Silly topic, but I'm watching an Esquire special about the "Best Bars in America." And Boston was voted the "drunkest city in America" by a panel of Irish Americans (not TOO much of a stereotype, huh? ).
But I'm betting that the voters have never been to the Woodlawn section of the Bronx, or Hell's Kitchen back in the day .
On saint Patrick's day in the 60s go to hell's kitchen at 3 am and you would see at least 200 people out cold all over the sidewalk and street. Then you see the vultures move in to rob and sexually assault the bodies
So were the bars where the Parade ended, on 86th street in the Yorkville section. Just about every Pub and Bar was loaded wih cops and firemen drunk as skunks, getting into fights and harassing people. It's a disgrace! Hey, I have been told and I think I am, a Happy drinker and when I get drunk I laugh and think that I am a lover with the Ladies. I certainly do not want to get into fights or go around acting like an obnoxious jerk-off. If you are a mean drunk and all you want to do is fight, you shouldn't be drinking Period!
What about Las Vegas, or some places up in Alaska where there nothing to do but drink? I'm from Mass and would definitely agree that Boston has a lot of drinkers but, there are a lot of colleges in Boston and we all know that college kids like to imbibe from time to time.
or some places up in Alaska where there nothing to do but drink?
Yup, same goes for Northern New England. Like those tiny towns up in Vermont that were actually numbered up until a few years ago. Nothing to do but drink in a town like that.
And besides, it's all subjective anyway. But go down to Duval Street in Key West, or Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Boston and New York have NOTHING on the drunkenness in those towns.
That's so true. I've been lucky enough to spend time in both those cities. I stayed at Zero Duval St on December 31, 1998. I remember sitting at the hotel bar outside when it turned midnight and "party like its 1999" by Prince was played. Unfortunately my father made plane reservations back to New England for Jan 1. We had a 6:00 am flight outta Miami. Ugh, that drive to the airport sucked that morning.
That's so true. I've been lucky enough to spend time in both those cities. I stayed at Zero Duval St on December 31, 1998. I remember sitting at the hotel bar outside when it turned midnight and "party like its 1999" by Prince was played. Unfortunately my father made plane reservations back to New England for Jan 1. We had a 6:00 am flight outta Miami. Ugh, that drive to the airport sucked that morning.
I love Key West. People here always associate me with The City because I never shut up about New York. But I have this escapist island fantasy were I live on Martha's Vineyard for six months a year, and Key West for the other six months .
So were the bars where the Parade ended, on 86th street in the Yorkville section. Just about every Pub and Bar was loaded wih cops and firemen drunk as skunks, getting into fights and harassing people. It's a disgrace! Hey, I have been told and I think I am, a Happy drinker and when I get drunk I laugh and think that I am a lover with the Ladies. I certainly do not want to get into fights or go around acting like an obnoxious jerk-off. If you are a mean drunk and all you want to do is fight, you shouldn't be drinking Period!
Exactly, my father and I were a lot alike concerning drinking. After a certain amount we could not get any more down. After that we just nursed soda and or water for the rest of the night.
I could easily spend 6 months a year down in Key West. I'm all set with the Vineyard tho. Been out there for work and it's not for me. It's a great place but I can't stand the people. There are homes out there that are probably only lived in for a few weeks in the year in the summertime but have immaculate lawns and landscaping. The amount of money spent and they only stay there for. 3 weeks in July or August. Must be nice...
I remember reading an article, about 30 years ago, that said the biggest per-capita consumers of alcohol in NYC were Russians; and that the biggest per-capita consumers of beer were Puerto Ricans.
I'm surprised about the Puerto Ricans drinking beer. I grew up in a city that was at least a third populated by Puerto Ricans and I don't remember them being big drinkers. In high school we used to pool our money together and have one of our Puerto Rican friends dad go to the package store and get 22oz and 40oz bottles of malt liquor. We'd always give him a "double deuce" of Colt 45 or Olde English and he'd be so grateful. I don't think many will disagree about the Russians consumption habits.
I'm not familiar with the area but if I assume that 161st street is heavily populated with Dominicans and Puerto Ricans, would that be a safe assumption?
yeah, by the same guys that make corona, grupo modelo. both are terrible trash beers that the tv has convinced people are good. they also seem to have a knack for making stupid people feel like they are getting a real dose of latin flavor in their lives, when in reality they are both cheap american macro style adjunct lagers.
I'm not familiar with the area but if I assume that 161st street is heavily populated with Dominicans and Puerto Ricans, would that be a safe assumption?
Yes, that was the joke. Sorry if it fell flat. But anything south of Yankee Stadium, which is right on 161st Street, is considered the South Bronx. And the South Bronx has a very large Latino population .
yeah, by the same guys that make corona, grupo modelo. both are terrible trash beers that the tv has convinced people are good. they also seem to have a knack for making stupid people feel like they are getting a real dose of latin flavor in their lives, when in reality they are both cheap american macro style adjunct lagers.
I'm surprised about the Puerto Ricans drinking beer. I grew up in a city that was at least a third populated by Puerto Ricans and I don't remember them being big drinkers. In high school we used to pool our money together and have one of our Puerto Rican friends dad go to the package store and get 22oz and 40oz bottles of malt liquor. We'd always give him a "double deuce" of Colt 45 or Olde English and he'd be so grateful. I don't think many will disagree about the Russians consumption habits.
Holy shit maybe I should tell the story on why I can't drink beer!
these big city jokes fly right over my head, faster than an empty 40oz thrown at whitey on 161th street!
here's another thing that drives me crazy...when some mope chimes in with, lets just say coors light , is my favorite beer. that's the same as saying that mcdonald's makes the best hamburgers. they are both mass marketed, cheap products made with cheap ingredients. sheltered bastards!
I first remember the 40 from the late '80s, which fits in nicely with the article. Because I clearly remember those commercials with Billy Dee. But again, when I was a kid in the '70s and we drank beer in one of the parks or school yards, the biggest available bottle was the Budweiser quart. And we rarely drank those anyway.
We used to chip in and get those beer balls. The deposit on the tap cost more than the beer itself. Schmidt's made them back then, and I guess they were pretty awful. But when you're 18 years old and drinking in the park, what's the difference?
We used to sneak beer balls into our freshman dorm in our laundry bags and by the end of the night the beer was flat and warm. I can't and won't drink certain beers on tap. Some of the beer commercials I remember were Gerald Fords brothers beer, the miller lite "tastes great, less filling" ones, and the "head for the mountains of Busch..... Beeeer" ads. That guys voice was great, Sam Elliot possibly.
Re. Puerto Ricans and beer: F&M Schaefer Brewing Co., a NYC brewery, did the market research that proved that Puerto Ricans were the biggest per-capita consumers of beer. So, they launched a marketing blitz aimed at them: "Schaefer is the one beer to have when you're having more than one" (attention: SC and PB!); ran lots of ads on Spanish-language radio; sponsored winter baseball in Puerto Rico, etc. They were doing fine.
Then some genius drilled down on the market research and found that Puerto Ricans like to drink their beer very cold. So, he figured, the company could cheapen the formula (by using cheper hops), and the drinkers wouldn't notice it because their taste buds were numbed by the cold. Disaster: within a month, sales fell off by 40% and the brewery folded a couple of years after that. NEVER scew with loyal customers!
BTW: through the Fifties in NYC, you referred to Hispanics as Puerto Ricans because virtually every Hispanic in the city was a Puerto Rican. Now, according to the latest census, Dominicans and Columbians are the largest Hispanic groups in the city.
That's so true. I've been lucky enough to spend time in both those cities. I stayed at Zero Duval St on December 31, 1998. I remember sitting at the hotel bar outside when it turned midnight and "party like its 1999" by Prince was played. Unfortunately my father made plane reservations back to New England for Jan 1.
I don't have any statistics, but Toronto Canada has to be way up there. Canadians seem to drink more beer than anyone, and some of their beers are great ie: Molson's Golden and Labats
New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Montreal has a lot of heavy drinkers. Miami, Florida, Reno Nevada, Wahington D.C. It would be a toss up between Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Norfolk, Virginia for being America's drunkest city, especially on a weekend leave in Norfolk. Boston, Chicago, and New york would rank pretty high, but Boston being the drunkest? No way.
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