INTRODUCING THE GUIDE:

Denton is known as a college town, and while many of the city’s residents should spend their time with their noses in textbooks, there are more than enough potential distractions. Here is a guide of things to do around Denton for those moments of procrastination or unexpected free time (but really, who has that?). And since the interests of an 18-year-old are quite different from someone in their mid-twenties, the guide is divided into handy age categories. Enjoy, and try not to have too much fun.

By On The Record Staff

1. Board Games and Beer

Instead of having a game night at home, order one of Oak Street Drafthouse’s 72 beers on tap and snag a board game to play at the outdoor picnic tables.

2. Around the World Challenge

Upon turning the magic 21, you’ll naturally want to assert your dominance and invincibility in any alcohol-related way. Lucky Lou’s has what you need: a beer challenge. Drink 40 craft beers from different countries in less than a year and you get your name on a plaque and the holy grail of college prizes: a crappy t-shirt.

3. Get iced out at Eskimo Hut

Go for a cold adult beverage before or after wasting several hours at a pool day drinking. This option is especially awesome during the summertime.

4. Laugh out loud

Local comedy troupes like the Denton Comedy Collective perform occasionally at Hailey’s and Banter. Let the giggles flow freely at a table near the stage.

5. The pursuit of knowledge

Train your brain and win some drinks at trivia night. Mulberry Street Cantina and Cool Beans both host weekly games and the winning team gets a free bar tab, so get a team together and be sure to remember Amerigo Vespucci discovered America, not Christopher Colombus.

A Guide to Bar Etiquette

Joshua Knopp / Senior Staff Writer 

You’ve just turned 21. You’ve had your birthday tour, but now comes the grind of going to bars as an everyday patron. You’re not going to be special again until your next birthday, and if you want to get the best out of your bar-going experience, here are a few things you need to remember.

The bartender is always right

This shouldn’t be a common occurrence, but if there’s ever a disagreement between a patron and a bartender, the bartender is right.

This isn’t like little league soccer, where the referee was “always right.” He was mostly wrong, of course, but you have to pretend he’s right to move the game along. This is not true with bartenders. Bartenders are actually right 100 percent of the time.

They are the most sober people there. Everyone else has gone out to drink and is presumably quite drunk already. The bartender is working and, hopefully, in his or her right mind.

They are more familiar with the environment. Bartenders don’t follow around the $1 well specials. They are at their bar three to four days a week at least. The bartender is more aware of what is going on than you are.

They have all the liquor, they have all the power. Even if they weren’t technically correct, the little league referee dynamic still applies.

Please, be patient

Hundreds of people go in and out of a given bar every night. The joint will be crowded and loud. The line to be served will be long. The bartender will not remember your name or what you ordered last. It’s OK. This is what most bars are like. Learn to love it.

Have your wallet ready

If the bartender is taking a long time to get to you, that’s OK. If you’re waiting on someone who waited in line, placed an order, watched the drink be made and only then thought to pull out his wallet as if he thought it would be free for some reason, that’s a problem.

Have your driver’s license ready at the door. Have your card ready when you open a tab. You know what the bouncer and the bartender need, so have them out and ready. The other patrons don’t want to wait on you.

Know what you want to order

Another thing other patrons don’t want to wait on is your decision of what to drink. The specials are posted both outside and inside, and you should be able to see the beers on draft. It is ridiculous for you to get to the point of ordering without having at least an idea of what beverage you desire.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions

A corollary to the above, if you’re curious about what a special is or what kinds of whiskey are available or what that watermelon is for, it’s OK to ask. Bartenders know their menus, and they’ll be willing to help you out if you’re unsure about something.

But you should at least have an intelligent question or an idea that you want a surprise by the time you’ve got the bartender’s attention.

Tipping isn’t optional

Bars are a service industry. Their servers get $2 to $3 per hour. If they’re not tipped, they won’t make rent.

Owners are paying them to staff their restaurant and take orders. You are paying them for their expertise and their smiling faces. The general rule is 20 percent, but if you don’t want to do math, $1 per drink is enough to get you noticed in a good way.

You’re 21. If it were that easy, you could make your own drinks. Remember – if you don’t have enough money to tip, you don’t have enough money to go out.

Oak Street Draft House and Cocktail Parlor. File Photo.