All the beer you can drink for one low price !!

Here in Denver we have a bar called the Denver Wrangler. Only a few blocks from the 16th Street Mall downtown. Every Sunday afternoon they do a thing called the "beer bust". For $7 you are given a cup and with that cup you can drink all the beer you want. Hardly a choice ( only Bud Light on draft ) but still its all the beer you can drink. The Wranger has several people whose job it is to walk around the bar with pitchers of beer and if your cup is empty, they pour the beer right into your cup. In other words, for the most part the bar comes to you. Its a pretty big event. One weekend I heard nearly 600 people were there to drink. This goes on from 4pm until 8pm. Any other places across the country do this?

I know back in my hometown in Winchester, Virginia we had a bar called Belle Starr that did just that. One of the radio stations there WFQX-FM sponsored a "drink nite" for $5 you can have all the mix drinks you want ( $3 for unlimted beer ). It was only a one night a week event. It was a success for both Belle Starr and WFQX.
That is until after one event several kids came in with fake IDs, spent hours drinking the discounted beer and mix drinks only to leave the bar and get involved in a horrible car accident. All 5 kids were burned to death. Belle Starr of course found themselves into a hell of a lot of trouble. Not only for serving minors booze but by having an "all you can drink" nite. If I remember correctly ( this was well over ten years ago ) , such an event is illegal in Virginia.

On the flip side is Colorado. Not only is it NOT illegal but according to a friend of mine who works with the Denver police, even some of his co-workers attend this "beer bust". After work of course.
He was telling me he has yet to hear about any drunk driving incidents that have taken place as a direct result of the beer bust at the Wrangler. Then again between the bar's very small parking lot, being downtown and Denver's massive public transportation network called "The Ride" ( city buses and Light Rail ), I am sure most of the customers either walk or take "The Ride" to this and leave the cars at home.

OH BTW..Belle Starr did not last much longer after the crash as they lost their liquor license. They tried to be a family restaurant but that didnt work out.

Neither did WFQX as they soon changed formats and fired most of their staff.

An old co-worker friend of mine bought a bar in a small town, Desoto Wisconsin on the Mississippi River for semi-retirement. We came up to visit him on a Friday afternoon and he took next door to another tavern that had free beer every Friday; a quarter barrel of Old Milwaukee until it was gone. The place was packed but few people were drinking that beer (the town isn't that far away from LaCrosse, home of City Brewing, formerly G. Heileman) and those that were seemed so ashamed, they were buying lots of shots. It struck me as a great marketing ploy which is how my friend looked at it.

Colorado has long had beer busts. I remember back in the '70s Tulagi's in Boulder had them a few nights per week. As well as the Hungry Farmer and some others on the Hill. In Denver there were a few clubs which did that except their names escape me.

MADD has been very powerful in Massachusetts for over twenty years. They spearheaded an effort many years ago to ban any "happy hours" or other drink promotions. Basically, booze at bars and restaurants has to cost the same at any time of day, or day of the week.

Drinks have also become very expensive in recent years. One reason to be glad I'm not in my twenties any longer.

I live a few blocks from the wrangler. What you failed to mention, is that it's a gay bar. And there's no way it's legal capacity is 600 people. Perhaps straight people go there for the beer bust, I personaly don't know, I've never been in the place.

There's cheap beer all over Denver. J. R.'s, another gay bar a few blocks down the street, on Tuesday and Thursday, has beers for a dollar. I have been in there a few times, and it's a nice place. They also usualy come around with free shots of one type or another.

I guess it comes down to, how much can you actualy drink?

If you are going to bars that give the MOST beer for the least amount of money--like ALL YOU CAN DRINK FOR $7--you may have a BIT of a drinking problem.Actually, the beers that I ENJOY drinking are priced a bit more than that--i may have a problem getting TWO of them for $7.--but then i would rather have a six pack of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot ale than a KEG of Bud. Coors or about any US made standard beer. As for bars that serve all you can drink for whatever--when i was younger i tended bar in a few places like that--it got old.---and Biscuit---does Gay Beer taste different? and is there a REASON they should mention that its a GAY bar?

quote:

Originally posted by tiki

If you are going to bars that give the MOST beer for the least amount of money--like ALL YOU CAN DRINK FOR $7--you may have a BIT of a drinking problem.Actually, the beers that I ENJOY drinking are priced a bit more than that--i may have a problem getting TWO of them for $7.--but then i would rather have a six pack of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot ale than a KEG of Bud. Coors or about any US made standard beer. As for bars that serve all you can drink for whatever--when i was younger i tended bar in a few places like that--it got old.

I'm with you. I could even choke down one Bud Light.

I suggest they do the promo with Berkshire Brewing's Double Bag, Boddington's or something like that ... I'd be in line.

If a bar offers such a cheap price for a beer people ( well most people anyway ) will still come reguardless if its a gay bar, country&western honky tonk, cigar bar or whatever. In my husband's hometown for example a number of years back some guy converted an old roller rink into a bar that played nothing but heavy metal rock. Place was large and they were able to book some well known names ( mainly those old hair bands ) like Great White, KIX, and Winger ( anybody remember those bands? ). But the selling point there was the cheap beer at 75 cents a bottle. I am sure a lot of people who werent exactly metal fans went there only for that reason.

As far as the "gay bar" isssue goes, in many places a lot of times the local gay bar is the most busy and often attacts as many straights as it does gays. One of my best friends lives in Indianapolis and they go to the 501 Bar which they tell me is one of the the top bars in that city. He and his buddies are all straight and they go to the 501 every weekend even though it is reported that the 501 is a "gay" bar. And there is Deer Park outside Hagerstown, MD. Depsite the rainbow flags out front and the fact that place is owned by two lesbians ( I heard ), that bar does far more business than most of the other bars in that region despite the fact that Western Maryland isnt exactly a gay hot spot so I would imagine a good chunk of their customers are straights.

Of coruse there are those who are straight who enjoy going to bars who would never even consider going into what they think is a gay bar. But if the beer is cheap and the staff is nice, a lot of people could care less.

quote:

Originally posted by wheregreggeats.com

quote:

Originally posted by tiki

If you are going to bars that give the MOST beer for the least amount of money--like ALL YOU CAN DRINK FOR $7--you may have a BIT of a drinking problem.Actually, the beers that I ENJOY drinking are priced a bit more than that--i may have a problem getting TWO of them for $7.--but then i would rather have a six pack of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot ale than a KEG of Bud. Coors or about any US made standard beer. As for bars that serve all you can drink for whatever--when i was younger i tended bar in a few places like that--it got old.

I'm with you. I could even choke down one Bud Light.

I suggest they do the promo with Berkshire Brewing's Double Bag, Boddington's or something like that ... I'd be in line.

Put me in this category.

DD

Somebody asked if anyone remembers the band the Great White.
Well we all do here in New England, and it's not fond memmories at all.

Those drink night specials were very popular here in the late 60s and early 70s. Five bucks would get you in the door and you could suck down all the draft or well drinks for about 4 hours.
You could do this almost 5 nights a week at different locations with mixed results. Looking back this was probably the cause and start of the demise of the "Happy Hour" in Ma.
Now we have happy months in Ma. The management can offer drink specials but they have to maintain the price for a full month.
You see this often in the Irish pubs here, we have one or two of those here in Boston. A pint of draft can be had for about $2.50 and I've seen Rolling Rock for $2.00 a bottle and on a few occasions Molsons.

Now a lot of the pubs do food specials or free finger foods between 4 and 7 or there abouts. As I get older that is a better option, for me anyway.
Chow Jim

In the spring of 2000, I took my daughter to Boston for a meet-and-greet of what would be her college freshman class that fall. We stopped at a small pub on Boylston Street for lunch, and watched a table of 4 city DOT workers, in overalls & boots, drink themselves stupid. These were not big, burly guys, but all pretty skinny & rangy. Then they left to go back their heavy machinery around the corner on Tremont St. As we departed, I stopped counting at 23 beer bottles on their table.

This one made me laugh. In Japan they use beer as a verb. IE "Let's Beer!!!"

One price and as long as you only go to the facilities you can sit in the bar until they close and drink yourself silly.

Hello All,
I have dropped out of the bar scene due to becoming a family man, happened 24 years ago.
I miss it, and miss Happy Hours with strangers that become friends.
This subject has been discussed on another thread, so I don't like to repeat myself, so
I'll add a new tale, and not repeat my 25 cent beers and ones about the foods that were
offered during a Happy Hour or Bar Special Nights.
One Happy Hour, where the beers were 50 cents for a draft, I struck up a conversation with
a black fellow. His father and mine happened to work at the same company. We talked and
found many things that we shared in common. We both loved music, (actually, he had studied
opera while I just plunked chords on my guitar) we both were stuck in jobs we hated while
we had "high" ambitions for our futures, and we were both just ready for something special
to happen in our lives.
I really hadn't met or talked to many black or Afro-Americans (you choose the term you like)
in my life, and I was feeling good about myself because I was "noble" by really talking to
a black man or Afro-American (you choose the term you like, and that is the last time I will
write this). We were talking and he started talking about a place called "Fire Island" or
something like that in New York. He described it with such joy and it went on. I had no
clue, but tried to fake and understand his words. Suddenly, he looked at me with surprise,
and said, "You're not gay!
I reply, "No."
And we had an uneasy moment as we realized we were speaking the same language, but the
words had unique or different meanings due to our cultural roots. I thought I was talking
to a black man while he thought he was talking to a fellow homosexual.
I don't know if it was the beer or that we saw a truth, but we laughed and apologized
to each other for our ignorance. And then, we had another beer together.
I really did feel strange. Mostly because of my ignorance, not because he was gay.
I was embarrassed at myself, the shock I felt, the initial shame I felt. That was a gift.
A Wonderful Gift. I opened that gift and am able to love and accept many people
that live and believe differently from me. Now, I am learning to accept myself and
that others may accept me.
A good bar is a secular, wise-capitalistic temple; a haven for all souls, whether searching,
lost, or wise.
And the bars that purposely overprice their drinks to keep out "certain elements" may prosper,
but aren't the ones I would feel good in.
Folks, it's Friday, and I've had a few and went on and on too much. Sorry.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

Fieldthistle, Bravo. Doatsie

I have had the same thing happen to me. I am slim, basically hairless (except for my head and face, go figure) and dress in pinks and corals often. I set off gaydar on a regular basis. Add to it I love to talk cooking. I'm a hobbling old fart now but I did have my great times. Married for twenty five years so now I just take getting hit on by anyone as a sunshine part of the day.

Used to go to a bar in downtown Colo. Spgs. and drink .80 cent pitchers of Busch beer on Monday Night Football. The appetizers were half price and the place was a hard rock hangout during the peak hours! I usually didn't hang out there on the weekends but loved MNF!!! I have been to a few "gay"(by which I mean mixed) bars in my day and found for the most part that the clients were well behaved and respectful of all the patrons regardless of their sexual orientation. I had the best time playing darts with a gentleman that I didn't know was gay and had the same experience that Fieldthistle had regarding ethnicity-sexuality. Just goes to show you that you don't know who you are talking to.

David O.

There used to be an old hotel in the little town I went to high school in, and they had a 50 cent draft night, Tuesdays I think. 8 or 10 ounce drafts of Old Vienna. Back in the summer of 94, my buddy and I would walk down from his house every Tuesday night with about 5 bucks each, have some beers and listen to the locals sing karaoke (badly). It was a great summer.
 
Another bar I'd go to once in a while had a kill-a-keg, $7 until the keg was gone. Except the bar manager wouldn't tap a new keg for it... if 5 beers came out of the keg and it kicked, the special was over. At least twice I paid $7 for one Old Milwaukee draft. She could not be told, even by the owner, that she had to tap a separate keg for it. That special didn't last very long. Come to think of it, the bar didn't last very long either.
 
Nowadays, I stay away from bars (unless they have good food), and would rather pony up for a Bodington's or Young's Double Chocolate Stout on tap. Last time I drank a Bud Light, I gagged on it halfway through and poured it out.

Back when I was in college in the late 60's in the NYC area these were known as "Beer Rackets". Not sure how widespread that term was and whether anyone still uses it. Bars in the Rockaway area in Queens were noted for these. $3 for all the beer you could drink from like 8 to midnight, with a band besides.
 
And yes, somehow we would drive home. Some things have changed for the better, my kids, now in thier 20's, are very aware of the dangers of drinking and driving.