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Bar business suffering in January


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I've heard that a dry January is the harbinger of a very wet February.  $10 bottle wholesale in Europe = $20 glass in nyc (after tip)  

I don’t mind going to bars where the drinks may be merely competent. I mean, i don’t go to a place like Jimmy’s Corner because I want a great cocktail. I go because it’s fucking Jimmy’s Corner!

Exactly, exactly. What I am struggling to explain to myself if that when I worked in an office five days a week, I had a great need to get out for an hour in the evening just to get out. Now I wo

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5 minutes ago, Wilfrid said:

Circumstances. You drink whatever cocktails at music venues. I've seen you. 

Sure but that’s akin to going to Jimmy’s Corner for the experience of being in Jimmy’s Corner.   I understood you to be talking about going someplace specifically for the purpose of buying a cocktail.  

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Given the cost of alcohol in bars, when I do go out I'm either there to hang out with friends, visiting special taphouses, or going to places that make drinks I can't really replicate at home (e.g., tiki bar concoctions that aren't your standard Mai Tai/daiquiri).

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1 hour ago, Sneakeater said:

Yeah that’s what drinking at home is for.  

It is now, but before March 2020, when everything I liked to do closed, I would go out most nights and therefore was less well-equipped to drink at home.

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39 minutes ago, StephanieL said:

Given the cost of alcohol in bars, when I do go out I'm either there to hang out with friends, visiting special taphouses, or going to places that make drinks I can't really replicate at home (e.g., tiki bar concoctions that aren't your standard Mai Tai/daiquiri).

There you go, that's my modest point. This ... plus people who like a drink really having to learn to drink at home during lockdown, may be a bigger reason for a drop-off in business than seasonal things like Dry January, it's cold out, etc.

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13 minutes ago, Wilfrid said:

It is now, but before March 2020, when everything I liked to do closed, I would go out most nights and therefore was less well-equipped to drink at home.

It depends what you mean by going "out".  If I'm out at a restaurant, I'll drink cocktails there if they're one of the many that now have good cocktail programs.  If not, I'll stick with wine with dinner.   If I'm at a performance, then usually I'm going to a restaurant after.  If I'm at a performance and cooking at home afterward, I've taken to not drinking at the venue so as not to impede my drinking something actually good at home.

If I'm hanging out with friends, I go somewhere that has good cocktails.

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You know, this is of no conceivable interest to anyone, but it just struck that all my friends either don't drink at all (so wouldn't be hanging out with me in bars) or are cocktailians of varying degrees of mania.

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47 minutes ago, Sneakeater said:

It depends what you mean by going "out".  If I'm out at a restaurant, I'll drink cocktails there if they're one of the many that now have good cocktail programs.  If not, I'll stick with wine with dinner.   If I'm at a performance, then usually I'm going to a restaurant after.  If I'm at a performance and cooking at home afterward, I've taken to not drinking at the venue so as not to impede my drinking something actually good at home.

If I'm hanging out with friends, I go somewhere that has good cocktails.

Back in the day I might also go out for a beer, which is much less fraught.

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22 minutes ago, Sneakeater said:

You know, this is of no conceivable interest to anyone, but it just struck that all my friends either don't drink at all (so wouldn't be hanging out with me in bars) or are cocktailians of varying degrees of mania.

I have non-drinking friends and normal-drinking friends (not manic). I am not sure I know any serious cocktailians outside of Mouthfuls.

Sadly, my small (but fierce) friend gave up beer recently as it was troubling her digestion. I will no longer be able to marvel at her capacity.

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1 hour ago, Wilfrid said:

Back in the day I might also go out for a beer, which is much less fraught.

Of course, going out for a beer is NOT the same as opening a beer at home.  I mean, sometimes you just want to go out for a beer to get out.

And if I'm really worried about the bar's capacity at making any sort of a drink, I can always just order a decent bourbon or rye "up," with a club soda back, and I'm set. 

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Exactly, exactly.

What I am struggling to explain to myself if that when I worked in an office five days a week, I had a great need to get out for an hour in the evening just to get out. Now I work at home, I feel that need much less.

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It's also harder to go out for a drink at one of the better cocktail bars in NY as now you need to plan ahead and make a reservation at many of them compared to the time when you had a dinner reservation somewhere and a few days before suggested to the rest of your party that you meet an hour before at wherever. Impossible to do that at places like Manhatta, Dead Rabbit, etc.  Easier to say pop on over to my place an hour before for a drink before going out. 

I live in CT and the issue with drinking somewhere beforehand is most restaurants with good cocktails and beer lists now book up their bars for dinner guests so there is virtually no place to drink comfortably. 

And as was previously mentioned, why spend $18 on a martini out when I have 7 gins and 3 vermouths and 2 different kinds of olives at home? 

ETA: Grey Whale is one of our new favorites. 

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