Southern Bars

[Varmint]

Last week's Nashville Scene had an overview of the Nashville bar scene: Click here for the story.

This story made me think of Southern bars. What distinguishes a Southern bar from the ones you might find up above the Mason-Dixon line (aside from the ubiquitous Confederate Battle Flag and NASCAR posters)? What is your favorite Southern bar and why?

[alacarte]

Do Southerners favor a particular cocktail or liquor? All I think of are mint juleps. That has to be a stereotype, doesn't it?

[FistFullaRoux]

Note, these are the ones that I have been in (but please note that it's been a while). And you did ask about bars, not lounges, clubs are anything else - Yes, there is a difference. I'm assuming you mean a neighborhood hangout.

There is usually a pool table, possibly foosball. Almost guaranteed music on the jukeboxes - Bob Seger, Tom Petty, The Eagles, Travis Tritt, and quite possibly Skynard (though I know places that purposely don't put them in because they don't want to hear Freebird... yet again). you know you are in a "locals only" kind of place when you see Johnnie Taylor and Clarence Carter on the list.

I don't know of many bartenders who have used up an entire bottle of gin. Not a real popular choice. Bourbon, whisk(e)y, vodka, tequila, and a schnapps assortment tend to be the main choices, add Jagermiester and 151 rum for the college kids. Lots and lots and lots of beer. Coors Light, MGD/Miller Lite, and Bud/Bud light would be about all you would have to stock. There are brewpubs, and those that have microbrews, but for the majority of folks, it's the list above.

Don't order wine. They probably keep a few bottles of zinfandel, but that's about it. Mixers are orange juice (predominately screwdrivers), Coke (Jack/Crown/rum and Cokes), 7Up (The 7&7), maybe cranberry juice, and very rarely milk (Colorado Bulldogs and White Russians).

I have never seen anyone order a mint julep in a bar. I do not know a bartender who has ever had to make one in a bar. That's one usually reserved for home, if they are made at all. Kentucky may be a completely different story, but they are not popular in Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Unless maybe in a country club.

[JPW]

The little airplane bottles definitely distinguish SC bars.

As fistfullaroux noted beer will infallably be macrobrew American served in cans only.

Case in point, went to a lavish wedding at a very fancy Memphis country club. Gin? Tangueray only. Vodka? Absolut only. Beer? Bud and Bud Light in cans only.

[Singapore]

Do Southerners favor a particular cocktail or liquor? All I think of are mint juleps. That has to be a stereotype, doesn't it?

Beer. And beer.

[pogophiles]

Do Southerners favor a particular cocktail or liquor? All I think of are mint juleps. That has to be a stereotype, doesn't it?

Yes, with the possible exception of the weekend of the Kentucky Derby...

Edited April 24, 2004 by pogophiles (log)

[chefseanbrock]

i consider myself an expert on the subject......first of all they have to smell really bad with terrible bathrooms, sleazy white trash bartenders and women's underwear hanging from the ceiling....and they must serve PBR in a can for 1 dollar....the bar is called big john's tavern in charleston, sc......:"charleston's best dive since 1965"......i think the last time they cleaned the bathroom was 1965.....my favorite place on earth........

[joiei]

The Flora-bama and their mullet tossing contest. Cant do that up north.

[Mabelline]

Beer in Longneck Bottles. You cannot get in a proper fight holding a can.Be seen with your wife/husband's cousin. Have a bridal or baby shower there. Take the big fish you caught there first.

Edited April 24, 2004 by Mabelline (log)

[Toasted]

Note, these are the ones that I have been in (but please note that it's been a while). And you did ask about bars, not lounges, clubs are anything else - Yes, there is a difference. I'm assuming you mean a neighborhood hangout.

There is usually a pool table, possibly foosball. Almost guaranteed music on the jukeboxes - Bob Seger, Tom Petty, The Eagles, Travis Tritt, and quite possibly Skynard (though I know places that purposely don't put them in because they don't want to hear Freebird... yet again). you know you are in a "locals only" kind of place when you see Johnnie Taylor and Clarence Carter on the list.

I don't know of many bartenders who have used up an entire bottle of gin. Not a real popular choice. Bourbon, whisk(e)y, vodka, tequila, and a schnapps assortment tend to be the main choices, add Jagermiester and 151 rum for the college kids. Lots and lots and lots of beer. Coors Light, MGD/Miller Lite, and Bud/Bud light would be about all you would have to stock. There are brewpubs, and those that have microbrews, but for the majority of folks, it's the list above.

Don't order wine. They probably keep a few bottles of zinfandel, but that's about it. Mixers are orange juice (predominately screwdrivers), Coke (Jack/Crown/rum and Cokes), 7Up (The 7&7), maybe cranberry juice, and very rarely milk (Colorado Bulldogs and White Russians).

I have never seen anyone order a mint julep in a bar. I do not know a bartender who has ever had to make one in a bar. That's one usually reserved for home, if they are made at all. Kentucky may be a completely different story, but they are not popular in Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Unless maybe in a country club.

Now, I thought I was living in CT but from what you just wrote, I'm living in the south! We have many of the same dive bars with the same music, same booze, same clientel. It's not just a southern thing- ya'll (did I spell that right? Next thing you know I'll be eating grits)

[BetsyinKY]

Re the mint julep discussion, I live in KY and I have never seen/heard anyone order a mint julep in a bar. Derby is about the only time you hear people talk about mint juleps, and for most people, one julep in their lifetime is enough! :)

Betsy in KY

[Mabelline]

Music in Southern joints is usually made up with tragically dead people, so don't forget Buddy Holly, StevieRay Vaughan, Elvis, Patsy Cline, Hendrix, and George Jones (---thrown in for good measure). And at least 'La Paloma Blanca' by Slim Whitman when the grams come in before or after Bingo.

[deibu]

I've been all over the country, but grew up and still live right here in good ol' SC, and I love it. One big difference - cigarette smoking. I think, partially due to the tobacco crop being grown here, lots more people smoke. Ironically, the number of smokers seems to be the highest at two type of Southern dive bars I frequent - the gay dive bars, the "indie" dive bars and the redneck dive bars. Over half the patrons are smoking like chimneys. I'm not being critical, because I'm one of them.

[tommy]

in my brief, but eventful, tenure in South Carolina, i saw more knife and gun play in bars than i have in the past 17 years in NYC bars. in my mind, that sets southern bars apart. that, and i heard clarence carter's song "strokin" more times in SC bars than i ever had anywhere else. in fact, i don't think i've *ever* heard it anywhere else. (note: if not for rhapsody, i would have never figured out who did that song, and i sure as hell wouldn't be listening to it right now).

[Mayhaw Man]

What about pickled eggs (the one in the brine dyed pink)? Seeing a big gallon jar of those babies on the back bar means that you don't even have to go home for supper.

[tommy]

ooo, i just remember the "floater". is that what it's called? where they take a cold mug with ice in it and float it in your pitcher of crappy beer to keep it cold? it's one hellavu good idea i think.

[Mayhaw Man]

Actually, you should use a collins glass(mugs don't float well or upright), but you are right-an excellent idea. I have done it for many customers and the funny thing is, now that I think about it, it was always in cheap beer.

[tommy]

Actually, you should use a collins glass(mugs don't float well or upright),

the places i went to used a plain old mug.

it didn't strike me as odd back then, given i was about 23 years old, but it was kind of like everyone ordered their own *pitcher* of beer. you gotta love it.

Edited April 25, 2004 by tommy (log)

[Mabelline]

Damn, that made me remember the tap beer, and not to be forgotten, red beer!!!! There's a bar on 28th Street in Fort Worth that sells Bloody Marys on Sunday for a buck apiece, staring at 7:30!! Long live the Crow's Nest...

Edit to add: that's 7:30 a.m.

Edited April 25, 2004 by Mabelline (log)

[morda]

The little airplane bottles definitely distinguish SC bars.

Yes! I first saw those in a bar/restaurant, and I said (aloud), "This must not be a real bar, they only have liquor in the mini bottles". Then my friend told me that's how it has to be at all bars. Oops. Well, at least you don't get stiffed on the alcohol.

The distiguishing factor for me is the price of beer. Beers generally cost under 4 dollars instead of over 5 dollars. But that might be a difference between living in the city in the North and living in a more rural area in the South.

[Mayhaw Man]

Location: 2 lane rural highway

Construction: Cinderblock, rectangular in shape, 1 front door, 1 side door. Bar down the door side of the rectangle. Gravel or shell (in Gulf South) parking lot. Bathrooms-1 stall in each -mens (no urinal in men's room, although there might be one in the women's room ) and womens restrooms.

Interior: Incandescent lighting except for the old Schlitz pool table light, which is flourescent, but has one bulb out and at least on hole in it slightly larger than a pool cue tip). Completely mismatched tables and old bistro type wooden chairs in poor repair. Barstools are four legged and of wood construction. No foot rail on bar. Beer coolers that have the names of out of production beers or Coca Cola roll top coolers. An actual home type fridge in the back corner behind the bar. BBQ pit outside of back door of 55 gallon drum type construction (although more successful places may have a giant iron one made by a welder who hangs around in the place).

At least a few handwritten signs proclaiming (among other things)

"Friends don't loan money to friends. Don't ask."

"I wouldn't cash a personal check for my mother. Please don't ask me to do it for you."

" No credit. Don't ask."

"Sunday at 3. Pool Tourney and BBQ

I could go on for a long time, but there is an excellent book by photographer Birney Imes titled Juke Joint that describes this stuff better than I ever will be able to. While I highly reccomend the purchase of this volume (as it will go to further this sight and also help Steven buy yogurt for contributors) you will be able to find this book in any decent library system. Incidentally, Lucinda Williams fine tune "Too Cool to be Forgotten" is crafted entirely from the signs in this book with an added refrain. A wonderful writing device. a great song and a wonderful piece of work. I have been to a number of the places in the book (particularly the ones up in the Delta and the ones south of Vicksburg) and he captures them perfectly, in a very surreal way. Check it out.

[Mabelline]

There's a bar in Mineral Wells, Texas, housed in an old WW2 Quoset hut and back in the 80's, when Lonestar was usin' this ad slogan of "The National Beer Of Texas", it was painted like half a giant Lonestar can!

[Mayhaw Man]

housed in an old WW2 Quoset hut

Not that this is in the "South, South", but it is in Southern California. The Belly Up is located in two quonset huts (not suprisingly, since it is so close to Fort Pendleton). This is a GREAT place that keeps a very eclectic lineup going. Lots of friends from New Orleans played there while I was living in San Diego and I used to be there alot. Once saw Kandy Kane (I would put a link, but can't find one that is appropriate for family viewing-google at your own risk!) open up for Los Lobos there. In a world full of great nights this was a great one. Spanking and wrestling fetishists mixing with roots r and b fans-it made for fun evening.

[Mabelline]

Oh, and an old-fashioned 'dogtrot' cabin in Florence, Texas, with a water trough(filled) and a hitching rail in front--which was used.

I saw a hypnotist in Camp Pendleton once--that was strange to say the least.

[pjs]

Check out Sopotnick's and their awesome coleslaw recipe.

PJ