3 Rules to a Bar Crawl

What makes a great night out? What are the exact ingredients at play that turn the same-old bar crawl with the same-old friends into something memorable for years to come? Is it something spontaneous? Or can it be manufactured?

While it can’t be narrowed down to an exact science, my friends and I have been drinking and crawling around NYC for over ten years now and have picked up three fundamentals to keep in mind when heading off into the night: You gotta get the buzz going, keep the energy up, and don’t forget the big finish.

Rule #1: Get a Buzz Going

Alcohol makes things more fun. We don’t make the rules. Obviously, all the respect in the world for those of you living the sober life, but you deff took a wrong turn somewhere to end up with us. 

Anyways, a fun night out starts with a mindset for spontaneity and rolling with the vibes. This leaves very little room for inhibitions. The first stop on your crawl needs to be somewhere you and your friends can get drunk fast and cheap. And that’s where we come in. 

We’ve got a Find a Bar Guide to help you find spots all over the city serving $5 Beers, $10 or less Beer/Shot Combos, and even the elusive Buy-One-Get-One Happy Hour. All of this should be everything you need to hit the ground slurring. (Friendly reminder to PACE YOURSELF and know your limits.)

Rule #2: Keep the Energy Up

Nothing’s gonna happen if you and your friends are just plopped around a booth. You gotta be groovin’ and movin’. This is the part of the night where you start making a little fun of your own and hope something catches on. Here’s a few ideas: 

Move to a new location

Sometimes it can be as simple as a change in scenery. A change in location gets everyone up let’s the mingling reshuffle.

Drinking Game

Everyone has their favorites. We’re fond of Hot Pile because the energy is contagious, it’s low commitment, and it’s easy to invite others to play. Additionally, find a spot with a photobooth and you can play the Photobooth Chug Challenge for a great souvenir from the night. TIP: Use the Photobooth filter in the Find a Bar Guide to find a place to play.

Bar Games

Pool Table, Shuffleboard, Darts, even Pinball I suppose. You’ll notice that any type of game is an easy way to get people up and moving. TIP: Use the Filters and Tags in the Find a Bar Guide to find a bar with games near you!

Rule #3: The Big Finish

It’s getting late. The ones in relationships are calling Ubers, but a few of you are still standing. You haven’t quite reached EPIC just yet, but you’re prepared to go down swinging. The Big Finish is all about capping the night with excitement and opportunity. Maybe it’s somewhere to dance, maybe it’s simply stepping out of your comfort zone. Hopefully you’re drunk by this point, yea? Here’s a few things we do to cap off the night:

Go Dancing

Now that you’re drunk, your dance moves have quadrupled in skill! That’s just science. Here’s our Favorite Spots to Dance.

Karaoke

It’s not for everyone, but singing your heart out when you're drunk with strangers is something everyone needs to do at least once. If you’ve never done karaoke in NYC, then this is a direct order for tonight. Let us know how it goes. Here’s our Karaoke Database.

Talk to a Stranger

Perhaps the scariest of all the options? Maybe it’s a group of friends playing pool, maybe it’s the pretty girl at the jukebox. Go over, say something nice about them, and offer them a drink or shot. You never know what could happen. 

Anyways, that’s just the shit that works for us. Give it a shot next time you’re out with your friends and let us know how it goes. And, hey, if you’re still stumped, why not roll with us? We throw parties all over the city and we’ve been told we’re a good time. Sign up for our newsletter below and be the first to know about our next bender. Cheers.