Surprising Places to Lift a Glass or Two

Oldest Standing Bar

Considered to be a dive bar in this case not a disreputable bar but a neighborhood place where local residents love to gather and have for a very long time. The 2-Way Inn is the oldest standing bar in Detroit, Michigan and has been around since 1876.

It has withstood the test of time and has not been damaged or destroyed by riots or by the collapse of Motown or by bar fights. In its time it has been a store, a jail, a brothel and a dance hall. So you know that perhaps it also has acquired some residents that are no longer of this world but no one is saying.

Today everyone still loves to gather here and if you walk into a bar and see some friendly faces that always makes one feel good. You can see a variety of patrons and soak up some local history. So if you are ever in Detroit take a look and even if you might not enjoy hoisting a few you can take in the atmosphere and enjoy some soda.

Having a Drink in the Drunk Tank

Yes, I know that no one would let anyone dragged into a drunk tank have a drink unless the drunk tank was now a bar. Confusing, isn’t it? Well, I thought it was interesting hearing about the bar called Alibi in Boston, Massachusetts.

This bar is part of the Liberty Hotel and at one time was the drunk tank of the Charles Street Jail. This jail was at one time well-known for hosting celebrities of all kinds or well-known people. Among those who spent time in the overnight holding cells were Babe Ruth, Malcolm X and the Boston Strangler.

Therefore before the bar opened its doors a shaman performed a cleansing ceremony in order to clear out all the dark, negative energy. Today the Alibi serves such drinks as Cool Hand Cuke, the Single White Female and the Blood In Blood Out. My goodness, suddenly I don’t really feel like having a drink.

Their attire is business casual and they offer bottle service, VIP tables and outdoor patio seating where you wind up sitting in the old prison workout yard. For the decor, they’ve kept the old bluestone floors and the brick cell walls. On the walls, you can see mug shots.

Feel Rich Have a Drink in the Vault

The Cleveland Trust Rotunda in Cleveland, Ohio is an impressive bank headquarters building that has become a grocery store. Beneath it, in the old vaults, we find a bar called The Vault.

This interesting bar includes the old numbered bank lockboxes where once bank customers kept their most valued possessions. To better enjoy the feel of sitting where once large sums of money turned about have some drinks like a Net Worth which is a mix of rye, creme Yvette, honey syrup and lemon juice or a Millionaire’s Row with Chartreuse, ginger beer, lemon, lime, egg white, apple cider, chilli powder and rosemary. Personally, I think you drink these unusual concoctions down below you might have a hard time getting up and out.

Have a Drink or Two At School

Of course, if you are of age to drink. Portland, Oregon has taken an elementary school called Kennedy School and turned it in a playground for adults. Each classroom in the building is now a tiny restaurant or bar among them the Detention Bar and the Honors Bar. If you are into culture, there is the Kennedy School Theater Bar serving pizza and beer.

You can also spend the night here because it has also houses a hotel and is part of the McMenamins chain. There are 35 guestrooms, a brewery, four bars and a restaurant, You’ll also find a movie theater on the premises so it makes it real easy to plan a date. The beers have such clever names as Terminator Stout and Sunflower IPA. Behind the establishment is a community garden where residents of this neighborhood can work on their garden plots.

Have a Drink in the Back of a Chevy Truck

If you wanted to go out for a drink in Punta de Mita, Mexico you could wind up at a blue 1950 Chevy truck that has had the back hacked off and replaced by a long wooden bar. The bar has a tropical feel with a thatched roof.

It’s parked on the shore of Banderas Bay in the Pacific Ocean. The bar is known as Chevycheria, a ceviche bar that could remind one of a Jimmy Buffet song like “Margaritaville”. Here you can have fresh seafood straight from the ocean and drink local craft beer or a mezcal cocktail.

At the bar, you can view the Sierra Madre Mountains and the waves rushing to shore. Such a setting might even inspire one to write their own song. The resort as such is decorated with Mexican art that includes a life-size drawing of Frida Kahlo with a surfboard, offering surfing camp for all level surfers.