I visited some friends of mine recently who live in a very rural area. They make sure they have everything they need on one trip to town a week. But when I asked about a local bar, they laughed.
They knew me. They knew what I would be expecting. So, they laughed hardily and then they grabbed their coats. I knew then I was in for something good.
We drove about twenty minutes. Back roads and dirt roads, through the darkness of night we drove until we came to a trailer in the middle of the woods. I thought, "You've got to be kidding me!"
We walked in and sure enough, it was a bar. The actual bar itself was at one end of the trailer with a lone bartender standing behind it. One lady sat at the bar while two others sat at a table that took up half the dance floor. That's right! There was a dance floor, and a jukebox. A handful of guys sat at a table in the back of the trailer and of course, they eyed me for a good while until they finally warmed up to me.
That got me thinking. I have a way of thinking sometimes about the weirdest things. I hope I'm not alone. But, I have not seen every nook and cranny of this world. Sometimes that bothers me. It may not be the best bar in the world. But, I felt privileged to have at least been able to see how people get their drink on in that part of it.
I began my research. Actually, it was more of an exploration through the recesses of my mind. I remembered all of the bars I had ever frequented, and the ones I've only acquainted.
Clubs
I was in a club one time that had five different dance floors, a VIP section and a butt load of bouncers that loved what they do. At closing time, I was invited to the back bar to have one last drink. All of the bouncers were hanging out back there and they were talking about their fights. These guys really got off on the fact that they were bouncers.
That club had about six or seven bars. There was one in the middle of the middle dance floor and one in just about every corner of the club. The VIP section sat high above everyone else and it had a DJ station. But, there was also another DJ station across the huge warehouse type room. They were both live. That's how big this place was. You could not hear the music on the other side of the room.
Pubs
Visiting some friends of mine, they live in a small town. But, there's a bar on just about every corner. We went to pub after pub. They were all the same, like cookie cutter pubs that all took after each other.
We kept going from pub to pub, the only thing that changed were the people. Actually, I take that back. There were some of the same people as well. After awhile, I figured out the two different types of beer enthusiasts in small town. There are regulars who stay glued to their barstools and then there are floaters who like to roam and see everyone.
Dives
The dive is the backbone of the drinking community. It's where most beer enthusiasts go throughout the week for a few to kick back in the head. You can find one or two people at any given time having a beer in a dive in the middle of the day. But, the weekend opens up different opportunities for beer enthusiasts. It's purely economical.
In this world, there is an ice bar … made of ice. There are log cabin bars, cave bars, poolside bars, bars on beaches, bars on snow top mountains, bars in trees, on rivers and in the middle of a lake. I have ordered a beer in the most unique places in the world. That's what is so special about beer enthusiasts. We have an interesting way of celebrating our enthusiasm.