Articles about Drinking
Red Bull For All! (Who Work at D Magazine.)
I would like to announce a “material connection” between D Magazine and Red Bull. The new FTC rules on freebies for bloggers are very strict, and I wish to remain on the right side of the law [cough, cough]. So here’s the deal: moments ago, the Red Bull mini-fridge you see pictured was installed in our kitchen. It joins the ranks of the KitchenAid (toast), the Keurig (coffee), and, my favorite, the Hoshizaki (crushed ice and water). I am told the Red Bull mini-fridge will be stocked with free Red Bull — thereby giving rise to our “material connection.” I myself cannot drink caffeinated beverages, per doctor’s orders. And even if I could, I would not choose to drink Red Bull, on account of I think it tastes like cough syrup (which I have consumed in the past for recreational purposes, if you must know, but only because the brand I had on hand during that particular road trip had codeine in it, which Red Bull does not). Point is, though, someone who works for our company might in the future blog something that casts Red Bull in a favorable light. And I just wanted you to know that that person cannot be trusted. Because he’ll be high on free Red Bull. (I’m looking at you, Zac.)
Cowboys Fans Celebrate Win With a Bang (NSFW)
… in the “Hall of Fame Level” bathrooms at the brand new broken in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. No joke. Two fans clad in Michael Irvin throwback jerseys decided that all the excitement of a thoroughly lackluster win by Romo and the Boys could only be sated by a quickie in one of Jerry’s marble-tiled handicap bathroom stalls.
This definitely NSFW link will take you to the Deadspin post that includes video of the pair drunkenly going at it. The video is very short, but in IMHO the dude was over served and lacking in the imagination department. Is it wrong that I hear Brad Sham’s voice saying, “Irvin loves Irving Irvin,” every time I watch it?
Also, check out photographer Eliot Boney’s website. He’s the guy with the apropos name taking credit for the masterful camera work. No word yet on who the two Irvin wannabees are. My question: Where was security while this was going on?
Comments are on like Donkey Kong. Who’s got the best Chris Berman play-by-play?
Party Over the Trinity on Friday
This Friday evening, the Trinity Trust Foundation is throwing what it’s calling a “bridge fair” on the Continental Bridge to celebrate the progress being made on the Marget Hunt Hill Bridge (full release after the jump). Santiago Calatrava will be in attendance. The band Boys Named Sue will play, and the foundation promises other “delectable delights.” Tickets cost $150, a price point established, I believe, to keep Jim Schutze from attending. D Magazine is a media sponsor, so I’ll be there. Look for me wherever the delectable delights are located.
My New Favorite Calligrapher: Ken Brown
Loyal readers of the “print product” will recall a little ditty I wrote about the Duckbill money clip back in March. I still love that thing. Highly recommended. Well, the guy who engraves the Duckbills (if you so choose) is a man named Ken Brown. He does calligraphic engraving with a dental drill, a process he taught himself. Well, you know who’s a loyal reader of the “print product”? Ken Brown is. After reading this story about how Spider Monkey and I nearly drowned in the Trinity (slight exaggeration), Ken sent over an engraved bottle of wine (pictured). Here’s the poem writ thereon:
A toast to the Trinity/ And surrounding muck./ A toast to the Matrix/ That didn’t get stuck./ A toast to the Monkey,/ While shooting the news,/ With brute force she pushed/ And Tim saved his shoes!
Now all I have to do is drink this thing before Spider Monkey reads this post and demands her share.
What To Do in Dallas This Labor Day Weekend
Staying in town? Looking for something to do? Never fear. Our girls-about-town Kyle Kearbey and Sarah Eveans did the legwork for you.
Medieval Times=Best Birthday Ever
On Wednesday, I will turn [redacted] years old. I’m very old. You know what old people like to do? Look back. In my case, I wanted to go way back–to Medieval Times. And so, a few merry maidens and one princely soul accompanied me there last Saturday night. Never been? I hadn’t either. It’s magical. This is a place where lords and ladies enjoy motley menus—tomato soup, garlic bread, a chicken leg, and rib—sans silverware. It’s a little piece of paradise where the Pepsi flows like champagne, and despite the fear of lice and germs, the general public dons headbands and costumes without question. And you know what? It was fabulous. Jump for a few of my favorite things.
Author of Julie & Julia Was In Dallas Last Night
Julie Powell spoke at Arts & Letters Live last night at the DMN. After she finished her talk, I walked up to her and told her I didn’t like her one bit.
TABC Fort Worth Supervisor “Retires” Over Gay Bar Raid, Two Agents On Desk Duty
For once, the TABC seems to be taking a complaint about its overbearing misuse of police powers seriously. Administrator Alan Steen actually placed a call to the Dallas Voice this week to apologize for the Rainbow Lounge raid. He used that opportunity to announce the supervisor’s well-deserved retirement and the reassignment of the two agents, whose actions are still being investigated. Steen had previously acknowledged that bar patron Chad Gibson had been injured while in TABC custody
Perhaps now the TABC’s disasasterous Sales to Intoxicated Persons program (you just knew they’d have to call it SIP), which was the impetus for the raid, will finally be put out of its misery. The policy has been roundly criticized for enforcement that is intrusive, subjective, and often violent, and it has not held up well in the courts. When a joint legislative committee began looking into it three years ago, Steen said he would “delay” any more enforcement. Apparently the delay ended soon after. Maybe now he’ll decide to ax the program for good. (Note that the linked-to article begins “It has been a tough couple of weeks for the folks at the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission…” and it is dated April 28, 2006.)
Dallas Dogged in Wall Street Journal by “Water Hog” Label
I’m reading this story about how North Texas needs more water. About how we’ve got about 6 million residents right now, but come 2060, we’ll have more than 13 million. About how we’re looking around to dam up some rivers to accommodate all those new residents (and their lawns). About how the people on those rivers don’t particularly cotton to our scheming. And I’m thinking: gee, this sounds familiar.
Here’s looking at you, Rod Davis.
A Version Of The Trinity River Project Most Of Us Can Agree On — Because It Contains Alcohol
Apologies in advance if I’m late to this, and apologies for not migrating this post over to SideDish. (I have no access since no one trusts me talking about food, etc., because I’m boring — i.e., I don’t eat meat and only drink bourbon.)
Now that is out of the way, I present the Trinity River Project, a drink concocted by Dallas’ own Justin Beam of the Rattlesnake Bar on behalf of Texas Monthly. Since gin is the predominant spirit — and, as I’ve already mentioned, I pretty much drink bourbon and that’s it — you’ll have to tell me how it is. Preferably not from an uncomfortably close distance. I don’t need gin in my ear, friend-o.
Is The TABC Out of Control?
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is a powerful agency in the state of Texas. They regulate the sales, taxation, importation, manufacturing, transporting, and advertising of alcoholic beverages.
Over the years, I’ve heard some horror stories from bar and restaurant owners. Yesterday, I ran an interview with Rainmaker Restaurant Group owner Michael Costa. He manages Las Colinas Prime and claims that the TABC harasses them to the point of scaring away customers. During a recent raid, Costa claims an agent pulled a gun on one of the cooks in the kitchen because he had a knife in his hands.
Early Sunday morning, officers with the TABC and Fort Worth police raided the Rainbow Lounge, a gay nightclub in Fort Worth. It’s sounds like it was a nasty scene. One patron ended up in the hospital with a brain injury. Last night witnesses to the ordeal met at Buzzbrews on Lemmon to share stories.
Yow. Zah. I’m having flashbacks to Lee Park in 1971. Where is Stoney Burns when we need him? (Much watch video.) Operators are standing by for your comments.
My New Favorite Beverage Location: Daiquiri’s To Go
Spider Monkey and I were returning from Fuel City, where we’d filled our bellies with delicious tacos, when I spotted a joint off Industrial, on Market Center Boulevard, called Daiquiri’s To Go. The apostrophe. I know. It killed me, too. But how the heck do you serve a daiquiri to go? I mean, that right there is the definition of an open container. I was intrigue’d. So we swung through.
Daiquiri’s To Go might have the best menu in Dallas. Check out this selection of beverage names: Chasity [sic, I think] sits on the menu right atop Sex in Dallas; there’s Pink Panties right next to Pulled 2 Da Side; and there’s the Make U Wet, the D-Ware #94 [I'm sure with Cowboys approval], and the Recession. Solid choices, all. But how do they get away with serving an alcoholic beverage to go? You can see from the picture: they seal it in a plastic bag (as displayed by Spider Monkey). The smallest size was 16 ounces ($6); the largest is 1 gallon ($25). We, of course, waited until we’d gotten back to the office before we poked the straw through the plastic bag and drank it.
If you’re route home this Friday eve takes you past the joint, I highly recommend it.
Best Water Fountain In Dallas
I’ve been trying to convince Tim to include my very favorite local water fountain in the “Best of Big D” issue for about 22 years. Today, he rather cruelly broke the news that it’s never going to happen. Forget you, Tim; I’m taking my news straight to the people. Here’s the deal: I’ve gone for runs all over this town–from Oak Cliff to North Dallas–and I’ve sipped from a lot of fountains. In my opinion, no place has finer, colder water—year round, mind you—than the Highland Park Police Department. I don’t know how they do it, but I urge you, do something physical, pop into the dispatch office, and drink up. You’ll thank me. (Lucky for everyone, I just happened to bump into Elizabeth–and by bump into, I mean called her to meet me there–and she was able to snap this photo of me. The water makes everyone a star, apparently.)
Dallas Bartender Dating Options to Expand
A friend recently joked that I spent so much time at a certain establishment that I was almost certainly common-law married to a bartender there. I wish. But I think being a bartender would be hard–you’re never home at night so you miss amazing shows; people are generally bad—but drunk people are worse; and trying to remember drink orders and recipes and all that business is just too much. Luckily, a lot of people don’t see it my way. According to this Dallas Morning News video, local bartending schools are experiencing a jump in enrollment, likely due to the uncertain economy. My favorite line here: “Your degree in this business is your smile.”
Zac Crain Is Sleeping With Dick Washburne?
Timmy, thanks for the information. That explains a lot. I can really pick ‘em.
“Home Run Happy Hour” At Pappadeaux Is A Grand Slam
Fans stand in line to meet Eric Celeste and Michael Young.
InsideCorner’s Evan Paul “Grumpy” Grant pulled off a humdinger of a happy hour last night. Fans showed up to see baseball players and they got an added bonus–Eric, Zac, Tim, and Spider Monkey were all there. What a night for sports in Dallas.
“Dewhurst Bill” Will Allow You to BYOB to Any Restaurant: And Dallas Restaurateurs Are Mad
The Dallas Restaurant community is fightin’ mad. We’re having a great discussion on a new liquor law that could ruin their businesses. It is dangerously close to becoming a reality. Somebody call the New York Times.
Starck Club Documentary Screening Will Be Followed By A Party At Dali Wine Bar
If you remember the Starck Club, you’ll want to see this movie and go to this party.
Another Open Letter to James Ragland
Dear James Ragland:
I sincerely hope it doesn’t feel like I’m harping on you. But after reading your column this morning, in which you argue that Six Flags shouldn’t sell beer, I felt compelled to share some thoughts with you.
My first thought is that I just made a beer pun. Harp? Beer sales? But that’s beside the point.
The point is, your argument against beer sales at Six Flags is a lousy one. First, you say they shouldn’t sell beer because people are “worried about patrons getting drunk, getting on a roller coaster, and throwing up on rides and spectators alike.” When a Six Flags spokeswoman points out that you don’t see that happening very often at other parks that sell beer, you say, “In this case, stats don’t mean much: once is too often if you’re on the wrong end.”
Six Flags Close to Securing Its Liquor License
And, so, apparently, I’m close to going back for the first time in well over a decade.
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