How many drinks do you buy in a night when you are not performing?

[bwardmusic]

For reasons I won't go into, I'm not a drinker, so I don't know the answer to this question. But how many drinks would you buy in a three hour visit to a club on average? This'll give me an idea of the kind of revenue a bar owner can expect from one person. It's probably wide and varied, but if enough people answer we could get an idea. I usually get a diet soda of some kind...and have one refill...for a total of 2 drinks in a night.

[seanm]

Am I driving?

[ObeyGiant]

The answer to that depends on a lot of things. Just depends on how I feel. Some days I might go and have a few beers, or if I'm not driving and get in the mood to "party" I may have a lot of beers. Depends on the atmosphere/people.

[two fingers]

It just depends on the night. My wife is really fun to drink with. If we have a sitter and a cab, I'll throw down. If not I'll have about a beer an hour with soda or water in between to make sure I'm good to drive. But I have also been out and realized when I got home that I hadn't had a drop all night.

[bwardmusic]

I'm talking about the non-driving kind of club attender. Two fingers, how many is a few, and how many is a lot on average?

[jmattbassplaya]

I'm in college and live within walking distance of all the bars. To be honest, the amount I drink on any night depends on a number of factors, but I think it'd be fair to say 3-5 drinks over a 3 hour period.

[Liam76]

3-4. They're usually either overpriced or the guy who's supposed to drive gets slammed. I save my boozing for safe moments.

[mellowinman]

Originally Posted by seanm

Am I driving?

If you can't remember, you are definitely cut off.

[skwee]

two pints. Possibly dinner if they have food.

[TRyan5289]

If I'm going out to have fun and not driving, three to five beers... an hour... for three hours.

[seanm]

Originally Posted by bwardmusic

I'm talking about the non-driving kind of club attender.

For three hours probably 3, maybe 4. If it is longer I will slow down as the night goes on.

Originally Posted by mellowinman

If you can't remember, you are definitely cut off.

I ain't drunk, I'm just drinkin' !

[Luke19Boarder]

Depends on a lot of factors - who I'm with, if I drank at home first, if there are any cheap specials ...

Usually I try to keep it at about 10$/hour, double that if I'm feeling extra saucy.

[jj4001]

Two drinks an hour if I'm playing pool. Three drinks an hour if I'm not.

[JakeF]

Not sure how to quantify "blackout" j/k

between $7.00 and $120 worth depending on the crowd

The real issue is type of venue/crowd/show.

Original act doing the artsy thing, 2-3 drinks during a show per audience member. (People come to these shows more "pre-loaded" and often don't have a lot of money unless dealing with "trustafarians. (Who pretend like they don't have money so its a wash)"

Hard partying crazy cover band. or a Quality DJ etc. Shots are more likely to come out. Guys buy drinks for ladies etc. $15-25 per guyish when you average between the good and bad spenders. $6-10 per lady, larger groups of women will spend more as guys will approach/buy drinks less for them and they are ready to party. $15-25. This crowd buys more liquor and that is way more profitable. Dancing women drive profits up in a strangely exponential manner as well.

Gay bar. Even better. Dinks (Double Income No Kids) throw down hard and can afford too, plus the clubs are nice too. $25+ a person. Fun crowd. More likely to run into club drugs as well (Molly etc).

Don't really know about wine bars, Jazz venues or the low key places. I vaguely recall a cigar bar/bar that also had live music that did pretty well though can't give you any numbers.


Just to throw a kink into your study consider people who are their for only the beginning or end of the show.

[Downunderwonder]

So many variables.

If I'm out for three hours not playing it's a big night out for me, probably 7 and it's a cab ride home, two or three times a year with those shenanigans. Between mixed drinks and shots every other round your serious drinkers are easily getting in over a dozen over three hours. They are still going at a late night bar after the show is over.

Usually I don't stay out late so only 3 drinks or 4 at a stretch over dinner and half a show.

Your sample is flawed because the population of bass players has less crazy booze hags than your potential audience. You are better to go out and shaddow a barman to see how many drinks he pours over 10 mins of each hour. If you aren't pushy about getting served your lemonade you won't even be noticed.

I imagine your barmen are more consistently harder working than mine as ours don't rely on tips for income. Still wouldn't hurt to do a couple or three different ones.

[cyclopsbookworm]

I almost always have 2, though I'm almost always driving. I have one as soon as I get there, one halfway through the show, then water for the next 1-2 hours. I know, I'm a square. Lol.

I know you won't go into specifics about the question, but it seems like a pretty tall order to calculate revenue from this survey. I'm sure there are also many other factors to consider, like if the bar is beer only or full license? What location the place is in? How much is the bar's rent,? What crowd will be there? How heavily staffed is the place? You will also have loss from having a good (aka, popular) bartender, who will usually give free rounds to regulars to build up clientele. Also, if the question is music related, is there a cover charge or a ticket fee? Many things to factor in.

[Low Sound Love]

When not driving and with no early appointments the next day, between 2 and 4 per hour, so that would make anywhere between 6 and 12 in the 3 hour span.

[AuntieBeeb]

Depending on my mood and the quality of the beer...at least three pints. Probably closer to six if I've got the right company.

[bassgod0dmw]

Usually somewhere between 2-5. Sometimes I'll have one, other times ill have more.

I don't like to drink anymore, so now it's 0. I just don't enjoy it.

[Jazz Ad]

I easily get slightly drunk in bars when I go to see a show, but then again I'm almost in my 40s, with a more than decent salary and I can walk home afterwards.