After a while, the same sports bar and the same drinks can get boring. Bars shouldn’t be boring. No craft brewery or whiskey distillery put their heart and souls into your drinks so that you would be bored. So let’s spice it up a little bit. If you haven’t crossed these items off of your bucket list yet, it’s time to start living.
Buy a Round for the Whole Bar
Yeah. Screw it. Be that guy. Be the guy that orders up a beer or a shot for everyone in the building. Get the big cheers and make a few good friends along the way. No one’s going to be upset at the guy that bought everyone a free shot. That’s insane.
Spill Your Soul to the Bartender
The bartender is a worried man’s best friend. The bartender knows what to say, when to say it, and when to start pouring another drink. He’s been through this before, so he’s not judging your long-form rant about your parents’ divorce or your ex-boyfriend’s awful new lady. We’ve all seen those movies where someone is letting it all hang out at the bar, and take it from us…it feels good. It feels real good. In this economy, who can afford a therapist? Just kill two birds with one stone and solve your problems at the pub. Who knows? Maybe you’ll impress them enough and get a date out of it. Probably not, but here’s to hoping.
Leave a Big Tip
Did you just spill your soul to a bartender and want to complete another bucket list item? Get your wallet out and give them compensation for the hour they listened to you whine and slur your words. Leave a big-ass tip that will make their jaw drop. This is a great way to show off at a fancy, popular bar, but even better if you’re at a little dive that doesn’t get a lot of customers or attention. You may just be doing a good deed and making someone’s day in a big way, because relying on tips absolutely sucks.
Trust us, it’s cool to leave a big tip. Celebrities do it all the time. Dave Grohl’s left $1,000 tip…twice in one weekend. For a single drink. Damn, dude. Way to show us all up.
Buy Top-shelf Drinks
This list is getting pretty pricey, and we apologize. But sometimes you have to shell out a bit of money to fulfill your dreams.
Enough of the house vodka. Enough of the cheap whiskey. Get the good stuff. Find the vodka on the top shelf, point at it, and throw down your credit card. Maybe this isn’t the drink to buy for the entire bar, but if you do, that will be really epic.
Make a Best Friend
What is a better story than meeting someone by chance on a big night out? To hell with the digital age, it’s time to make friends the good, old-fashioned way. (If you’ve ever been a drunk girl in a bathroom, you’ve probably already checked this item off your bucket list. How is Jessica, by the way? Did she finally throw out that trash boyfriend she was complaining about in the bathroom at that bar you went to six months ago? She was so nice.)
Do Some Really Bad Karaoke
There’s bad karaoke, and there’s really bad karaoke. There’s nothing else. No one takes karaoke seriously, so even if you seriously suck at singing, you’re welcome to take the microphone. Get everyone involved and singing along. Do a striptease. Whip out your favorite rap lyrics. Go off-book and do something wild. But maybe you shouldn’t do it on a first date. You’ll never see them again.
Ride a Mechanical Bull
Are there mechanical bulls outside of bars? They might be quite the sight in the daytime. Mechanical bulls are a test of strength and a . Challenge your friends to a ride and see who can stay on the bucking bull for the longest period of time. Winner gets a free beer. Losers get their photos posted on Instagram and the shame of looking really ridiculous at a bar.
Go to an IceBar
There are a lot of gimmicky bars out there, but nothing beats the appeal of putting on a winter coat and freezing your nuts off in the presence of alcohol. Ice bars can be found around the world, from Rome to Melbourne to Orlando. Some of these bars come with digital photos available for purchase so you don’t even have to freeze your fingers.
Be the Best DD Of All Time (And Hang it Over Your Friend’s Heads Forever)
So being the designated driver isn’t wild and crazy…unless you make it that way. Stay sober, keep your friends safe, and create a big story. Take your friends to a random location at the end of the night and help them set off fireworks. Capture the most wild moments and blackmail your friends with the photos later. Convince them of some weird stuff. Stick to soda and enjoy a night of sitting back and observing the madness. Plus, all of your friends will owe you a big favor later.
Tour Every Local Distillery, Winery, and Brewery in the Area
So you’ve consumed all of this alcohol, but do you know how it’s actually made? Can you swirl your whiskey around your glass and spew off fun facts to the attractive person next to you? It’s time to get yourself educated, friend.
Make a list of distilleries, wineries, and breweries in the area. Most of these tours are pretty cheap and come with tastings of local drinks. Go to all of them. Support a local business and learn something about the beverages that you enjoy so much.
Live Like Sam with Maverick Whiskey.
So Samuel Maverick may not have ridden a mechanical bull or indulged in bad karaoke, but the man knew how to live. He was the original maverick, after all. He did what he wanted and fought for what he believed in. Bucket list items are fun and silly, but they’re a great reminder that your life is in your own hands. Live it. Enjoy it. And have a glass of Maverick Whiskey to celebrate it.
