86 Rules To Drink By...

Joined
Oct 1, 1999
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6,490
THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN JUST TIPPING A GLASS & ACTING FOOLISH!!!

1. If you owe someone money, always pay them back in a bar. Preferably during happy hour.

2. Always toast before doing a shot.

3. Whoever buys the shot gets the first chance to offer a toast.

4. Change your toast at least once a month.

5. Buying someone a drink is five times better than a handshake.

6. Buying a strange woman a drink is still cool.

Buying all her drinks is dumb.

7. Never borrow more than one cigarette from the same person in one night.

8. When the bartender is slammed, resist the powerful urge to order a slightly-dirty, very-dry, in-and-out, super-chilled half-and-half martini with a lemon twist. Limit orders to beer, straight shots and two-part cocktails.

9. Get the bartender's attention with eye contact and a smile.

10. Do not make eye contact with the bartender if you do not want a drink.

11. Unacceptable things to say after doing a shot:

Great, now I’m going to get drunk.
I hate shots.
It’s coming back
up.

12. Never, ever tell a bartender he made your drink too strong.

13. If he makes it too weak, order a double next time.

He'll get the message.

14. If you offer to buy a woman a drink and she refuses, she does not like you.

15. If you offer to buy a woman a drink and she accepts, she
still might not like you.

16. If she buys you a drink, she likes you.

17. If someone offers to buy you a drink, do not upgrade your liquor preference.

18. Always have a corkscrew in your house.

19. If you don't have a corkscrew, push the cork down into the bottle with a pen.

20. Drink one girly drink in public and you will forever be known as the guy who drinks girly drinks.

21. Our parents were better drinkers than we are.

22. Never talk to someone in the restroom unless you're doing the same thing—urinating, waiting in line or washing your hands.

23. Girls hang out, apply make-up, and have long talks in the bathroom. Men do not.

24. After your sixth drink, do not look at yourself in the mirror.

It will shake your confidence.

25. It is only permissible to shout 'woo-hoo!' if you are doing a shot with four or more people.

26. If there is a D.J., you can request a song only once per night. If he doesn't play it within half an hour, do not approach him again. If he does play it, do not approach him again.

27. Learn how to make a rose out of a bar napkin. You'll be surprised how well it works.

28. If you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to drink in a bar.


Go to the store.

29. If you owe someone twenty dollars or less, you may pay them back in beer.

30. Never complain about the quality or brand of a free drink.

31. If you have been roommates with someone more than six months, you may drink all their beer, even if it's hidden, as long as you leave them one.

32. You can have a shot of their hard liquor only if the cap has been cracked and the bottle goes for less than $25.

33. The only thing that tastes better than free liquor is stolen liquor.

34. If you bring Old Milwaukee to a party, you must drink at least two cans before you start drinking the imported beer in the fridge.

35. Learn to appreciate hangovers. If it was all good times every jackass would be doing it.

36. If you ever feel depressed, get out a bartender’s guide and browse through all the drinks you’ve never tried.

37. Try one new drink each week.

38. If you are the bar's sole customer, you are obliged to make small talk with the bartender until he stops acknowledging you. Then you're off the hook. The same goes for him.

39. Never tip with coins that have touched you. If your change is $1.50, you can tell the barmaid to keep the change, but once she has handed it to you, you cannot give it back. To a bartender or cocktail waitress, small change has no value.

40. If you have ever told a bartender, “Hey, it all spends the same,” then you are a cheap ass.

41. Anyone on stage or behind a bar is fifty percent better looking.

42. You can tell how hard a drinker someone is by how close they keep their drink to their mouth.

43. A bar is a college, not a nursery. If you spill a beer, clean it up. If you break a glass, wait for a staff member to clean it up, then blame it on someone else.

44. Being drunk is feeling sophisticated without being able to say it.

45. It's okay to drink alone.

46. After three drinks, you will forget a woman's name two seconds after she tells you. The rest of the night you will call her “baby” or “darling”.

47. Nothing screams 'nancy boy' louder than swirling an oversized brandy snifter.

48. Men don't drink from straws. Unless you're doing a Mind or Face Eraser.

49. If you do a shot, finish it. If you don't plan to finish it, don't accept it.

50. Never brood in a dance bar. Never dance in a dive bar.

51. Never play more than three songs by the same artist in a row.

52. Your songs will come on as you're leaving the bar.

53. Never yell out jukebox selections to someone you don't know.

54. Never lie in a bar. You may, however, grossly exaggerate and lean.

55. If you think you might be slurring a little, then you are slurring a lot. If you think you are slurring a lot, then you are not speaking English.

56. Screaming, “Someone buy me a drink!” has never worked.

57. For every drink, there is a five percent better chance you will get in a fight. There is also a three percent better chance you will lose the fight.

58. Fighting an extremely drunk person when you are sober is hilarious.

59. If you are broke and a friend is “sporting you”, you must laugh at all his jokes and play wingman when he makes his move.

60. If you are broke and a friend is “making sport of you”, you may steal any drink he leaves unattended.

61. Never rest your head on a table or bar top. It is the equivalent of voluntarily putting your head on a chopping block.

62. If you are trading rounds with a friend and he asks if you're ready for another, always say yes. Once you fall out of sync you will end up buying more drinks than him.

63. If you're going to hit on a member of the bar staff, make sure you tip well before and after, regardless of their response.

64. The people with the most money are rarely the best tippers.

65. Before you die, single-handedly make one decent martini.

66. Asking a bartender what beers are on tap when the handles are right in front of you is the equivalent of saying,

“I'm an idiot.”

67. Never ask a bartender “what's good tonight?” They do not fly in the scotch fresh from the coast every morning.

68. If there is a line for drinks, get your goddamn drink and step the hell away from the bar.

69. If there is ever any confusion, the fuller beer is yours.

70. The patrons at your local bar are your extended family, your fathers and mothers, your brothers and sisters. Except you get to sleep with these sisters. And if you're really drunk, the mothers.

71. It's acceptable, traditional in fact, to disappear during a night of hard drinking. You will appear mysterious and your friends will understand. If they even notice.

72. Never argue your tab at the end of the night. Remember, you're hammered and they’re sober. It's akin to a precocious five-year-old arguing the super-string theory with a physicist. 99.9% of the time you're wrong and either way you're going to come off as a jackass.

73. If you bring booze to a party, you must drink it or leave it.

74. If you hesitate more than three seconds after the bartender looks at you, you do not deserve a drink.

75. Beer makes you mellow, champagne makes you silly, wine makes you dramatic, tequila makes you felonious.

76. The greatest thing a drunkard can do is buy a round of drinks for a packed bar.

77. Never preface a conversation with a bartender with “I know this is going to be a hassle, but . . .”

78. When you’re in a bar and drunk, your boss is just another guy begging for a fat lip. Unless he’s buying.

79. If you are 86’d, do not return for at least three months. To come back sooner makes it appear no other bar wants you.

80. Anyone with three or more drinks in his hands has the right of way.

81. If you’re going to drink on the job, drink vodka.


It’s the no-tell liquor.

82. There’s nothing wrong with drinking before noon. Especially if you’re supposed to be at work.


83. The bar clock moves twice as fast from midnight to last call.

84. A flask engraved with a personal message is one of the best
gifts you can ever give.


And make sure there’s something in it.

85. On the intimacy scale, sharing a quiet drink is between a handshake and a kiss.

86. You will forget every one of these rules by your fifth drink.

CHEERS!!
 
I work in a bar part-time & have worked in various & sundry ginmills in 2 different countries- the following are Very True & Very Important. These are the things that the staff in your favorite local are dying to tell you, but are probably too polite to tell you:

- Buying a strange woman a drink is still cool. Buying all her drinks is dumb. Wanna get played for a chump? Chicks dig desperation. Not.
- When the bartender is slammed, resist the powerful urge to order a slightly-dirty, very-dry, in-and-out, super-chilled half-and-half martini with a lemon twist. Limit orders to beer, straight shots and two-part cocktails. Can't tell you how important this is. Don't get angry when we have to look up whatever frou-frou funky-assed shooter you saw in a magazine. It will take a while. Have a pint instead.
- If you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to drink in a bar. Go to the store. A party of 6 that runs us all night & racks up a $280.00 tab & only tips $7.00 has me praying to the Drunk Driving Gods that you'll all be pulled over & put in jail. Bad Karma. Also- please know ahead of time who is paying for what- It's hard to split a tab 5 ways when you're all wasted. Better yet- give the guy w/ the credit/debit card some cash & save a bunch of time & hassle.
- The people with the most money are rarely the best tippers. The guy in the suit & his extreme-yuppie date will often leave a $1.00 tip for a brace of Martinis & sneer at you when the folks who tooled up in the '78 Dodge Dart take good care of you.
- Asking a bartender what beers are on tap when the handles are right in front of you is the equivalent of saying, “I'm an idiot.” Yep- right there in front of you. You might ask if there's anything new & we're happy to tell you.
- Anyone with three or more drinks in his hands has the right of way. Shouldn't have to be said- there are thirsty people over there & you're In The Way. Please step to the side when you see us coming. We'll get you your drinks with the same speed & accuracy. If it's a customer- he/she is On A Mission. Canteens for the thirsty. Don't hose the other guy.
Also- Last Call means Last Call. Don't argue w/ the staff for another pint 3 minutes before closing time. Trying to choke down your last drink while we are cleaning up around you will make you look desperate & silly. Goes double if you are an established regular. If you are the last person in the (same) bar for 3 nights in a row or do it more than once or twice a week, it will be noticed & commented on. You will be from that point on & for all eternity "The Guy Who Won't Leave". Double if you're still singing loudly after the music is turned off. If you call whatever bar your "home" & think you are entitled to special priveliges, you're probably being tolerated at best. Good customers understand the subtle balance of fun vs. work. If you think of the bar staff as 'family & friends', please understand that there is a time for you to kindly drink up & get the hell out of the way. We probably like you a lot as a person & enjoy having you come in, but we have Work To Do that insures that the bathrooms are clean, the beer boxes are stocked, kegs rotated, etc. If you insist on arguing for that last drink & have been in since Happy Hour, please consult rule #55: If you think you might be slurring a little, then you are slurring a lot. If you think you are slurring a lot, then you are not speaking English. Also- if, for some reason you are "cut off", please understand that we did it for a reason (see rule above). We make our living selling drinks, and would love to see you having fun. But, if you become a menace to yourself and/or others, we are legally bound to not serve you any more alcohol. And if you threaten the staff and/or start trouble w/ other patrons, you are one telephone call away from Breakfast In Jail. Don't make us pick up the phone. We know the police here- they're friends of ours & there is probably a cop or two a stool or two down from you. Some mistakes are expensive.
Bottom line, we appreciate your business, just please understand that there is a fine line between contentment & capacity. Please behave yourselves & be Good Citizens & we'll take good care of you as well.
Cheers.
 
How have I never seen this before? This is great! :D

I'd only change one thing...

PhilL said:
39. Never tip with coins that have touched you. If your change is $1.50, you can tell the barmaid to keep the change, but once she has handed it to you, you cannot give it back. To a bartender or cocktail waitress, small change has no value.

Never tip with coins, period. One drink, one dollar. And tell all your female friends this, 'cause they probably don't tip at all.

Jeremy
 
10. Do not make eye contact with the bartender if you do not want a drink.

As one who spent too many years of my life tending bar (mostly while single), allow me to present one exception to this rule: unless you are female, cute, and hoping to go home with the bartender.
 
I'd say it's safe to say I've spent a fair share of time at the same bar, most of the last 2yrs...

reserved seat on friday and saturday night, allowed to skip the lineup, and he asks us for requests when he's ordering new stuff(getting a decent scotch selection finally at the end of this month, rather than the $2 a drink stuff they had stocked). They had kokanee gold on tap for 6 months, and it was only my buddy's family that bought any of it. Stout will be back on soon.

Tipping and being friendly helps a lot. Doesn't matter how busy it is, the bar staff eventaully stop and visit for 15-20min over the night.
When I drink on weekend nights, I tip higher than if I go in for supper during the week. As in 20% on weekends, 15% for supper.

few things I've learned...
*don't order food after 11pm. last call for food is 1130 and the kitchen closes for cleanup at midnight.
*know what you want to start with when you walk in. quite often they'll ask as your sitting down.
*wait for a server, they will come. you aren't the only one there.

*if you're going to take a cab home, call ahead of time and see what it will cost you. put that money in an envelope in your jacket pocket(write your address on the envelope. the cabbie will appreciate reading rather than slurred speech). seal that envelope. *if you're a regular, the bartender will hold the envelope AND call the cab when you've had enough. add more tip if the bartender calls your cab.

*it is perfectly acceptable to order water or coke after a few rounds of hard.
 
Perfect timing, gonna bring a copy with me when I meet my coworkers tonight to go to the bar.

Tip the bartender welll, but tip that hot looking cocktail waitress better. ;) The more I drink the bigger my tips get, as I just get to plastered to fiddle with change. Just throw handfuls of money at the waitress, much easier than trying to do math after 6 or so hard drinks.
 
This should be tattooed on any person who breaks any of these rules.
it's the true, divine truth.
 
Too many rules to remember. Gimmee that bottle, I'm going home and drink by myself! :footinmou
 
Guess what?? :confused: I forgot the rules before I even started drinking. :D

I did remember to tip the nice girl serving us $5 for three drinks thourgh. So much easier than trying to count out $1 per drink when it came to $15. Take the $20 bill, and come back so we can gawk some more ;) .
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Too many rules to remember.


To many rules is right.

If God can set down the whole rules for living in general in just ten commandments, drinking can't need more than three of four.


The essentials:

28. If you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to drink in a bar.

17. If someone offers to buy you a drink, do not upgrade your liquor preference.

73. If you bring booze to a party, you must drink it or leave it.

65. Before you die, single-handedly make one decent martini.
 
If your girlfriend gets sick on the floor, please tell someone.
Oh, and the tip on a $135.00 tab should be a bit better than $8.00. Especially when you pay your tab with a Bar Association credit card. :rolleyes: You ran us all night. And we have to clean this **** up. Off of the carpet. By hand.
Insert Lawyer Jokes here.
Some people- sheesh... :grumpy:
I should visit your office & puke in the lobby you miserable yuppie fcuk. :mad:
 
Great Rules!!

Although my days of single partying and hanging out in bars are about over I thought those were pretty cool.

Nick :D
 
Good, common sense stuff. I tended bar when I was a young fella, and could tell some stories ...
 
OK- Here's another one- If your pal has thrown up on the (carpet) floor- and has his head on the table & is breathing/blowing little puke bubbles GET HIS ASS OUT. NOW. :mad: He is NOT "fine".
Do not order another round. You will not be served. If you need me to explain it... again, I will be tempted to hit you with something sharp and heavy.
 
I live by Hemmingway's drinking rule,

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk."

kkimo
 
I guess it's because I left my pocket change on the bar counter, I don't want it (I left a good tip though :) ), I now have rosacea. http://www.rosacea.org/

My face gets redder than, well, my face when I don't have an episode. I only get rosacea when I've been drinking, so, I don't drink
:( :grumpy: :mad: :confused: :grumpy: . Well, only on occassion I do, maybe one or two drinks, and I make......them.......last........ I only drink Woodchuck Draft Cider and Keystone Light, the only ones that don't give me bad rosacea, but I sure as hell can't drink to get a buzz. I got rosacea after I found out I was a diabetic, maybe that's part of the problem. To top that, I used to drink rum and coke (insert laughter hear) because that didn't give me rosacea at all, at first. Now, after finding out I have atrial fibrillation, I can't have any caffeine at all. When I ask for a caffeine free diet Coke or a diet Sprite with rum, I get the look from the bartender :mad: . So, I just drink water, and enjoy the show :grumpy: . The good thing is, I get free bottled water the rest of the night, although I do tip pretty well. Lemme make a change on that, I get free water at the clubs and bars, not at the strip club my buddies and I go to. So, you may find me, tears in my water, cause I can't get drunk like I used to...
 
They should quote that list at aa meetings. Almost all alcoholics have broken every one of those rules.
 
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