How To Become a Barfly

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 3: Meet the regulars Meet the other regulars. You want the bar to become your home away from home—a place you can go to watch the game when you don’t want to be alone.
TIP: The quickest way to impress bartenders and bar regulars alike is to spring for a round of drinks every now and then.
Step 4: Tell jokes Tell your bartender your latest jokes rather than your newest problems. You’ll distinguish yourself from the customers who come to cry in their beer.
Step 5: Don’t talk too much Know when to just kick back and take it all in, rather than chatter incessantly with the staff or other regulars. You want to be a barfly, not a bar pest.
Step 6: Don’t get drunk Don’t get drunk. If you’re like most people, too much liquor makes you more obnoxious and less entertaining than you think.
Step 7: Tip well When in doubt, tip better. This is the fastest way to a bartender’s heart.
FACT: The classic sitcom ‘Cheers’ was in last place in the Nielsen ratings the week it debuted.

Lessons in this Guide