Today's Reason To Drink

Star Jones admits to gastric-bypass surgery. Holy cow, indeed.

Today's Reason To Drink

I'm giving up beer and fried food for a month. Have mercy on my soul.

Waterfront Wednesday!

Forget happy hour -- come out to Waterfront Park for this month's Waterfront Wednesday concert series. Tonight's lineup includes The Avett Brothers, Willy Mason and our own Peter Searcy. Nice weather, great music, strong drinks -- what more could you ask for?

I'll be bartending -- so come see me, and say, "I'd like a stiff one from the Bar Belle." :)

Things get started at 5. And it's free. Check it.

Today's Reason To Drink

If Fridays came as fast as Wednesdays, we'd all be much happier.

Today's Reason To Drink

I'm not Lindsay Lohan.

Today's Reason To Drink

R Place Pub won the bowling challenge once again! It was a tough fight, but we were victorious over Joe's Older Than Dirt. And when I say "tough," I mean one of their teams didn't show up. My average: a whopping 57. Just couldn't find my mojo, my inner Dude. But I had a fun time anyway!

R Place Pub vs. Joe's Older Than Dirt

It's on. On Saturday, Team R Place will face Team Joe's for a bowling showdown at Lyndon Lanes. Last year R Place took home the victory trophy; and this year, we (I bartend at R Place) plan to do it again. Sorry, Joe's, R Place is simply superior in every way. We're younger, faster and have better looks. We're gonna bowl strikes. We're gonna drink more than you. We're gonna have more fun than you. We're gonna hammer you. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Let's bowl, let's bowl, let's rock and roll. Hey, come on, let's get the show on the road. We're gonna score tonight!

Today's Reason To Drink

The Martina McBride concert was amazing last night. During her encore, she sang a Journey song AND a Pat Benatar song. Unbelievable. Did she know I was in the audience?

Papa Roach Clip

I have an amusing story:

I mentioned that I had to bartend the Hinder/Papa Roach/Buckcherry concert Tuesday night. I had a stressful day at LEO, then had to run over and play liquor wench to a bunch of rock-'n'-rollers, who all looked quite young, I must say. Anyway, I grew tired of pouring vodka and cranberry after vodka and cranberry, so I said to the other bartenders, "Let's make up a drink and see if anyone will buy it." So I created the Papa Roach Clip -- made simply from rum, cranberry and ginger ale (and a "special herb" I told them). Once word got out and a sign was created, we sold PRCs so fast we just about ran out of cranberry mix. I even heard that people were asking for them at the other bar in the Gardens, and they had no clue what the person was talking about.

It was pretty funny to see how quickly a niche drink can catch on.

Today's Reason To Drink

No e-mail. What can you do?

Today's Reason To Drink

If your liver could talk, what would it say?

-"Stop torturing me, you miserable bastard!"
-"One more, please."
-"Oh no, here we go again."
-"I work more than you do."
-"Eat a dick."
-"Can you hear me now?"

Today's Reason To Drink

I gotta bartend tonight at the Hinder concert. Woo-hoo. Got any earplugs?

Dundee Challenge Results

It was rough. Seemed harder this year. Guess that's because I randomly picked a lot of strong, dark beers -- included were Rogue Dead Guy, Smithwicks, Guinness ... and some heavy but pleasant beers like Blue Moon and Stella. The only light domestic beer I got was Miller Lite, and that was No. 10, if you can believe it!

In the end, I can brag that I'm three for three on Dundee Challenges. In fact, I was the only one to finish the Challenge this year. At about seven or eight beers, the night started to unravel. Emotions were heightened, bodily functions impaired. One brave soul attempted the "chugging" method approach to the Challenge. But it soon devoured her by the eighth round. One other Challenger made it all the way to the end, half a glass left to go, but let her emotions get the best of her, and she stormed out of the bar. (Perhaps it could have been the evil bourbon sidecar she ordered at Round 7 -- big mistake, big.)

The moral: Bring nothing to the table but a desire to finish the Challenge. Emotions are for martini drinkers.

Let this be a lesson to all.

Today's Reason To Drink

"Mondays are for suckers." --Pat McGroin

Today's Reason To Drink

The Challenge is on. Stay hydrated. Eat lots.

Dundee Challenge 2007

There's going to be a rumble in the Douglass Loop area Friday night, and it's not going to be pretty. It's time for the annual Dundee Challenge 2007, appropriately held on Friday the 13th.

Here's the low-down:

Basically, between you and a friend, you have to drink each beer on tap at the Dundee Tavern (2224 Dundee Rd., 458-6637). There are 20 taps, so that breaks down to 10 beers each. Some are light (Bud Select), some are dark (Rogue Dead Guy) and some are just plain disgusting (Hefeweizen). It's not really a time competition -- you drink at your own pace -- but you MUST finish the beer in its entirety, before the bar closes (usually around 12:30 or so). Each beer is selected at random, drawn from a magic Guinness hat. And there's no trading. No skipping. No feeding it to the dog (read: your cheap friend who's not participating).

That's it. But it's tougher than it may sound. There are no prizes and no drink specials to speak of. With just your will power and mighty liver in hand, knowing that you can dominate the taps is reward enough for any man or woman.

If anybody out there wants to join in on this Challenge, just make sure you bring a partner who can drink. I'm thinking we'll begin around 6:30, hopefully in the bar part of Dundee. Leave me a comment if you'd like to join in. I dare you.

Today's Reason To Drink

It's my friend Sue's birthday! Happy 50th! Here's to another 50 more. :)

Today's Reason To Drink

Rehab.

Today's Reason To Drink

Stupid blog won't let me type into the headline space. What's up with that?

Computers -- there's a reason to drink! Home loans, banks, mortgages — there're more reasons to drink! Stress, deadlines, fat — there are your final reasons to drink!

Eat a Tick!

Today's Reason To Drink:

Only 4 days till the Dundee Challenge. Grab a partner and prepare your liver. Details to come ...

Today's Reason To Drink

Will alcohol help migraines go away? If so, I'm having a beer at lunch.

Today's Reason To Drink

Fireworks are like freaks -- they're creepy and they only come out at night.

Today's Reason To Drink

It's a holiday week. Build tolerance slow and steady.