Tag Archives: Bar Life

Beer Dictionary

A drinker’s dictionary

A drinker’s dictionary

A Drinker’s Dictionary: How to Order Beer in Different Languages

When traveling abroad, one of the simplest yet essential skills is knowing how to order a beer. Whether you’re in a bustling German beer hall, a cozy Spanish tavern, or an Irish pub, you want to blend in and avoid the awkwardness of struggling with the local language. Fortunately, technology has provided us with a handy solution. Some bright sparks have invented the world’s first beer-ordering app, designed to translate the word “beer” into 59 different languages, and is now here to save you from those embarrassing moments at the bar.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2344354/Worlds-beer-ordering-app-translates-beer-59-different-languages.html

Not to be outdone, we at ThisDrinkingLife have created A Drinker’s Dictionary for popular destinations, including Germany, China, Japan, South Korea, and many more. Whether you’re in Spain, France, Italy, or even Ireland, you’ll be able to order a cold one without hesitation. Just don’t forget—Google Translate might give you a hand, but don’t rely on it in tricky situations!

Why It Matters

Having a beer abroad is a cultural experience. Being able to ask for it correctly can make you feel more connected to the locals. In our dictionary, you’ll find key phrases for ordering beer in countries like Germany (“Bier”), Spain (“Cerveza”), France (“Bière”), and even Ireland (“Beoir”).

A cut out and keep guide to better drinking abroad.

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No Alcohol!

The Evils of Alcohol and The Non-Believers!

The Evils of Alcohol and The Non-Believers!

Religious freaks who go on about the evils of alcohol, drinking, and other “fun” activities like sex, drugs, and gambling give me a right old pain. It’s fine if that’s what they want to believe and they are perfectly entitled to hold that view. However, it becomes an ache when they try to enforce their beliefs on anyone else.

The evils of alcohol

Recently, British courts tried some fanatical Muslim men for attempting to enforce Sharia law in East London. They stopped homosexuals from holding hands and attacked people drinking outside bars—absolute fruitcakes. Their behavior just shows how bored out of their skulls they are; seeing anyone having a good time really gets on their nerves. Clearly, they can’t find any solace in their shitty religion to comfort them. I’ve walked around that part of London many times, sometimes pissed as a fart. I only wish they had bumped into me—I would have had a good right old laugh at them!

But of course, it’s not just Islam that frowns upon drinking. Similarly, many Christian types also love to have a right old barney about the evils of alcohol. For example, there’s a group called the “Drunken Glory” movement, which is on the rise in the USA. Essentially, they get inebriated and high off the Holy Spirit. Check out the link below. Jesus H. Christ, that’s mad. However, no matter how hard they try, they still come across as a bunch of boring bastards with nothing much to say. In the end, I bet a lot of them are just missing a good pint.

Bitter

Another group of people who piss me off are the ex-drinkers who endlessly whine about their time in rehab and their ritual of AA meetings, especially the Betty Ford types. They are cultish, moaning and complaining all the time—like Roy Keane, who just stays bitter… ALL THE FUCKING TIME.

Look, you lost the game, you couldn’t control your drinking habit, and that’s fine—not everyone can. But please, stop going on about it, and enough with all the books about your “time in rehab.” No one cares. Frankly, I often wonder what they actually did to end up in rehab. I mean, you have someone like Daniel Radcliffe (nice guy and all) or Ben Affleck or whoever, some celebrity who probably had one or two rough nights and couldn’t hack it. Poor creatures! But, for God’s sake, it’s not like we’re talking about Keith Moon here, so spare us the dramatics.

Anyway, rant over. Just leave me to enjoy my drinking in peace.

Sources:

‘Muslim Patrol’ 

‘Weird’ preacher starts ‘drunken glory’ cult 

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Some quick rules and pointers for drinking in the bar.

My top rules for drinking

My top rules for drinking

Drinking rules for the discernible drinker, can be taken seriously, or not! 

1) If want to play with the big boys please try and drink your shots straight and neat. There is nothing worse than seeing someone mixing coke with a perfectly good whiskey, or putting orange into decent Russian vodka. STOP THAT! If you can’t handle the taste then don’t drink it, just drink the coke instead. If you want to get smashed then just take some cider and some pills. The only thing, and I mean the only thing, would be a small dash of water with a whiskey, as that’s good for the taste and alcohol content.

2) Sometimes it pays to drink in preparation for drinking. Going out these days is bloody expensive. I prefer a cheap wine and about 4 beers; it’s a great combo in prep for the pub later.  No harm with this, as it can cost and arm and a leg to spend the whole night drinking in a bar so if already in the “zone” before you walk into the bar you can save a lot of quid!

3) If a bird is still ugly after about 7 pints then give up, she isn’t going to look any better, and will be hard to displace in the morning when you have your hangover.

4) Drinking games are for mugs and people who don’t know how to drink, or Americans.  The whole purpose of drinking in a bar is to drink alcohol and have a good time, not to play silly games that restrict your drinking. Can never understand them, surely a punishment for not doing well in a drinking game is to not drink!

5) Always stick about in a bar or club or just around outside, till the very end, as that’s more than likely when the real shit starts.  So many good sessions I have drunk in have started when most people go home. There is always someone up for more fun, ALWAYS.

6) If you sense you did something dodgy the night before then I strongly recommend to try not knowing about the full gory details as no good will come of this. Alcohol the day after is a depressing place to be, and hearing what you got on the night will just make you more pissed off. Better to ignore it, and after a week any shit you did should be forgotten or in the annals of bar folklore. Can always deny any story, or, better, blame it on someone else!

7) Best and only hangover cure is….more drink! If desperate could have some cocktails (yes I know they are mixes but still!!). I am usually back to normal after the 3rd or 4th drink, then I am buzzing again, simples!

8) Don’t be a beer snob. All beer has its own strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes it can be good to have a light beer, like fosters or Budweiser, if relaxing. Nothing wrong with that at all. Can’t all have access, either, to great Belgian or German beers, sometimes we just have to drink what’s available.

9) No woman or non drinker will ever care about your beer stories; in fact they will be frowned upon. Good beer stories should stay in the bar. What sounds hilarious in the bar NEVER sounds good in the real world.

10) NEVER turn down a free drink or on offer to go to the bar. Are you freaking crazy, life is to short for that craic, what else would you be doing? Hoovering?

11) A hard one, but try not to eat when you are finished drinking. Near impossible I know, but the food is just lying there on top of all your nights drinking and will lie there all night just floating around in your stomach. Also the toilet the next day will be like a bomb site. Just go to bed quickly and have a nice fry up in the morning.

12) Don’t count your drinks. Shouldn’t be a problem really to most but its kind of strange if you do. Why would you even try, its not a competition.

13) If you owe someone money its always a good idea to repay them in the bar. They should instantly buy you a beer at the minimum, if not then they are cunts!

14) Toasting when downing shots is basic good manners. I also like to toast the first Guinness or decent beer when starting a long session

15) It is ok to drink alone, an oldie but perfectly fine. Might look edgy after all, and if you are there long enough you will meet other like minded people soon enough, if you want!

16) If bored in certain company in a bar just leave. You will look mysterious and cool, and can build up a mystifying persona. No point just dragging out a boring night when there are so many other bars and clubs that you could be in having the great time.

17) If you had a fierce argument with bar staff always try to apologise as soon as possible. They are the gate keepers, you don’t want to make them pissed off, and you don’t want to get a bad reputation.

So these are my drinking rules……drinking rules that you can either take it or leave it…….enjoy! 

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Irish themed bars

Why Irish themed bars are always shite

Why Irish themed bars are always shite and should be avoided like the plague

irish barsGod I hate Irish themed bars, they are generally soul-less places, tat everywhere, and ran by people who have no idea about class or Irish culture. There are no Irish themed bars in Ireland so why are they so fucking popular!!!  It’s the mcdonaldisation or starbucking of the bar world.

What is this Orishness that one can see in these bars – bicycles hanging from the rafters, turf in the fire, Guinness memorabilia, ancient books on shelves, shamrocks and Sheleighs on the wall, and old pictures of Ireland back in the day are everywhere? All this is a plague.

A good marker for me is if it’s called an Irish pub then it’s not an Irish pub. Or if it has a real tacky name (see above photo), or pseudo – Irish name then it’s a big no no. Have you ever seen those god damn awful Irish themed bars in London, “O’ Neills”, Christ on a bike they are woeful places to be. Just because you stick up a poster of “Irish doorways” or “Pubs of Ireland” doesn’t mean I have the urge to drink in your establishment. Fuck off!

First off, why the Irish? Well Ireland has a big reputation for drinking and alcohol – Guinness, whiskey, good sessions, the craic and all that, and deservedly so. We have the St. Patrick’s day thing as well and, of course, the Irish music, which helps.

A real Irish pub, when it’s on form, stands as one of the best places to be when the music plays, the drink flows, and the conversations enliven. Basically, they resemble any other pub, with normal names, selling normal beer, where normal people drink. So what makes them Irish then? Mostly, it’s the clientele. On pretty much any night, a good session could happen—musicians might crop up from anywhere, no set list, nothing planned. You go with the flow, no one needs to prove how Irish they are—they just are, that’s it. The atmosphere feels informal and friendly, and the people running them remain genuine.

Now, a lot of Irish people run Irish-themed bars abroad, often with Irish staff, catering to the ex-pat community. Many of the original ones that first appeared provided decent places to drink. To be fair, the Irish do play the Paddywhackery card as well, when it suits (Jesus, just look at any Irish person who ever worked for the BBC). They play the “Orishness” to a tee sometimes, but at least keep it in check most of the time or to a bare minimum.

But then it got out of hand, and every new bar in town turned into an “Oirish” bar—people just took the Mick (literally!). They know it’s a joke, or at least they should admit it. These bars cater to tourists, light or casual drinkers, hipsters, and wankers. Too afraid to head downtown to the edgier part of town or drink with real people where there might be some real atmosphere, they prefer to drink in an “Oirish” bar. Well, it’s a safe choice; you know what to expect, and no one will shout at or molest you!

And don’t forget the food—ha ha—fish and chips, loads of potatoes, and an Irish breakfast. Ha, don’t make me puke. When I was a nipper, bars only offered a bag of crisps and maybe some hang sandwiches!

an Irish breakfast

an Irish breakfast

I prefer the good old Irish bars of yesteryear—dark, brooding places with a hint of dodginess. An air of aggression lingered, with horse racing non-stop on the TV and old men ranting away in the corner. No blaring music, just the Dubliners on an endless loop. And when a certain hour hit, the madness began—but when exactly? As for the toilets? Ha, best not go there!

pub toilet

pub toilet

So what can we do about it all then? Well don’t frequent these places. If it screams Orishness then don’t go in! Please! Enough decent bars all over the world are dying due to this infestation of Paddywhackery.

And will someone please tell the yanks to stop calling it St Patty’s day!!!!!!

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The perfect bar man?

The perfect bar man (or woman)?

The perfect bar man (or woman)?

 

As a patron of many bars, the bar man (or woman) is quite an important person in the pursuit of getting drunk. So what do we look for in the attributes of a good bar person?

They should be fast enough in getting you your drink, I mean you don’t want to be waiting a long time for a drink, especially a first drink.

Personality doesn’t really matter, as long as the person isn’t a complete cunt. Doesn’t even have to say a whole lot. Actually the best bar staff are the ones who say very little and hover around the bar. You are the one who is drinking, so you are the one who is doing the talking, and you can never hear what they are saying in any case. As long as the bar man is friendly, has some basic chit chat about football, the weather, how all politicians are wankers, and the weather, that’s really all you need to hear from him.

How they look isn’t really important. Sometimes the  towel over the shoulder look is cool, but no one really cares as long as the drink is pouring on time and regular.

Good bar staff are the ones who don’t shuttle you out the door once closing time is up. They should give you time to finish your drink. I hate when some get snotty about it. Fuck off, no one is forcing you to work as bar staff, so shut the hell up. The best bar staff are the ones who lock the door and let you continue long into the night. They are far and few between but I have met them!

Having a good memory is good. Nothing better than walking into a bar and giving him the special code, he already pouring your regular drink, “the usual”, while you take your seat. That’s a skill from a top barman, and a special, almost loving, relationship that takes a while to develop.

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