WHY can't I get me a decent drink no more?

The BBQ Pit
1

I declare. It seems like just about every place I’ve gone to to have dinner or drinks lately–mind you I don’t eat out all that often because I ain’t got no money, but lately I been travelin’ so I had to be out in restaurants–I can’t find no decent beer or liquor. Yes, I’m a beer and liquor snob. I like the kinds of alcohol that I like, and I’m not sayin’ that folks what like the alcohol I don’t like shouldn’t like the alcohol that they like. [giggle] I hope that last sentence made sense. Anywho, I ain’t going to pay no whole lot of money to drink flavored water, and I ain’t drinkin’ no wine because who knows how long that bottle’s been sittin’ there open and turnin’ to vinegar.

I’m sick of when I travel, finding my choices limited or non-existent. Who decided that Sam Adams, Yeungling, Corona, Budweiser, Coors, and Michelob and all of their variations are the standard default beers, forcing a poor, desperately nervous flyer to have to consume Sam Adams or Yeungling to soothe her shattered nerves? :mad: Them beers get old after awhile. If I’m goin’ to have to pay an arm and a leg for a beer, then I’d like a little variety please. I am from the South, and down here a glass of beer or a shot of liquor is reasonably priced for the most part, not like in NY or Boston just to name a few where a decent drink is outrageous at $9+ a pop.

And I ain’t gon’ pay $7+ for some watered down Scotch. The selection of single malts in airports and at some restaurants leaves much to be desired, let me tell you. What gets my goat is that the airport bars know they’ve got us travelers between a rock and a hard place. It ain’t like I can smuggle in my own alcohol what with airport security taking nailclippers from lil ol’ ladies and such like. They’d downright flip out and call out the National Guard if lil ol’ me had a bottle of Scotch packed up in my purse or somethin’. And, it ain’t like I can leave the airport to find a better source of alcohol. In my limited experience, every goddamn bar in the airports I been in have the same fuckin’ fare when it comes to alcohol.

And, it gets on my last nerve when the waiters in some restaurants inside and outside of the airports look at me funny when I ask them for a Peroni or Birra Morretti or for god’s sake a Guiness! I even had some folks at this hotel restaurant what was servin’ primarily gourmet Italian food that wasn’t nowhere near pizza or spagetti–I’m talkin’ risotto this and bolognaise that–tell me when I requested an Italian beer that they didn’t serve “weird beers” in their establishment. [sigh] How they goin’ to charge me $16 for an entree but can’t provide me with a decent beer to accompany it?

At one point out in the city proper things got so bad that I complained to a bartender, and he kindly suggested another drinking establishment that would suit my needs. Said he goes there all the time. You know things are bad when a bartender who presumably can get a discount/free drinks where he works chooses to spend his $$ elsewhere. Why just last night, a waitress admitted to a couple of my friends that the beer selection was “shitty.”

I suppose that this is just a sign for me to quit goin’ out and just drink my alcohol at home. And when I’m travelin’ on business and what not, then I just need to get my drink on before I leave for the airport.

Well, y’all can call this a lame rant if you want to. But I think I have a legitimate complaint.

2

Well, darlin’, ya’ll got an entirely legitimate complaint.

(Forgive the presumption, but something in your tone leads me to think you are female.)

On the other hand, if thats your biggest gripe…

3

I suggest finding a small local brewery. Many have their own restaurants/bars and offer a variety of house beers. Outside of that, I am afraid that you are stuck. :frowning:

4

That was beautiful. That was a10.

5

Where the fuck are you going in New York where you’re paying nine dollars for a beer? That beer better be the fermented piss of Boss Tweed himself to be worth that much money.

6

This is what I used to do when I traveled for work and wanted to drink. It gives you chance to get to try different brews.

As for an airport bar, high prices and bad selection = the best you will find.

7

This may be a dumb question, but is it illegal to carry your own alcohol onto a plane? I see you think that you can’t bring your own into an airport, but is that actually the case? As long as you’re using a plastic bottle that can’t be broken and held to a pilot’s throat I don’t see where security would have anything to say.

8

I hate beer-but um, is Iron City considered a decent beer?
I know it is here, but then, that could just be local loyalty.

9

AFAIK, when I asked two airlines about it, I was told “it’s not illegal, but our policies forbid it” with respect to open containers. You can generally bring closed/sealed containers on with you, and I’ve not ever been stopped for glass versus plastic either (yet).

So one could buy something from a duty-free shop and bring it on, and consume it. On transAtlantic flights, I’ve seen it plenty of times in coach. In Biz class, you get all the free booze you want, so no one cares…

10

celestina, where have you been babe? I’ve missed your [giggles]. If you ever get to Dallas I’lll set you up with some proper drinks.

XOXOXO,
rsa

11

So, move to Scotland? :slight_smile:

Celyn, Mistress of Useless Advice

12

When last I went to SFO, I was able to get Anchor’s barley wine and the terminal bar. That was a nice little treat.

And , might I add, t’aint nutin wrong with havin Samuel Adams as a defualt beer. Nutin wrong wit it a t’all.

13

Ahem. Anchor’s barley wine at the terminal bar.

and, at, what’s the difference?

14

elucidator, why thank you for agreeing with the legitimacy of my complaint. And, yes, I am female. :slight_smile: I don’t think anyone’s ever mistaken me for a fella, as much as I like to flirt with y’all cute Doper fellas and just generally act silly. I do have other things that bother me more–I know the world’s goin’ to hell in a handbasket in part because I can’t get a damn decent drink nowheres, and because folks all over the world are showin’ out, and some folks I know personally are flippin’ and trippin’ and just askin’ me to smack them into next week–but I’m savin’ those for other rants on other days. They ain’t fermented enough yet. You know?

Muad’Dib, thank you for the suggestion. That’s what I wound up doin’ when I complained to the bartender who suggested the place where I did finally find me a decent drink. The problem isn’t so much in my hometown or nothin’. It’s more when I travel. I don’t know much about the towns, and I do make an effort to ask the locals, but it’s basically just trial and error, and lately it’s been a trial and error after error in terms of finding me a decent drink. As far as the airports go, I know I’m stuck, and I’m real pissed about it, but what can I do? I’m sure airport security already be lookin’ at me funny ‘cause I’m black and nervous up in the airport and on planes. I’m the furthest there is from being violent, but just let security find me with a bottle of somethin’ nice, and I’ll bet you all hell will break loose.

sezyou, thank you, hon. I try to write rants that y’all will enjoy. :slight_smile:

friedo, I don’t rightly know. I was drinkin’ after all, and most of the time someone else was payin’ [giggle]. Some of them hotels in NY maybe? The Hyatt or Sheraton or something? [shrug] I do remember goin’ to SOBs awhile back and bein’ floored at the cover charge just to get in there and then what they were chargin’ for drinks or just bottled water, but the bands were outstanding, and the music was groovin’ so I didn’t complain too much. :smiley: I will say that the last time I was in NY for a hot minute–My if that wasn’t a crazy trip! I doubt that that nice Queens fella what clocked me for a bein’ lost and kindly gave me very good directions is reading my lil ol’ thread, but if he is, thank you again, hon. :slight_smile: I did find a nice bar/pub in Brooklyn somewheres–was it on Ninth St.? I can’t exactly remember right now. I do know it was somewhere in Williamsburg or Williams-somethingorother up in Brooklyn, you know, where you catch the L into Manhattan and get off at Union Station. I think it’s the gray line–and their beers were a little better at $4.50-$6.00 a pop, and it bein’ the North and all, I could live with that a little better. But to clarify, I was referring to beers, shots, or mixed drinks when I said $9+ for a drink. I do know that in some places in Manhattan drinks are ridiculously expensive compared to what I’m used to payin’ down here in the South. I will say that I was pleasantly surprised to find that some LaGuardia airport bars stock Brooklyn Lager–duh–which is definitely quite palatable. :smiley:

Major Kong, gee, I was hopin’ that my experience was a fluke, and that things got better in other American airports. [sigh] Oh well.

Otto, what Anthracite said. I was and still am under the impression that airports frown on folks bringing and consuming their own liquor in the airports and on planes. And now, with all the security, folks are watchin’ real close to make sure that folks ain’t opening strange bottles of strange substances that ain’t normally found in the airport bars. You know? For me, the kinds of beers and liquor I like ain’t in no plastic bottles. Even the small bottles of single malt Scotch come in small glass bottles, if they come in small bottles at all, which many of them don’t. Plus, it’s going to take more than a lil bottle of Scotch to calm my nerves when I have to get on a plane and fly 20K-30K feet–or is it miles?–up in the sky.

Guinastasia, I don’t know if Iron City is a decent beer by my exacting standards or not. I’ve never tried it, but when I do, I’ll let you know, hon. At any rate, everybody’s got they own preferences for alcohol, and that’s fine. All I’m asking for in airports and some of these restaurants I’ve been to is some variety.

Anthracite, must be nice to fly business class. [sigh] Someday.

rsa [giggle], I’ve been so busy comin’ and goin’ from one place to another that I’m surprised I haven’t met myself goin’ somewhere else! :slight_smile: I’m quite flattered and pleased that you’ve missed my giggles [giggle], and I’ll try to bring more giggles your way here in the Pit. :smiley: If I ever get to Dallas, I’ll let you know so you can show me where to find a decent drink, sweetie.

LOL! Celyn, I’d love to move to Scotland what with all that wonderful Scotch y’all got over there. Yuuuummmm. :slight_smile: Alas, I’m poor, but I do hope to get over to your neck of the woods someday so I can do some “research.” There’s oh so much I don’t know about single malts. [giggle] How much does a shot of single malt Scotch run you over there?

Coileán, where or what is “SFO?” As far as Sam Adams goes, it’s okay in a pinch, but it’s not my favorite beer or my number one choice, provided I have a variety of brands to choose from. If you like Sam Adams, then that’s fine. I will say that when I went to France, the beer on the plane was not bad. They served Kronenberger and 1774 or 1664 or 1764 :confused:–I can’t remember the number on the bottle, but it stands for some date in the 18th or 17th century. I’m terrible with numbers and such like. I was perfectly happy with those beers, as I hadn’t drunk enough of them to get sick of them yet. I was surprised to find in Paris that the beer selection in the grocery stores I went to wasn’t all that great either. But, then I guess France does wine far better than beer, doesn’t it? They probably import a lot of beer from Germany and Belgium, don’t they. IIRC, the Fischer beer I had wasn’t bad, though I don’t typically go for sweet beer, and the Bavaria/Bohemia? beer was so-so, but who knows? By Parisians’ reckoning, those beers may well be swill. I don’t think I’ve ever tried barley wine, though. I hear it’s kind of sweet, ain’t it?

So, y’all Dopers what’ve been travelin’ and all, have y’all been able to find decent alcohol in some American airports, and if so which ones were they? And, y’all foreign Dopers, have y’all found that the international airports in your neck of the woods stock the local version of swill, or do they actually provide decent alcohol for you to drink.

15

San Francisco Int’l Airport.

16

The Coors lite at DEN is excellent.

17

You’re saying that Coors actually produces a beer? And that they sell it at Denver airport under the name “Coors Lite”? Interesting concept.
celestina, if you go to yahoo.com and select their Yellow Pages before a trip, you can select the “change location” link and set it to your destination city. When the search screen comes back up, simply enter “brewery” for a list of the local microbreweries. From there, you can often do a Google search on the names and get some reviews or background info. (And Yahoo will give you the address, phone, and map.)

18

Nah, even in Scotland you still get a pisspoor selection of overpriced malts in airport bars. It’s some sort of universal law.

19

Iron City is not considered to be a decent beer anywhere. Yes, I am a proud once-and-future Pittsburger. No, I will not drink Iron City.

Rolling Rock is not bad.

20

I was going to agree with most of your rant - though I rather like Sam Adams - until I saw this part. Moretti is crap; given a choice I’d rather drink anything else on the list of “default beers” you gave.