SultanOfSwing

I still haven't got used to people doing that. Of course, back in the UK, there were always plenty of minicab companies that we could use to get home if we went drinking out of town - hardly anyone seems to use cabs here at all.

I always quite enjoyed the dander home from the pub in the town centre on a summer's evening, since it was right along the sea front for most of it, so you got that nice breeze that helped sober you up

expatinus

I always get surprised when the party is about the start, then the Americans call it the night and leave at 10PM the latest. Maybe its me...

SultanOfSwing

I've seen that happen too, not sure if it's universal though. I've seen it the other way too. I used to have a twice weekly acoustic set in a bar/restaurant that would regularly be serving up to their licensed closing time of 3a.m. Quite often I'd start at 10, and still be playing at 3, with only a half hour break. Never repeated a song once

By far the worst was the one time I was playing on the day the clocks went forward. Farkin' genius owner decides to stay open to 3am summer time (effectively 4am for me). I did repeat some songs that night, needless to say. Of course, it ended in some guy being laid out on his back by a bunch of drunken thugs because he took unbrage to them calling him a poof and yelled a rather badly thought out invitation to perform an act upon his person on his way out. Apparently they lay in wait for him in the back parking lot and whacked him on the head with something before buggering off.

It's not so common to be open right to 3am anymore, but it has happened recently. No fighting though

Steerpike

I had dinner tonight in downtown Scottsdale, and decided to get a bit of exercise walking around afterwards with my camera in hand. I noticed an incredible number of cabs everywhere, and tried to capture it in pictures ... not too easy with a pocket camera but hopefully you get the idea. Maybe this is related to the post earlier which said that Arizona has the strictest DUI laws in the country...

SultanOfSwing

It probably is to do with the DUI laws. Out by me, there are cabs around but yet people still seem to prefer to drive themselves, and I know they were not all sticking to water all night!

Maybe they are just too expensive as well I guess. Doesn't seem worth it to me to risk it, especially here in IL where they now put that machine in your car you have to breathe into before it will start.

Steerpike

Enforcement, and the fear thereof, is the only way to make a difference, I have concluded. When I left UK, they were in the process then of really cracking down (UK, in the 60s and 70s, was not that strict I don't believe). A lot of prominent figures were going to jail for DUI - front page headlines. Everyone became aware that they were likely to get caught, and that caused them to modify their behavior.

I've never seen that level of enforcement here in the US (except New Years Eve, etc), other than just recently in Scottsdale/Phoenix. I only drive 6 miles home from work and/or dinner (usually around 10pm) and would say that on the 6 mile drive there are usually at least two 'pull-overs' - flashing lights, etc. Having been pulled over myself, for nothing more than allegedly 'weaving' (I was alcohol free), I'm scared shitless of driving after a single beer now!

FYI, I found this calculator online (also found this chart on same site ). Using the calculator, it seems I can drink 3 12-oz beers over 1 hours as a 150 lb male, and still be legal - which is a shock to me because I would NEVER dream of drinking 3 beers in an hour and then driving! (or 4 beers in 2 hrs, or 5 beers in 3 hours).

tonrob

Hmmm.... that's a bit dangerous given that the (admittedly small, but growing) US craft beer market focuses heavily on higher-alcohol strength beers. Not unusual at all to be supping a 12oz bottle that's twice the strength of a Bud, or stronger still.

Steerpike

Of course - the calculator should have that too! I would GUESS the assumption is, 4 to 5% which is pretty typical for MGD, Bud, etc.

Now, I personally HATE stronger beers (for this and for other reasons). I cannot see the point of a stronger beer. I was at a restaurant recently that served only 'craft' and 'exotic imports' (which pissed me off no end, and I'm happy to see they are now out of business). I ordered some never-heard-of-before Belgian beer, and was shocked to read the label and see that it was about 8%. I did not finish it because I had to drive home.

I've actually played around with 'diluting' beer, so I can drink more and avoid hangovers (and/or, DUI issues). I happen to like the NA (non-alcoholic) beer 'Clausthaler', but drinking it by itself does leave something to be desired; So I've tried 50/50 blends of NA Clausthaler with (eg) Corona, and find that blend surprisingly satisfying. By doing that, I can drink twice as much volume and still stay under DUI and/or avoid a hangover. I found that if I tried 75% Clausthaler with 25% beer, the lack of alcohol was noticeable, but at 50/50, it was not. It just angers me no end when restaurants serve only high-strength beers.

tonrob

How can you be happy that the restauarant closed because of this? Any wine served in the restaurant would be stronger still. It's ok to sip a stronger beer instead of guzzling it. If a particular restaurant doesn't serve your choice of beer then try another one.

meauxna

Someone make that boy a sandwich!

Steerpike

Wine is a different story - of course it is stronger but it is drunk 'differently'. If the place only sold 'stronger than normal' wines (not just in addition to), then the issue would be the same - that is, if all they sold were 20% wines, when the 'norm' is 12%, I would have an issue.

I personally avoided the restaurant after that, but I don't think that's why they went out of business ... . I'm glad to see it gone because it has been replaced by a place that now has a more varied menu.

I have many issues with restaurants selling only 'exotic' beers, but to keep this focused on the main thread, I believe any responsible person has a rough understanding of their 'capacity' for alcohol, and the need to stay under the legal Blood Alcohol Content limit. Selling beers that have (eg) 8% alcohol content, without identifying this on the beer list (and providing lower-alcohol alternatives), is creating a situation where a person may THINK they can drink (eg) two beers and be OK, but in fact put them way over the limit and either a) get into an accident, or b) get arrested. I LOVE to down a cold beer pretty quickly when I first sit in a restaurant; especially in Arizona in the summer . If all I have available is an 8% beer, then I'm pretty screwed as a 150 lb guy! I'm all for them having the option of buying exotic beers, I'm only annoyed with those that ONLY sell exotics (which sadly tends to be the nicer places I like to eat at!).

I'm actually about 145 lb, and have been for about 30 years or more. People keep saying it will change one day, but not so far (over 50)! I also don't exercise much, just walk for a few hours a week . I also eat a lot, and eat what I like ... . Now, I do have a metabolism that drives people crazy; I can work a 12 hour day (and do, most days) and still be 'perky' and full of energy at the end of it, then come home and work another 4 hours or whatever.

chartreuse

We tried that at uni, with special brew and cheap lager. It was rank.

Sometimes the two aren't the same. I have a decent capacity for alcohol, when it comes to doing most things, but looking at that calculator, I wouldn't dare drive anywhere near .08 BAC. 'Course, it's academic as I don't drink at all if I'm driving.

ETA: But I'm going to quaff - yes, quaff I say, a shed load after I finish putting the HVAC ducts back together.

SDDep

An alcohol unit (standard beer) glass of wine, measure of whiskey etc, averages .02, so four in an hour or so and your done...still sounds like a lot.

It is all dependant on your size, your average lady will be over the limit much quicker than a larger male, due to absorbtion rates.

Another thing to bear in mind, in CA anyway, its zero tolerance under 21, if you blow an .01 your toast, lose license for a year. If your commercially licensed and you blow over .04 kiss your license goodbye, even if you werent driving a commercial vehicle.

It just changed, but i think its now kinda like 3 strikes, 3 DUI's in 5 years and its a felony (prison time).

We also have implied consent when you get licensed, meaning that if you refuse any breath or blood test, it will be forced (taken anyway) and you automatically get suspended for a year (even if you ended up under an .08).

It may seem harsh, but we all know what a problem it is and how many people are killed in alcohol related accidents here...so it isn't harsh enough..

tonrob

Nicer places, nicer beer. Blame the American craft brewing industry for not producing more session-strength beers. I agree that the restaurant should show ABV on the menu, but not that it should resort to stocking low quality beer if the food, wine etc. is of good quality. I wonder what good quality, lower ABV beers were available to the restaurant through its particular supply chain.

meauxna

How do you feel about this new calorie disclosure thing on menus.. all for that I suppose.