I’m taking a more practical approach to balancing my personal want of having a few drinks versus my need of saving money. So, I’d like to offer you a few simple ways to get (and keep) your buzz going without suddenly waking up to find yourself in a financial tight spot.

The first, most obvious way to save a little money is: Don’t spend the money at a bar or restaurant. I know this doesn’t do too much for your local economy, but if your money is tight, it’s tight. What choice do you have? Head over to your local liquor store (Hey, look at that! Supporting the local economy after all!). Pick up something that you won’t mind drinking over and over again. A flexible liquor like vodka mixes well with just about anything, so you can give yourself a little variety any time. Personally, when I’m in a pinch, I won’t go looking at the top shelf brands, nor the bottom shelf… something mid-range that suits my budget and won’t taste like gasoline. When it comes down to it, whatever I spend on a full bottle in a liquor store isn’t going to compare to the same quantity (or even quality) I would get if I had gone to my local watering hole with a wallet full of cash.

Stay home. Throw on your best "should-have-been-thrown-out-years-ago" jogging pants (you know, the ones with the big gaping hole in that certain place that you wouldn’t caught dead wearing out in public even if your house was on fire); then, kick back, queue up some Netflix, TiVo, HULU or some of those DVDs you haven’t watched in a while and just chill. I know this may be hard to do, especially for those of us with a touch of cabin fever, but if you don’t go out and drink, you won’t spend all the extra cash. Invite a friend or two or three to bring their drinks over to join you. Make a night of it.

If staying at home isn’t your thing – or if you just *have* to get out (and who would blame you after having been cooped up all winter), then be on the lookout for Happy Hour deals. Some deals are going to be just too sweet to pass up – ranging from dollar drinks to BOGOs to twofers. Remember that cheaper prices or freebies are going to loosen up your head and your wallet – and it won’t necessarily be the best quality stuff, so just be aware that you’ll likely end up indulging a bit more than you probably planned-for.

On the flip side of the discount coin, be aware of what constitutes a real discount. Many chain restaurants are going to try to lure you in with "discounted pricing" for their Happy Hours. Some are even establishing Happy Hours where previously there were none. Many of these establishments are offering prices starting at $5 - down from $8. (I’m sorry, but FIVE dollars for a well drink is not a discount. …And eight dollars is outright theft. It’s a good thing they’re looking out for you, huh? *cough*) Other established restaurants are taking this idea a bit further by offering you a price range of $3-$6 for their Happy Hour – which, oddly enough, coincides with dinner time! Surprise, surprise! Of course, they’re counting on the fact that while you’re sitting there sipping or chugging your drink, you’re going to smell that big, juicy burger wafting from the kitchen. Next thing you know you’ve wolfed-down a quarter-pound Swiss and mushroom and a basket of fries and now you’ve gone and blown your budget. How much was that drink worth?

Tipping. We all know that tipping isn’t a city in China, but if you find yourself out on the town, remember that you don’t have to tip after every… single… drink. For some strange reason people feel absolutely compelled to tip after every order. I’m here to tell you, big spender, that is bunk. Plain and simple. Tip as tips were meant to be: to insure prompt service. If I get lousy service, I don’t tip. I’m not shy about that. However, when my bartender is friendly, prompt and courteous, I acknowledge and reward their skills accordingly. The bottom line about tipping on a budget is this: Reward good service and be totally honest with yourself about your money situation. Don’t try to impress anyone with your generosity, we both know you’re on a budget. [grin] Not only that but, chances are good that others in the bar are doing the same thing. Have a look around.

One last suggestion – and sadly, this really only applies to people living near the US borders. Cross the border for an hour or two to, you know, do some "sightseeing" (I hear Niagara Falls is beautiful this time of year. [wink wink]), then hit the Duty Free Store on your way back home. There are some amazing price deals going on right now and what better way to save yourself a little extra cash than by getting a discounted price AND not paying tax! (Limitations do apply, of course.)

Cheers and happy savings!

TAGS [ BUDGET | DRINKING | DIVERSIONS ]

It’s no secret that the New York Times is a pretty big deal. Lately, the paper has been all about the beer articles and we couldn’t be more pleased. We hope that whoever or whatever has inspired/provoked/suggested this newfound concentration sticks around and keeps it up.

In case you missed them, here are a few of our favorite recent articles:

Make Your Beer and Drink It, Too

Beers of the Times, A Delicious Free-for-All

The New Old Way to Tote Your Beer

In Vietnam, Traveling an Unlikely Beer Trail

Call It Stout, Though It Isn’t

And some multimedia too:

A Beer Pilgrimage

Bocks, Doppelbocks and Maibocks

Altbiers and Other Brown Ales

Porter Ales

There are tons more too. Simply visit the Times’ Beer topic page to get it all.

If you’re all about the beer as well, don’t forget to add our Top 5 Porters, Top 5 Belgian Strong Pale Ales and Top 5 English Brown Ales posts to your reading list too.

Cheers to good beer!

TAGS [ BEER ARTICLES | NY TIMES | BEER NEWS ]

Nothing cures a bad case of the Mondays like a little comic relief! I regularly find the wit and wisdom of Wiley’s Non-Sequitur strip to be nothing short of brilliant. As soon as I came across this beer-oriented cartoon, I knew I had to share with all of you.

But that’s enough from me. Hope you enjoy the awesomeness!

TAGS [ BEER COMIC | BEER COMICS | COMIC RELIEF ]

This past weekend, both Saturday and Sunday, officials shut down the sale of beer and liquor in Vancouver much earlier than normal closing time.

According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, crowds of about 200,000 have been milling around the streets, jamming up traffic and walkways. In an attempt to be sure that they remain somewhat controlled, the sale of alcohol came to a screeching halt.

I can somewhat see why this decision was made, these past two days, judging how (unfortunately) some people can’t be trusted to keep themselves from becoming outrageously inebriated… but, I’m not gonna lie… hockey without beer just doesn’t seem right.

By the way, nice save, Miller and WAY TO GO USA!

Ryan Miller of Team USA Makes a Save - Courtesy of Bloomberg.com

TAGS [ OLYMPICS | HOCKEY | USA HOCKEY | CANADA HOCKEY | VANCOUVER BEER SALES ]

At the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) in Toronto is an exhibit of King Tutankhamen and some of the other great pharaohs of ancient Egypt – rather, their stuff. After having waited in a long, winding line in the AGO’s brightly lit, 3-story atrium of stone and wood for nearly an hour, I have to admit I was initially disappointed to learn that I wasn’t going to see any mummies or the famed death mask of the young pharaoh Tut. Those, apparently, are on permanent display in Cairo, Egypt. Not that it matters because photos are strictly verboten and I intend to plan a trip to Cairo at some point in my future anyway.

My disappointment quickly retreated as my eyes set upon massive, bas-relief stone tablets, dozens of statues in every conceivable size and material alongside busts of the great rulers of the Nile - the gods and goddesses themselves. They were exquisite, lavish artifacts wrought from gold, stone, wood and reed from thousands of years ago, stowed away to serve each ruler in the afterlife. (Apparently you can take it with you!)

Adorned with spells from the Book of the Dead to protect their living gods from manual labor in the life after, each handcrafted piece - whether painted, wrought, or chiseled - spoke of each artist’s mastery of their skill and trade as they forged an eternal record of their pharaohs’ legacies.

It was easy to forget the slow moving, almost claustrophobic line of other patrons vying to see each item in the exhibit – hell, the it was downright forgivable once we got past first couple turns of the exhibit. At each bend we were treated to even greater examples of the divinely-inspired ingenuity and the sheer master craftsmanship of these ancients. At one turn, massive calcite and granite statues, at another, a casket for a dead cat –equally beautiful in its extravagant detail. At the next turn, an ornately bejeweled necklace and sandals made of pure gold.

When taken out of our modern context of smartphones, wifi, or bad driving habits, I am filled with a sense of wonder at our extensive human history and, when put into perspective, it’s really hard to believe that beer (at least in one form) has been with us since the time of these great and powerful pharaohs.

The exhibit is on display until April 2010. All the information you could need to see the exhibit can be found here on AGO’s site.

Cheers.

TAGS [ ANCIENT EGYPT | KING TUT EXHIBIT ]

Yesterday I posted a piece on Jason Wood’s newest addition to his family, a double tap keg fridge he created with a KegWorks conversion kit. This morning, he followed up with an email and some more pictures of the beauty, all tapped and ready to go. I was so happy to read what he had to say:

"I tapped the kegs last night and all is right in the world. Everything worked perfectly and better. I am so impressed with how easy it was to do everything. The few minute video on the site had all the info really needed. I think I spent more time being worried about screwing it up then I did doing it…. It was VERY easy and took me 20mins, most of which was measuring where to drill the holes so I could still use the inside shelves on the door."

Here’s some pictures of Jason’s finished project. Sure wish we were close enough to stop by and join him for a pint!

Jason, I cannot thank you enough for passing along all these photos and for giving a customer’s point of view of how EASY converting a fridge to a kegerator can be!

To the rest of you out there who are back and forth on the idea - if you’re worried about whether or not you can actually do it, listen to Jason; 20 minutes and BAM! Cold, delicious beer on tap, in his very own home.

Cheers!

TAGS [ CONVERTED KEG FRIDGE | KEGERATOR CONVERSION | 2-TAP KEGERATOR | HOME BEER SYSTEM ]

One of our customers and Facebook fans, Jason Wood, sent us some photos of the newest addition to his family; a freshly converted double tap keg fridge that he created just this weekend!

We get so psyched so see the beauties our customers create with parts from KegWorks that we just have to share. Here’s some of the very first pics Jason took of his brand new baby. Once he taps the two pony kegs, he said he’d pass along more.

According to Jason, "on the left is Haverhill Brewery Homerun APA and on the right is Haverhill Brewery Munich Dunkel Lager." Great starting selection, Jason, if I do say so myself! Thanks for passing along your photos, too.

Cheers!

TAGS [ KEGERATOR | CONVERTED KEG FRIDGE | 2-TAP KEG FRIDGE | DOUBLE TAP KEGERATOR | DRAFT BEER | HOME BEER SYSTEM ]