For The Traveling Alcoholic In All Of Us......

Below is a link to an informative slideshow about the 10 best drinking streets in the world.  So if you like to travel and you like to throw a few back, check out the link. 

BEST STREETS IN THE WORLD FOR DRINKING LINK

 

Booze Map of The World

Illustration credit: Richie King,  Quartz

So what alcohol does your country like???

50 State Challenge - Kentucky

For this weeks 50 State Challenge I am going to be highlighting Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky.   Buffalo Trace Distillery is located in Frankfort, Kentucky and is the oldest continuously operating distillery in the United States. The distillery is located on what the company claims was once an ancient buffalo crossing on the banks of the Kentucky River. In 2001, Buffalo Trace Distillery was listed on the National Register of Historic places and in 2013 it became a National Historic Landmark.

Heaven in a bottle!

TOURS:

•  The Trace Tour - This tour is complimentary and includes a tasting of there products. Visitors are welcome to walk in with no reservation needed unless you have a group of 25 or more. During the tour you will watch a video about the history of the distillery, walk along the path of rolling bourbon barrels. Venture through warehouses and explore Blanton's Bottling Hall where you will witness the bourbons being filled, labeled, sealed and packaged. This tour last one hour and runs every hour on the hour from 9 am to 4 pm.
• Hard Hat Tour - Requires a reservation. It runs Monday - Friday at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm. It last one hour. This tour is an insiders look into the behind the scenes work. You can witness the grain delivery, cooking process, fermentation and distillation. Also included in the tour is a stop at E.H. Taylor Jr Microstill, where unique and award winning Experimental Collection whiskies are made. This tour is complimentary and also includes a tasting. 
• National Historic Landmark Tour - Requires a reservation and last one hour. Monday - Friday 11:30 am. This tour is complimentary and also includes a tasting.  This is an educational tour that focuses on the buildings, architecture and the history of the years between 1933-1953. 
• Bourbon Barrel Tour - Requires a reservation and last one hour. Monday - Friday 9:30 am. This tour is complimentary and also includes a tasting. During this tour you learn about the barrels on their journey throughout the distillery. 
• Ghost Tour - Requires a reservation and last one hour. Thursday - Saturday starting at 7 pm. This tour is complimentary and also includes a tasting. The distillery was featured on Ghost Hunters and has long been rumored to have been haunted. On this tour you can hear legendary stories and visit haunted sites, including the rarely visited Stony Point Mansion. 

Even if you do not have time for the tour, you can still stop by and enjoy a tasting!

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY

113 GREAT BUFFALO TRACE

FRANKFORT, KY 40601

Cape Cod 2013 Day 5 Part 2

CAPE COD VACATION 2013:

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

DAY 4

DAY 5 PART 1

Day 5 of my Cape Cod vacation was spent on Martha's Vineyard. My friends and I had just got done viewing the famous gingerbread house and eating lunch at the fabulous Lookout Tavern. We decided to walk around the main streets of Oaks Bluff. The shops are quaint and cute and several of them are your typical tourist trap shops. Of course we stopped at The Black Dog but I didn't buy anything. We stopped at many cheap t-shirt shops that had hilarious shirts and other strange items. Below are some of the hilarious shirts we saw.

And of a Jesus action figure....with gliding arms!

After window shopping my friends and I did what we do best...... we got drunk. Chris told us about a place called Offshore Ale House located at 30 Kennebec Ave. There beers were pricey but good. I don't like dark beer so I can't comment on those but I did have a East Chop Lighthouse Ale that was very good. Warning to those that have peanut allergies, this is a bar that allows you to toss peanut shells on the ground. However, they do have outside seating for those that are not keen on peanuts. You can also order food here but I just stuck to a liquid lunch.

After the Ale House we ventured back to the dock to drink and wait for the ferry to arrive. We decided on a place called the Sand Bar & Grill. Once again we did not eat here, so I can't comment on the food. We did drink our faces off though. We had an hour to kill before the 5 o'clock ferry came, so that meant power hour. I had several Coronas, vodka redbulls and shots of something yummy. 

The gang at Sand Bar & Grill

Finally it was time to board the ferry, so we left the bar and stumbled on board. We kept drinking on the way back to the main land and decided that we needed to eat. We decided on the Black Cat Harbor Shack on Ocean Street because it was literally across the street from the dock. My sister Kelly and my friend Ryan were blackout drunk, so we weren't sure if they would even allow us to eat there. After being told the wait for 6 would take 45 mins, Kelly tried to slip the hostess a $20. I think it worked because we ended up only waiting 5 mins. I would recommend the clam chowder and anything seafood inspired. I would also recommend you don't go with friends that are shit faced because the white collar customers were giving us looks.  Judging by the photo's below you can see why......

.....And now he is in a bush

After dinner, we drove back to our cape house and had plans to keep drinking but we all passed out before midnight. I recommend the Vineyard to anyone visiting the cape. However, one day is not enough there. There is too much to see and do, so a weekend at the Vineyard would be ideal.

Cape Cod 2013 - Day 5 Part 1

My alarm went off at 8 am. My friends and I had to rush out of the house to catch the ferry to Martha's Vineyard.  The ferry was to leave Hyannis at 10 am and it was a good thing to get there early because the ticket lines where annoyingly long.

Ferry to the Vineyard

Around 9:30 we got on the boat and started the hour long journey to the Vineyard. The boys (Erik, Ryan and Chris) immediately made there way down to the bar and my sister and I met them there shortly after. Since it was only 10 am I decided not to look that much like an alcoholic and just got a Bloody Mary. Now I nursed my Bloody Mary the entire way to the Vineyard, however my sister lapped me... three times. Its safe to say that Kelly and my friend Ryan were both drunk before we got to the island.

First order of business once we got on the Vineyard was to get some food in our stomaches. We headed to the Lookout Tavern for lunch based on a recommendation from some locals. The two drunks in our group decided to get the smallest lunch; Sashimi.

The two drunks enjoying their small lunch

I got a chicken dish that had to weigh about 5 lbs and was fairly cheap. The food and drinks were excellent and I would recommend you check out The Lookout Tavern if you ever visit the Vineyard.

A beautiful park next to the Lookout Tavern

After lunch my sister was eager to see the famous gingerbread cottages on the island. Chris told us he knew the way, so we rightfully followed him. He took us through a beautiful park and into to several random neighborhoods. After 10 mins of walking in circles we started a mutiny against Chris and Ryan took over as the tour guide. Ryan successfully lead us in the right direction and Kelly finally got to see the house. Below are some of the cottages we saw that day.

Part 2 Coming Out Soon!!

Check out other Cape Cod post below:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Beers, Football & A Good Time

Tampa is one of those big cities in Florida where you either hate it or love it. I lived there for 4 years and I am one of those people that hated the city. I'll get into why I hated Tampa at another time but lets just say it is no Boston, Massachusetts. The one silver lining for Tampa is a bar located in the Soho district that goes by the name MacDintons.

When I went to the University of Tampa (2005-2009) my go to bar was MacDintons. I even lived a blocked over from it my senior year. This bar is just a fun and cheap place to go to. During the day it is very chill and laid back but at night you are competing with the hottest of the hot in Tampa. 

Every night they have different special (you can view them all here) and my personal favorites were Happy Hour on Fridays and on Sundays when you could bring your dog to the bar. It use to be every Sunday you could bring your dog but I think they have changed it to only a couple times a month. But  enough about dogs getting shit tanked at the bar, lets dive to Happy Hour. 

A busy night at MacDintons

Now I know most people have been to a Happy Hour before but I guarantee you never went to a Happy Hour like the one on Friday nights at MacDintons. Check out "Crazy Happy Hour" as described on the MacDintons website:

Every Friday night from 6pm-8pm

$10 Open Bar includes

ALL Draft Beers, Heineken Light bottles, House Wines & Well Liquors, inc Jack Daniels, Finlandia Vodka's & Southern Comfort cocktails. 

50c wings from 4pm until midnight.

From 8-Close

$3 Southern Comfort, Soco Cherry or Soco Lime Shots
$4 Heineken Light Bottles

$5 Bacardi

$7 Grey Goose

Wristbands are on sale at the door from 6pm.

MacDinton's is a 21 and over venue, for Guys & Girls.

You must have a valid picture ID to enter. 

25 and under requires 2 forms of ID.

It's safe to assume I got very and some might dare say extremely intoxicated during Happy Hour. It starts at 6 and the line to get in can be very long. I would always get there 10-15 minutes before 6 to try and be at the front of the line. Happy Hour can get very crowed but Macdintons has several bars located inside and outside so it never feels like you can't get a drink. 

My roommate (right) and I (left) at the start of Happy Hour

Trust me when I say that if you are ever in Tampa, you have to check out MacDintons on South Howard in the Soho district. And for all the amateurs out there take a little advice from a seasoned vet and pace yourself. You don't want to be one of those fools that are passing out an hour into it! Even if the Happy Hour is not your thing, their food is amazing (try the Philly Cheese Steak for only $8.50). MacDintons is also home to fanatic football (Soccer for Americans) fans. At the heart, this is truly a football bar because they play every European game that is available to watch on TV. Stop by for a drink and let me know if you like my old stomping grounds.

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