Bar Life & the Art of Drinking

Instructions Step 1: Wash down aspirin with coffee Take 2 aspirin with a cup of coffee. Researchers found that the combination of caffeine and aspirin was effective in relieving the pounding headache that often accompanies a hangover. TIP: Take aspirin for a hangover in moderation, as it can irritate the stomach. Step 2: Eat a …

Instructions Step 1: Set pressure cooker on stove Set the 5-gallon steel pressure cooker on your stove. Step 2: Cut copper pipe Cut a 3 to 5 foot length of 2-inch diameter copper tubing. Step 3: Drill a hole in the pressure cooker lid Drill a hole in the pressure cooker lid large enough to …

Instructions Step 1: Purchase keg Purchase a keg from a beer distributor or liquor store. Full kegs are around 120 pounds, so bring a friend who can help you carry it. TIP: Many beer distributors will deliver a full keg and pick it up when it’s empty. Step 2: Get the right tap Make sure …

Instructions : Don’t drink unless you’re of legal age. Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive. Step 1: Know Four Loko’s contents Know what’s in the original Four Loko. Each 23.5-ounce can is 12 percent alcohol; equivalent to about 6 cans of beer. Four Loko also contains caffeine along with guarana and taurine — 2 …

Instructions : Don’t drink unless you’re of legal age. Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive. Step 1: Determine the number of drinks Determine how many drinks you’ve had. A standard drink in the U.S. contains .6 ounces of pure alcohol. TIP: Generally, .6 ounces of pure alcohol is found in 12 ounces of beer, …

Instructions : Don’t drink unless you’re of legal age. Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive. Step 1: Drink at the right temperature Make sure your beer isn’t too cold. Chilling a beer too much makes it more difficult to detect nuances in the flavor as well as making it more difficult to digest. TIP: …

Instructions : Don’t drink unless you’re of legal age. Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive. Step 1: Start early Start the license and permit process as early as possible as it could take several months to get final approval. TIP: Your local town or city government will grant the alcohol license while you need …

Instructions : Don’t drink unless you’re of legal age. Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive. Step 1: Consume only one drink per hour Consume only one drink per hour. TIP: Enjoy the flavor of each sip. Do not slam your alcohol. Step 2: Eat Eat before, during or after drinking alcohol. TIP: Drink a …

Instructions Step 1: Learn what Scotch whiskey is Visit the Scotch Whisky Association website to learn what Scotch whiskey is. If it’s not from Scotland, it isn’t Scotch — Scotland’s whiskey regions are Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, Islay, and Campbeltown. TIP: The word whiskey is spelled without the “E” in Scotland and Canada, which is why …

Instructions : Don’t drink unless you’re of legal age. Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive. Step 1: Fill the cooler When you get to the beach, put ocean or lake water in the cooler – enough to fill the bottom quarter of the cooler. TIP: Try not to scoop up any sand or critters. …

Instructions : Don’t drink unless you’re of legal age. Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive. Step 1: Clean the refrigerator Thoroughly clean and sanitize the refrigerator and remove any shelves. The refrigerator will house the beer keg and a cylinder of carbon dioxide equipped with a pressure regulator. Step 2: Drill a hole in …

Instructions : Don’t drink unless you’re of legal age. Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive. Step 1: Pick a dive bar Choose a no-frills bar. It shouldn’t have no velvet ropes and it shouldn’t smell too good. Heck, it shouldn’t even have no windows. You’re there to drink, not to admire the scenery. Step …

Instructions Step 1: Have a highball Mixed drinks like gin and tonics and Long Island iced teas go into a tall, 10- to 12-ounce, straight-sided glass known as a “highball.” Step 2: Use a Collins glass Use the highball’s taller, skinnier cousin, the 14- to 16-ounce Collins glass, for weaker, juice-based cocktails like Cape Cods …

Instructions Step 1: Pour an ounce or two of absinthe into a tall, heavy, thick-stemmed glass, like a parfait glass. Step 2: Place an absinthe spoon – a flat, metal, slotted spoon – across the rim of the glass. Step 3: Put a sugar cube on the slots of the spoon. Step 4: Slowly drip …

Instructions Step 1: Learn this neat terminology Learn the correct terms to specify your drink’s temperature. Ordering it “neat” means the liquor will be served right out of the bottle, at room temperature. Ask for it “on the rocks” and it will be poured over ice. Order it “straight up” and the liquor will come …

Instructions : Don’t drink unless you’re of legal age. Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive. Step 1: Eat Have a light meal that includes starches such as pasta or bread before you drink. Foods containing vitamins B and C help counteract the nutrient-depleting effects of alcohol, so add a piece of fruit. Step 2: …

Instructions : Don’t drink unless you are of legal age. Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive. Step 1: Hold beer can Place a beer can in the palm of your hand. TIP: Make sure the beer can is empty and the opened end is in your palm. Step 2: Raise the can toward your …

Instructions : Don’t drink unless you’re of legal age. Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive. Step 1: Pour a very small amount of olive oil onto the foam. Step 2: Let the oil spread through the foam or spread it with a spoon. The oil will break down the foam by bursting the tiny …

Instructions Step 1: Keep your hands off the beer can or bottle as much as possible to prevent your body heat from warming it up. Step 2: Use a foam beer cozy that’s at least a half-inch thick. Choose a light color; dark colors absorb more heat. TIP: Like to knit? Make a wool cozy; …

Instructions : Don’t drink unless you’re of legal age. Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive. Step 1: Whiskey, tequila, and vodka are all classic choices. Don’t embarrass yourself by doing shots of Irish cream. TIP: Don’t waste a fine scotch or top-shelf tequila on shots. The whole point of a shot is to not …

Instructions Step 1: Start by clearing out your cabinet. Line everything up on a countertop. Step 2: Sort your liquor into three groups: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Good is anything you like and want to keep. Bad is anything that’s been sitting open for too long. Ugly is anything old and unopened …

Instructions Step 1: Put ice in glass Fill the stir glass half-full of ice, and scoop more ice into the serving glass to chill it. TIP: Ice made from spring, filtered, or distilled water will give your cocktail the best taste. Step 2: Add alcohol and mixer Pour alcohol and mixer over the ice. Step …

Instructions Step 1: Pay attention. The loudmouth slamming beers in the corner could quickly turn into a problem. Step 2: Issue a warning. Tell the problem drunk that if the bad behavior continues, he will have to leave. Step 3: Cut him off. If he can’t get more booze, he’s apt to leave on his …

Instructions Step 1: Select location Select a spot to set up your bar. Home bar options may include a stand-alone bar complete with sink, wine racks, and glass storage, or simply a designated cabinet or other area in the dining room or basement. Step 2: Choose alcohol Make your alcohol selections. A typical bar well …

Instructions Step 1: Sip a substitute Sip something that looks and even tastes a bit like the real thing, such as seltzer and cranberry juice or a nonalcoholic beer. TIP: Have a nonalcoholic drink in your hand at all times so people won’t send you a drink or harass you to have a cocktail. Step …

Instructions Step 1: Dress nicely Dress nicely. The more flattering your outfit, the more comfortable you’ll feel and the more drinks that will come your way. TIP: Don’t, however, dress too revealingly. You want a drink, not a pervert! Step 2: Choose the place Choose a lively place with high ratio of men to women. …

Instructions Step 1: Pick a small bar Think pub, not club. You want a place that is small enough for you to be noticed. TIP: Pick a pub near either your home or your workplace, to make pop-ins convenient. Step 2: Befriend the workers Make friends with the people who work at the bar. Step …

Instructions Step 1: Decide what you want Decide what you want before you approach the bartender. Many places have drinks menus on the bar or posted behind it. Step 2: Smile & be polite Smile and be polite, even if it takes the bartender a while to get to you. TIP: Don’t shout “Yo,” wave …

Instructions Step 1: Never ask for a freebie Never ask for a freebie. It doesn’t work, and since most bartenders have good memories, you’ll always be known as the cheapskate. Step 2: Be polite Be polite. Not bothering to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ drastically decreases your chances of a free drink. TIP: If the …

Instructions Step 1: Get to the front of the bar Get to the front of the bar any way you can. You’ll need at least one hand on the bar for the bartender to even think of serving you. TIP: If you’re with a bunch of people, send one person to get the drinks for …

Instructions Step 1: Boil the water Boil the water before you put it into the ice cube trays. This removes the air bubbles, which makes the cubes last longer and look nicer, too—crystal clear instead of cloudy. TIP: If your trays are plastic, be sure to let the water cool down before you pour it …

Instructions : Don’t drink unless you’re of legal age. Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive. Step 1: Fill a large cup Fill a nine-ounce plastic cup about one third full with water. Step 2: Fill a small cup Place a three-ounce plastic cup in the larger cup. Adjust the position of both cups until …

Instructions Step 1: Stack beers Stack a layer of beers, horizontally, on the bottom of the empty cooler. TIP: Don’t pack the beer in so tightly that there’s no room for ice to flow between cans or bottles. Step 2: Pour ice Pour ice over the beer. Step 3: Sprinkle salt Sprinkle rock salt on …

Instructions Step 1: Drink water Because most of a hangover’s vile symptoms are the result of dehydration, drink as much water as you can when you get home from your big night out. TIP: You can speed up the hydration process by adding half a teaspoon of salt to each quart of water you drink; …

Instructions Step 1: Never drink on empty stomach Never drink on an empty stomach—unless you like getting the spins. A meal will slow alcohol absorption by lining your stomach. TIP: Eat two tablespoons of honey or a candy bar before a night of drinking. One study found that ingesting fructose and glucose helped reduce mistakes …

Instructions : Never drink and drive. Step 1: Pop a Vitamin C Pop a Vitamin C. Studies have reported that a large dose of Vitamin C will prevent drunken behavior. Step 2: Walk a straight line Announce to whoever’s around: “I’m as sober as a Deacon and I can prove it!” Then walk a straight …

Instructions Step 1: Smile & wait patiently Approach the bar, smile, and—most importantly—wait patiently for the bartender to approach. Step 2: Be polite Be polite. The bartender is a server, not a servant. Step 3: Make conversation If he isn’t busy, make some conversation. Avoid lengthy philosophical treatises in favor of a funny story from …