Travel

London Calling

We’ve been lusting for London’s nightlife of late. The Big Smoke ebbs and flows with great bars scenes: gastropubs, traditional pubs, lounges, basement bars, speak easies, cafes, beer-centric watering holes, art bars, craft cocktail spots and everything in between! Back in the summer of 2011 we met a young lady from London during a festival in Chicago. She seemed interested in bringing Drink Deck’s concept to London, we were keen to follow suit and pursue this opportunity to bring Drink Deck across the pond.

Now we’re laying the ground work and setting up shop to bring you thirsty bar enthusiasts an on-going collection of 52 great bar scenes in London! We’ve compiled at list of 52 fab spots from the beery to the punch drunk and we’ll be releasing a list of our venue partners and their special offers soon!

You can follow our progress on twitter @drinkdecklondon

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Joker’s Wild!

To celebrate the 2nd year anniversary of Drink Deck Chicago we’ve decided to introduce a new concept in our upcoming small batch print run and smart phone app refresh. It’s called Joker’s Wild.

No, not that hit TV game show from the 70′s by the same name, but a wild card of sorts that features a local spirits distillery to compliment our curated list of discounts to Chicago’s best bars. Here’s what the card looks like:

restaurant discount deck

With so many options now in Chicago we first had to try them all out….a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it! In the end we chose Chicago’s “first boutique distillery”, our friends at Koval!

“First” of course in the new age! Back in the days before (and during even) prohibition, local distillers were an ubiquitous business, but after the repeal of prohibition these craft distillers were thwarted by large producers. Thankfully, these small batch productions are coming back in a big way; bringing a really cool experience, complete with tastings, to us bar enthusiasts!

Now what’s so “wild” about this Wild Joker? Well, in addition to offering you over $520 in savings on food and drink at 52 great Chicago bar scenes; we’re now giving you a joker card good for a complimentary distillery tour for 2 and 15% off any in-distillery purchase at Koval! All you have to do is present your Drink Deck Chicago Wild Joker!

If you’re not familiar with Koval I’d start by reading this nice post from Cool Hunting on the operation. Then, I’d recommend either picking up the latest print run of Drink Deck or downloading Drink Deck to your iPhone or Android so you can take advantage of Koval’s offer for a complementary distillery tour for 2 (a $20 value)!

Drink up and enjoy my Bar Enthusiast’s!

Cheers,

The Drink Deck Guy!

P.S. – Koval will be joining us for our 2nd Year Anniversary event at The Beer Bistro from 6-9PM on Wednesday, November 16th. More details coming shortly to an RSS Feed, Social Media Feed or Email Address near you!

Restaurant Deck

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What Drink Deckers are saying

We love our customers…aka fellow Drink Deckers. You guys and gals totally keep it real. As you may know we recently conducted a survey asking for input from current and future Drink Deckers. Here are some responses from the vets and newbies:

Comments from Veteran Drink Deckers:

I think its a great idea, I love going to new bars that I might not have gone to before.” – Colette

All of my drink deck experiences have been great. The merchants redeem without trouble. I love thumbing through the deck and even though there are some places I will never go to, I have more than made up the cost of my deck.” – Bobbi Jo Delany

I use it weekly for “Random Wednesday”. I shuffle the cards, make a random selection and head over there. So far the cards have not steered me wrong.” – Paul McKay

My friends and I love Drink Deck! It’s been really great for us, mostly as a catalyst to get us to go someplace other than where we usually go” – Erin Cooper

I love the idea and will definitely use them soon! I love that they do not expire… great idea!” – Sara Ginsburg

I don’t carry them around all the time. I use foursquare as well, so I always see when I could have used them! If I were to purchase again, I would go with the mobile app.” – Emily Basten

“A lot of fun! I like using these cards and have purchased decks as gifts.” – not disclosed

I need to go to the bars that I’ve never been to before, and this is an excellent excuse!” – not disclosed

The drink deck has been a great motivation to try new bars and many have become favorites that I never would have known about otherwise.” – Holly Mashaw

I initially had some apprehension regarding drink deck. After I ordered it I went on Trip Advisor Louisianna forum. I did not get a response from anyone when I queried if anyone had used the drink deck successfully. The two locations I used were Tracy’s and Lafitte’s and both locations were aware of the discount. No hassles!” – Michael Isserman

One waitress thought she had to keep the card, but after talking to the manager it was sorted out. That was one of the “selling” points for DrinkDeck; that you can keep the cards as a souvenier and see where you’ve been!” – Dana Tedesco

The Android App is wonderful-I love the convenience of always having access to it, especially because even though I generally carry my coupons with me if I’m heading out at night with friends I don’t. Thanks!” – “Sandhya Krishnan”

I love the idea and I always tell people about it. I’m on a mission to use all of my cards! Good luck!” – Sarah Gutierrez

Drink Deck Newbies – When asked, “What’s Drink Deck?:

The coupon deck of cards you can use to go to all the cool bars in Chicago and Portland“- Kristiana Kaufmann

Shuffle Drink Repeat – Portland’s Best Drinking Guide” – Shane Rutledge

awesome. something i need!” – Joe in Portland

A fun way to learn about drinks!” – E. Moursler

It’s something I should have because I drink.” Kat Ford

A great place to sit and drink adult beverages.” Gregory H.

Sort of like spinning the wheel to determine where you’ll go next.” – Laura Claire

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It’s here – Drink Deck Android

Well, it’s here folks! Drink Deck is now on your Android phone. No, we won’t be doing Blackberry, but it’s now easier then ever to find a good bar scene to suit your mood and save you some coin when you go out.

If you’re looking for the skinny on the app here’s the scoop:
1) Pick your destination (choose from Chicago, Portland or New Orleans)
2) Find your location on the map
3) Pick a near by bar or select a bar type (“genre”) or neighborhood.
4) Buy a card for $0.99 or all 52 locations for just $29.99
5) Hit each bar for a great discount on food and/or drink

Want more in depth info, check out this video presentation from , Will “the Drink Deck guy” Glass – Founder of Drink Deck LLC.

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Beer Advocate Article on Drink Deck

Here’s a recent article on the Drink Deck concept. Click the image to bring the article up in a new screen and then click that image to enlarge the article all the way. Thanks to Lisa Morisson and Beer Advocate Magazine for the support!

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Drink Deck powered by Android!

The app will go live in the Android Market sometime this evening!

Here’s a video on what Drink Deck powered by Android has to offer.

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Android App Cometh!

There are SO MANY deals out there these days. It’s almost silly!

But wait, isn’t Drink Deck a deal?

Yeah, but it’s more like a gift card that doesn’t expire, versus a coupon AND our cards on Android are now individually downloadable; meaning if you frequent the same spot time and time again (oh you creature of habit!) then you can purchase the same card over and over for just $0.99. The whole enchilada of Drink Deck’s curated list of 52 great spots for food and drink in Chicago or Portland are available for just $29.99, over 40% in savings for a full download of a specific city!

Those early adopters that pre purchased the app will be receiving an email from us shortly with details on claiming your full version for the destination you ordered.

Now, back to my rant from the beginning of this post. Sites like Savored (formerly Village Vines) charge $10 per reservation to save 30% and others like BarTab charge you $1 to get a $1 drink from a bar, but what kind of real drink can you get for $1? Plus you have to pay using their in app purchase which stores your credit card info. Drink Deck’s app goes through the Android Market Place and thus Google Checkout, keeping your information safer.

So, after justifying our existence in the land of deal making, we feel pretty good about what we’ve created for you “bar enthusiasts” and “foodies” in our never ending quest to bring discounts (on your phone) to a curated list of the best bar scenes in America’s top towns for food, drink and entertainment.

Now, let’s raise our glasses and don’t forget to download those Drink Deck cards! ; )

Will Glass, founder
Drink Deck LLC

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Bar Crawlin Chicago

When people use the phrase bar crawl it tends to conjures up images of a college Frat braf-fest!

At Drink Deck, when we refer to a bar crawl we’re talking about going out “Drink Deckin”, experiencing the best offerings of a specific neighborhood from “Neighborhood Joints” and “Beer Bars” to “Bar/Restaurant” concepts and “Wine Bars”. All told, 16 different genres across 20 Neighborhoods!

“Drink Deckers” are bar enthusiast’s! People that can hold their liquor while enjoying nice wines, craft cocktails, micro brewed beers & locally distilled liquors. Cocktail culture and enjoying different bar scenes while being an urban explorer is the Drink Decker’s favorite past time.

That said, we have paid special attention to offering Drink Deckin Bar Crawls in neighborhoods from the Northside to Southside in Chicago. Here are some of our favorites from our upcoming small batch print run and iPhone update:

Uptown:

Drink Deck’s Uptown crawl is set to feature two “Neighborhood Joint” staples: Uptown Lounge and Crew Bar & Grill! The perfect pre and post concert destinations in Uptown!

Pilsen:

Urban exploration isn’t complete without a visit to one of Chicago’s oldest and most historically rich neighborhood. Step inside Honky Tonk  BBQ’s new bar scene or the swank recycled/reused/refurbished digs of Simone’s Bar for a taste of some of Pilsen’s finest food & drink.

River North:

The Drink Deckin bar crawl options abound in this chic city dwellers enclave. From upscale “Neighborhood Joint” Bull & Bear to “Authentic Mexican” haunt Zocalo to the “Hip Hangout” Rockit Bar & Grill or “Beer Bar” newcomers Public House, Drink Deck Chicago has your crawl covered with each card mentioned here offering 30% off a minimum purchase of $30. Stay longer, spend more and your discount grows … so bring your friends!

All this and more coming your way in May, 2011. Stay tuned and follow the party on twitter or facebook. Pick up your Drink Deck today at www.thedrinkdeck.com!

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The bar enthusiast’s travel guide expands!

I love traveling! Growing up in the Hospitality business and having worked in the industry since 1998 has afforded me some great opportunities to see different parts of the Country and the World! We are the type of people to research our destinations prior; delving into guide books like Lonely Planet and picking up a copy of Zagat . These references are great, but there has always been something missing! That something is the value component. You can buy these guides and use them a million times, but do they ever really pay you back for the purchase? Enter Drink Deck’s expansion!

We have established relationships across two more of the best drinking destinations in the US and are working hard to bring our fans travel guides devoted to YOU, the bar enthusiast . Look for Drink Deck to roll out across the following cities in the coming months:

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Hop Cast goes Drink Deckin!

Hey! What the hell is “Drink Deckin”? Well gather round all you bar enthusiast’s and let old Drink Deck himself tell ya! Actually, even better, let the guys from Hop Cast tell ya! They recently took their copy of the Chicago Drink Deck out on the town for some Drink Deckin Bar Crawlin fun!

Now if you are observant students of saving your hard earned cash, listen carefully to Ken & Brad as they kick it with the key people behind 3 of Chicago’s best beer bars while revealing a way for you to save even more with DRINK DECK !

For those of you unfamiliar with Hop Cast’s award winning video coverage of that liquid gold, known as BEER, feel free to enlighten yourselves HERE. Happy viewing!

Hop Cast – Drink Deck Bar Crawl (Beer Bistro) from Hop Cast on Vimeo.

Hop Cast – Drink Deck Bar Crawl (Villains) from Hop Cast on Vimeo.

Hop Cast – Drink Deck Bar Crawl (Bluebird) from Hop Cast on Vimeo.

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Go West My Bar Enthusiast, Go West

I love Portland! Although it does rain every now and again. Nevertheless, from a food and drink perspective Portland has really stepped up its game. Food trucks, classic cocktail resurgence, farm to table bistros, donuts, micro brews, tiki cocktails, asian pubs….I could go on. Mad love for Portland has led  to the creation of Drink Deck PDX, the bar enthusiast’s travel & discount guide to the best bar scenes in Portland!

Don’t you hate traveling to a new city to explore and having to rely on a guide book, the hotel concierge, or some free daily print newspaper that claims “Best of the XYZ City”, “Best Dentist”, “Best Dive Bar”, “Best New Restaurant”…..are you pickin up what we are laying down here?  Those sources are not discerning and lack focus on the true best of the best! Now when you visit Chicago, or when you visit Portland, you have a guide – Drink Deck! This is of course assuming you plan to hit at least a few bar scenes during your stay, which I must say; is almost impossible to avoid. SO, you might as well hit up the best spots!

Leave that to Drink Deck! We take the lame coupon book your grandma kept in the glove box, combine it with the name brand guide book you carried on your last trip and fold them together into a snazzy deck of poker sized playing cards. Each card features:

  • The bar name and genre (think sports bar, specialty cocktails, dive, hip hangout).
  • The address with cross streets, so you can impress the cabbie with your map skills.
  • The bar’s phone number, so you can phone in for daily specials or just to make sure they are open before heading out.
  • The bar web site. Do your homework before heading out..make sure you find the right spot!
  • A $10 gift card! Whereby you spend $30 and get $10 off at each location featured in the Drink Deck.  That’s 52 – $10 gift cards, with no expiration!  The patent-pending bottom left hand corner of each Drink Deck card is torn off to void the discount, allowing Drink Deckers to keep their card for memories or to continue playing cards! We wouldn’t want anyone to say, “She’s not operating with a full deck.”.

Here is an image of the card face of Drink Deck card for reference….for those visual folks:

So, without further delay we present you with the first edition of Drink Deck Portland! Pre order sales are open at www.thedrinkdeck.com/store.

Here are some of the highlights from the card images that will be placed in the example card above.




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Portland, OR

drinkdecklogo

We visited Portland for the first time in January to celebrate a birthday and do some homework…actually just heavy drinking in Portland and the surrounding wine country. Drink Deck is the perfect city for our first expansion efforts:

  • The largest collection of brew pubs per capita in the US
  • A city of defined neighborhoods, perfect for Drink Deck bar crawls
  • A population of 2 million
  • A bar-centric / game playing crowd

Look for more information to come. We are heading out in September armed with a list of contacts to start making Portland’s Drink Deck a reality. Follow our adventures on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/drinkdeckpdx

Some shots from our January Portland Trip:

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A Comparison of Rio and Chicago

After living in Chicago for three years and having recently visited Rio (known as the “Magnificent City”) I noticed many similiarities between the two cities. It is ironic that Chicago and Rio were both finalists for the 2015 Olympics, and that lead me to realize perhaps the Olympic Committee’s qualifying city check list took some of these points into consideration:

1) A City of Neighborhoods:
Like Chicago, Rio is made up of numerous “barrios”. These neighborhoods are linked by the Bonde (pronounced Bon Gee) and the Metro. With the low cost of cabs and the abundance of bus and train you will have no problem getting around. Now, while the cabs in Chicago are nowhere near as affordable, the public transportation system is very good in the Windy City.

Traveling through the neighborhood of Santa Teresa located above Centro (downtown)

2) Hot Dogs:
Look at the number of condiments you can get in Rio! Put the Chicago dog to shame!

Caracos love the tube steak too!

Caracos love the tube steak too!

3) Popcorn

Garrett's Popcorn look out

4) Blue Bag Program
Chicago much debated Blue Bag Recycling Program apparently isn’t that original. We discovered Rio’s Blue Bag Program after stopping in at a local restaurant for a snack and an afternoon beer.

5) Sports Fanatics
Brazilians are proud of their futbol team just like Chicagoans are proud of the Bears or the Cubs….no matter how bad they do. We had a chance to attend the Fifa Fan Fest on the beach in Copacabana. An estimated 30,000 futbol fans showed up.

6) Cocktails!
How could we forget the cocktails! Both Chicago and Rio are cocktail cultures. While the classic cocktail joints in Chicago are the way to go when out for a night on the town in the Windy City, the Cariocas prefer their Caipirinhas; a drink made with Cachaca (a sugar cane liquor). We were amazed how many different types are available and the wide range in price. It’s like Tequila or Rum to the typical Chicagoian. Someone should open a Cachaca bar here in Chicago and offer tasting flights! Hmmm….good idea!

Bar Do in Santa Teresa

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