{"id":13917,"date":"2018-08-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-08-05T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/flashpack.preview.uk.com\/2018\/08\/06\/how-to-drink-with-strangers-bartenders-share-their-tips\/"},"modified":"2023-07-31T12:53:34","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T11:53:34","slug":"drink-strangers-solo-travel-bartenders-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/solo\/travel\/drink-strangers-solo-travel-bartenders-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"How to drink with strangers: bartenders share their tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most solo travellers will agree that the most awkward time of any trip is the evenings. The galleries are closed, you\u2019ve done 17 laps of the open-top tour bus, there are no more \u2018activities\u2019 to occupy you, and you begin to wonder: what would I do if my friends were here?<\/span><\/p>\n

But this shouldn\u2019t be the case. Evenings are a land of glorious opportunity. It\u2019s when the world comes out and people relax. Horizons are there to be broadened, minds expanded, adventures had. It\u2019s your chance to make new friends. Heck, to make better friends. <\/span>
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This process will often involve alcohol. It\u2019s the world\u2019s most effective social lubricant. However, it\u2019s also the world\u2019s most impish influence, tempting us into words and actions we might later regret, so if you\u2019re going to mix alcohol with people whose names you barely know, caution is advised.<\/span><\/p>\n

Which is why we\u2019ve consulted four bartenders from some of the best bars in New Orleans – possibly the most sociable city on Earth to get their advice on supping booze with strangers.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Our team comprises: Marcela Anderson and Morgan Roberts of the Apple Barrel<\/a>; Laura Bellucci of Rue Bourbon<\/a>\u00a0and Liam Deegan of Barrel Proof<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are their words of wisdom:
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Get to know your bartender<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Marcela:<\/strong> \u201cTalk to the bartender. They connect people at the bar and they\u2019re a great source of local knowledge. They\u2019ll also watch out for you. You might even become friends with them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Liam:<\/strong> \u2018The bartender will give you the best advice of where to go and who to talk to. They\u2019re very generous when it comes to recommending other bars and they\u2019ll often give you a name of someone to ask for. In New Orleans we might even give you a drink to take to another bartender. We call that a boomerang.\u201d<\/span>
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Don’t be shy<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Morgan:<\/strong> \u201cFollow your gut feeling. If you don\u2019t like the look of a bar – or a bartender – don\u2019t be afraid to turn around and walk right out. There\u2019ll be another bar. When you find one you like, sit at the bar, somewhere near the middle, and order a drink. Don\u2019t be too needy at first. Eavesdrop and wait for a moment where you can relate to what people are saying or interject humour – become part of the conversation.\u201d<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Laura:<\/strong> \u201cPut yourself out there. I\u2019ve seen people make great connections and great friends. If you\u2019re with a group, don\u2019t be afraid to break away from it, otherwise you might miss out on some amazing experiences.\u201d<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Marcela:<\/strong> \u201cHave no plan. It\u2019s an organic thing. Sit, watch, work out what\u2019s going on, then open up a conversation.\u201d<\/span>
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Avoid clich\u00e9d ice-breakers<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Marcela:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t ask where people are from or what brought them to wherever you are. Ask \u2018in the moment\u2019 things – what’s going on, what beers to drink, have they got any insider tips.\u201d
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\n<\/span>Laura:<\/strong> \u201cAsk people what they\u2019re drinking. People like to talk about that – it says something about them and what they enjoy and maybe where they\u2019re from. Also, just saying that you\u2019re travelling opens people up. You could ask what\u2019s going on tonight or where\u2019s good to eat or drink. Ask locals about their town – they\u2019ll want to talk about it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Liam:<\/strong> \u201cBe genuinely interested in the place. It\u2019s not hard and it will help you make connections.\u201d
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\n<\/span>Morgan:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t worry about offending anyone or having fun with them. Take risks in a conversation – I hear so many boring ones. If it doesn\u2019t work out, you can move on.\u201d<\/span>
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Don’t overshare<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Laura:<\/strong> \u201cBe careful about how much you reveal. I’ve given my number to people and woken up the next morning regretting it – especially when they\u2019re trying to meet up with you and you don\u2019t want to. My go-to is Facebook.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Marcela:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t talk about your dog dying or anything like that. If you\u2019re travelling, talk about travelling. If you\u2019re in town for music, talk about that.\u201d<\/span>
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Know your limits<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Laura:<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s not a good idea to slam shots. Low-proof cocktails are the way to go and a great thing to talk about. I usually have a club soda with bitters between drinks – it looks like a cocktail so nobody asks why you\u2019re not drinking.\u201d<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Liam:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t get too drunk. If you\u2019re travelling with a group, you don\u2019t want to be \u2018that guy\u2019, because it will stick with you for the rest of the trip. They say there\u2019s one in every group and if you don\u2019t know who it is, it\u2019s you.\u201d<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Morgan:<\/strong> \u201cGet a buzz and maintain it. At least until you\u2019ve made friends. And go home when people tell you you\u2019re not doing OK. I\u2019ve seen so many people embarrass themselves; men being creeps, married women telling themselves an indiscretion won\u2019t matter. It\u2019s not a good look.\u201d<\/span>
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Play nice<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Liam:<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s nice to be the first, but everyone needs to get their round in. It\u2019s an important gesture, especially with strangers, wherever you drink. Be polite and don\u2019t be pushy. Treat people how you\u2019d want your brother or sister to be treated.\u201d<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Marcela:<\/strong> \u201cGuys need to be careful when buying a girl a drink. Talk to them first and make sure that they want to talk or have a drink. Wait a couple of rounds and buy the bartender one, too, so it feels less targeted.\u201d<\/span>
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3 great boozy adventures<\/strong><\/p>\n

Join us on a Flash Pack foray with brilliant bars – and even better company…<\/p>\n

Get on down in the Deep South<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Neon<\/p>\n

Hit the iconic blues bars of Memphis, Nashville and New Orleans, with hip hangouts and intoxicating live music on every street corner.<\/p>\n

Jump on-board<\/a><\/p>\n

Say hi to South Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"drink<\/a><\/p>\n

Knock back mighty fine vino in the lively university town of Stellenbosch and take a riotous romp through Cape Town’s bars.\u00a0Get involved!<\/a><\/p>\n

One long party in Mexico<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"drink<\/a><\/p>\n

Try tequila-fuelled snacks before a live wrestling show in Mexico City and drink raisin liquor in the oldest bar in Puebla (not to mention mezcal and a visit to a traditional brewery).\u00a0It all starts here!<\/a><\/p>\n

Images: Shutterstock and Flash Pack<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most solo travellers will agree that the most awkward time of any trip is the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":80235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9046,9029,9035],"tags":[207,1133,794,470,1134,856,1117,464,433,443,662,474,460,176,669,1135,1046,471,411,339,244,93,384],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13917"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13917"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13917\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}