For Fun: What is your best pour in a bar

[Enoch]

Prior to last night I thought it was the Maker's 46 introduction party in Charlotte. They were serving 46 over ice in the dipped 11 oz glasses. I said no ice so the girl proceeded to fill the glass up for $7. I guess she had been told to fill the glass up.

Then last night I went to a preshow party for the Kenny Chesney concert. I ordered Maker's Mark neat but tipped generously a couple of times. When It was time to go to the concert I told her I needed one for the road. She grabbed a 16 oz plastic cup that was used for beer and filled it up neat for $6. When I thanked her she said I took care of her so she would take care of me.

I really enjoyed the concert sipping the Maker's because it looked like coke and no one even asked me about it.

It pays to tip!

What's your best story?

[SMOWK]

My brother has spent a lot of time in bars in the area. Every time I go out with him I never pay for a drink, and when I ask for a glass of bourbon I usually end up with a pint glass filled to the brim neat.

And I wonder how he's had 5 DUIs....actually, I don't.

[fishnbowljoe]

I was on vacation in Florida last year. We decided to stop at a nice lounge/restaurant on the way home from dinner to have a drink or two, and to listen to the singer they had. They had a bottle of WTKS pewter top on the shelf. Not much left in it. The lady bar tending said it was the last one they had. She gave me a nice pour in a rocks glass with a couple of cubes. Only $6. I gave her a $10 and told her to keep the change. I was almost finished when she came up and emptied the rest of the bottle in my glass. It was about 3/4 of a glass. I started to reach for my wallet. She just smiled and said it was on her, and besides it was one more bottle not cluttering the back bar. :grin: I gave her another $5 anyway. Like Enoch said, it pays to tip. Cheers! Joe

[mrviognier]

Was at Bourbon in DC last week. Had an AAA, two special Willet bottlings, Michters Rye, Vintage 21yr & a Van Winkle 12yr Rye...all for under $50.

And, oh yeah, the bill included dinner. :grin:

[kickert]

When I was a Freshman in high school I went on a school overnight field trip for the technology club I was in. As a joke I ordered a spiked lemonade. Of course everyone at the table (including the teachers) knew it was a joke. But low and behold I ended up with a very stout drink. The tap showed up as regular lemonade. Looking back I can't believe the waiter risked his job for a joke. But never-the-less it was the best deal on a mixed drink I have ever had.

[ebo]

The bars around my spot on the planet don't have much in the way of Bourbon. Usually, the best I can get is WT 101. Occasionally, MM is available... and I still opt for the WT. :grin:

[G.H.Adams]

Having spent 27 years in law enforcement ,now retired, I don't frequent bars in my area. I run into too many folks for whom I am not on their Christmas card list. Besides their bourbon selection sucks.:slappin:

[cigarnv]

Was at Bourbon in DC last week. Had an AAA, two special Willet bottlings, Michters Rye, Vintage 21yr & a Van Winkle 12yr Rye...all for under $50.

And, oh yeah, the bill included dinner. :grin:

Bourbon is a tough spot to beat in DC.... at most places that would even have those pours you would be at least 3x what you paid. Did they have the Willett 18YO on the shelf yet?

[dmarkle]

Was at Bourbon in DC last week. Had an AAA, two special Willet bottlings, Michters Rye, Vintage 21yr & a Van Winkle 12yr Rye...all for under $50.

And, oh yeah, the bill included dinner. :grin:

The cool thing about Bourbon in DC is that they totally respect actual bourbon tasters, and (many of em) like actually discussing bourbon. I bet the people who roll in there and say "gimme the blue label!" find themselves with a bad pour of red.

[mrviognier]

I believe the 18yr Willett was there.

I met with the GM, Matt, and a bartender named Chad, both of whom were enthusiastic and knowledgeable. I got the distinct impression that I had passed the "Passionate or Poser?" test, and they took very good care of me.

The same thing happened when at Delilah's in Chicago a few weeks back. Went in with a colleague and ordered a beer for her and a Bourbon for me. The total came to $17. I opened a tab, and through the course of two hours we were there had another three tastes (and two more beers for my friend). As the bartender warmed up to us, we were talking Bourbon. The bar tab came to $56...you do the math.

[barturtle]

Then last night I went to a preshow party for the Kenny Chesney concert. I ordered Maker's Mark neat but tipped generously a couple of times. When It was time to go to the concert I told her I needed one for the road. She grabbed a 16 oz plastic cup that was used for beer and filled it up neat for $6. When I thanked her she said I took care of her so she would take care of me.

What you have here is someone who just stole from their employer.

[T Comp]

I haven't had a pour from there yet and when I do, make mine a cocktail, but for informational purposes, The Aviary, recently opened in Chicago. It is a cocktail lounge creation of Grant Achatz, named the best chef in the nation in the James Beard awards of 2008. The idea appears to be one of taking craft cocktails to the current most possible highest level. In addition to the craft cocktails though they are offering a flight of the full Van Winkle line, price unknown. Other menu listed options on bourbons include the BTAC's/$18, Pappy 20/$20, WT 14/$26, Black Maple Hill 16/$30 and PHC 27/$45. Rye's listed are Saz 18/$18, PVW 13/$22, Old Potrero/$20 and Ritt 25/$45. No idea on the size of the pours. A 10 course cocktail menu with bites, minimum of two people, can be booked for $165 per person. Maybe that $25 tour charge at the HH distilery, with a pour of the PHC 27, is not a bad deal after all.

[sailor22]

Unbelievably it was a couple years ago in NYC at a usually very pricy bar noted for it's huge selection. Drinking with a friend late on a slow weekday evening I ordered a LotB and a BTAC Saz18 and my friend ordered a couple of good scotches. We explained that I was trying to get him interested in Bourbon and he was trying to get me interested in scotch. As we sipped and talked to the bartender who must have decided we were not total wankers and called the manager over to meet us.

We four of us compared impressions of different spirits we had tried and discussed how aging and different barrels might effect Bourbon Scotch and Cognac. When my friend and I eventually finished our four fat original pours the mgr. sent a couple of four pour tasting flights to us - WLW BTAC, PH27yr, pappy15 and Pappy Rye for me and 4 Scotches that impressed my friend. These were all very hefty pours for a tasting flight. It took us awhile but we finished along with a lot more conversation. The bill came and to our surprise it was $45 for each of us. I looked up astonished and the bar tender just winked and said they enjoyed our company. Needless to say he got a big tip and the Mgr. got a big handshake on the way out.

[Enoch]

What you have here is someone who just stole from their employer.

This is true but then once it was poured I wasn't going to report her, she couldn't pour it back in the bottle, and I wasn't going to pour it out. The other girl just didn't know any better.

And I paid $60 for the preshow party and only got some crappy fajitas.

[OscarV]

About 6 years ago I had a Pappy 20yo for $9.00 at The Tavern in Bardstown.

A year later it went up to $9.50.

[CorvallisCracker]

My best experience of this sort involved wine, not spirits.

Back in Tallahassee one of our favorite spots was a place called "Clusters and Hops". Sort of a combination wine store/gourmet deli/wine bar/bistro, it featured a great selecton of wines by the glass, as well as some good beers on tap (such as Pilsner Urquell). The owner was a friend of mine, someone I'd known for several years before he opened the place. Most nights he was operating as head chef, a capacity at which he excelled.

One evening when I was there by myself (i.e., not with the wife) he was present but taking the night off from managerial and cooking duties. We were sitting at the bar and he says, "Got something you'll like." goes in the back and brings out a bottle of 60yo tawny port (I don't remember the label; it wasn't one of the bigger houses like Taylor). He opened it and over the next hour we killed the bottle. It's the sort of thing that he'd normally charge $18+ per glass, so I got over $60 worth of very nice port for free.

So in this case we have the owner stealing from himself. But that's his perogative.

[Special Reserve]

In early September 2004 I was on a business trip with a colleague and a couple of salesmen to Chicago.

It was a beautiful evening following dinner one of the salesmen knowing that I had an avid interest in bourbon suggested that we take a walk to a downtown Chicago club for a couple of drinks.

Their bourbon selection was almost non-existent. We drank JW Blue. When the tab arrived the salesman told the server that $50/drink was too much so they lowered it to $30.

I never tried to lower my tab, but I would if I thought it would work and the pricing was outrageous.

[2highcal]

My best pour in a bar was @ Liberty Bar in Seattle GT Stagg and a sample of an old IW Samuels and a taste of Angels Envy. Thank you they have the best bourbon selection I have seen albeit I do not go out and drink much

[Neat]

a couple of times, when the company was picking up the tab :grin: i had pvw 15 at one bar and pvw 20 at another bar. they both tasted a LOT better when i knew it was free.

[Enoch]

My most expensive pour was Macallan 30 year at Reata Rooftop Bar in Ft. Worth. I should have asked the price but they were advertising Happy Hour. When the bill came it was $113 for the shot. I have no idea what a bottle costs but I had figured maybe $30 or so for the shot. I ALWAYS ask now.

[ebo]

My most expensive pour was Macallan 30 year at Reata Rooftop Bar in Ft. Worth. I should have asked the price but they were advertising Happy Hour. When the bill came it was $113 for the shot. I have no idea what a bottle costs but I had figured maybe $30 or so for the shot. I ALWAYS ask now.

Being as I'm an avid Scotch drinker... what did you think of it? I will NEVER taste a 30 year old Macallan.

[BMartin42]

About 6 years ago I had a Pappy 20yo for $9.00 at The Tavern in Bardstown.

A year later it went up to $9.50.

$13 last fall :-(

My best pour was just a couple of years ago in Champaign, IL while there on a business trip. I saw the little horse tucked back in amongst some bottles in a beer bar. I asked how much for a pour of Blanton's? The bartender's response was "what's that?". I pointed out the bottle. He looked at it like he'd never seen it before and said he'd have to ask his manager and promptly disappeared. After about five minutes he came back and said it would be $4. I readily said I'd have one. Imagine my surprise when he grabbed a pint glass and filled it about 3/4 of the way and then asked if I wanted ice. I said no thanks and was never more happy to be cabbing it that night.

[Enoch]

Being as I'm an avid Scotch drinker... what did you think of it? I will NEVER taste a 30 year old Macallan.

I'm not an avid scotch drinker and can honestly say I would never have tasted it either had I known the price first. It was the blue oak bottle not the sherry one. I have had a bottle of 12 year and the various popular Glens and can honestly say my favorite is the 12. The thirty is too intense for me but I really don't know enough to make an honest evaluation. I got it because it was on the bar which I had never seen and figured it was my one chance to try it. I did joke to the bar tender that I bet he didn't sell much and he said about a bottle a week, often a whole bottle at a time to businessmen entertaining prospective clients.

[Ian S.]

When bars would buy in Louis XIII, we used to go crack the bottle open and buy the first couple of pours out of it as a way to say thanks. That was some of the best alcohol that I have ever tasted.

[humchan2k]

My best pour in a bar was @ Liberty Bar in Seattle GT Stagg and a sample of an old IW Samuels and a taste of Angels Envy. Thank you they have the best bourbon selection I have seen albeit I do not go out and drink much