking rule.

 

I snore like a dying animal. Apparently. You guys know what the greatest thing in life is?

Its good music. Thats what.

 

Just got home from bartending the old people party. Some of those folks can drink, and lucky for me, they tip decent. Enjoying a delicious Wild Turkey and soda while dinner heats up. The sangria I made this afternoon is calling my name, but I've resolved not to touch it until it gets a full 24 hours to brew. Then, I'll take a good bit with me to the in-laws for the wife's birthday dinner, and proceed to abuse my liver until late Monday night.

 

Family is gone, friends are here, I have to move twice in 9 days but I have LOTS OF BEER. I am ignoring my overwhelming stress and panic and getting druuuunk and watching arrested development. Hooray for negra modelo and honey moon and alaskan summer ale and hornsby cider and shiner bock. variety is the spice of life, right?