And the Winner is Alcohol by a Knockout!
Wines, beers and spirits have been produced since the earliest times. The Egyptians were making wine about 3,500 BC, and alcohol was already becoming associated with social gatherings such as births, funerals, weddings and all points in between. The ritual of social drinking still lives on today. From a Jewish wedding reception to a 1969 high school class reunion each party has its very own special flair. However one-thing remains consistent, if you have a bar people will drink. I tend bar as a part time job on Friday and Saturday nights, mostly for weddings and class reunions. As a bartender I have observed that there are three distinct phases to every party, the confidence builder, the brawl and the knock out. The first of these three phases would be the 'confidence builder'. The guests arrive and make their way to the bar and they begin to order drinks. The drinks usually start off simple enough, rum and coke, vodka tonic and the occasional cosmopolitan. Small groups of friends begin to cluster together and new friends or family are being introduced. Inevitably there will be some moment of uncomfortable silence. This is particularly true at weddings, where two new families are brought together. Because they are now newly rela
The knock out phase is usually not a pretty site. Even though I am there to sell drinks I can't help but feel sorry for those that have made it to the third round. Sometimes I feel like a ringside coach and find myself throwing in the towel for the contender. I offer water, coffee even free sodas but usually they come back with "just one more drink". The drinks at this phase have gone back to the simple; rum and cokes, vodka tonics and so on and are consumed much more slowly. Another interesting thing that happens at this phase is money seems to lose its value. I have had many instances where someone orders a four-dollar drink, then gives me a ten-dollar bill and walks off. When I tell them they have change coming I'm told to just keep it. Dancing now takes a back seat to sitting and the well-dressed people, so concerned about their appearance, now walk around disheveled. Men's ties are undone and sport jackets and suit coats are nowhere to be found. The women have the occasional make-up smear on their face and the fancy jeweled hair clips now dangle on the side of their heads. If it weren't for the band and their rendition of YMCA by the Village People the scene would resemble an office building disaster. ted, there is this sense of obligation to sit and chat with someone they have just met for the first time. It is not a good idea at this point in the ritual to be without a glass in your hand even if you don't drink. The drink serves a particular purpose at this time. When the awkward moment arises, and it will, simply raise the gl
Some common words found in the essay are:
, Street Boys, Village People, Mai Tais, simple rum, simple rum cokes, bar mat shot, party confidence, rum cokes, bar mat, brawl phase, mat shot, knock phase,
Approximate Word count = 1042
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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