Travel

"barstaraunts"

It’s a fine line these days between what’s considered a bar and what’s considered a restaurant. In many cases the line is so blurred that foodies and bar enthusiast alike must refer to their favorite food and drink experiences as “barstaraunts”. This is how Eater Chicago recently referred to our latest edition of Drink Deck Chicago, and we couldn’t agree more!

Here at Drink Deck we are constantly on the hunt for those venues that care as much about food as they do about drink! Having a curated selection of beer, wine or cocktails is as much an art as is sourcing fresh & local ingredients for your cuisine! For us, and for our venue partners that fall into the “barstaraunt” category, food and drink are of equal importance.

Now that’s not to say that a good dive bar, cocktail lounge or music joint will be excluded from our destination guides! After all there’s a venue for every mood, right? Sometimes you just want a drink and other times food and drink are in order!

Down our apps, find a retailer or shop online for a Drink Deck Destination Guide today!

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Share Your Drink Deckin Adventures

There are over 1 billion people worldwide on Facebook now, so no doubt you have an account. Or maybe you prefer twitter, foursquare, pinterest, instagram, Tumblr or LinkedIn! Well you can find Drink Deck on all of these sources and we want to hear from you!

As an incentive when you pose for a photo of you and your friends hanging out with your Drink Deck in hand or snap a shot of your receipt with a redeemed card we’ll get in touch and send you a card for a return visit to that venue! So find a Drink Deck friendly venue and log in to your preferred social network to join the fun!

Still not sure what we’re talking about? We’ve included some example photos below the list of destinations and our social network links.

Portland

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Chicago

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New Orleans

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London

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New Year Resolution: Eat, Drink & Save!

It’s extremely ironic that there are 52 weeks in a year and 52 cards in Drink Deck destination guides. Man, this sure makes your New Year Resolution a breeze! To up the ante we’ve got a promotion going that offers any of our destination guides for just $15! Get started today.

Interested in our iPhone or Android apps? Those are only $15 too, but for a limited time. So what are you waiting for?

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Behind a Bookshelf in pdx

If you’ve RSVP’ed to Drink Deck Portland’s 2nd Birthday party on Wednesday, December 12th then we’ve got a secret to share. It’s a passcode to the speakeasy! SHHHH. Don’t tell anyone…but just to the right of the main bar at Circa 33 you will find a door. Behind that door, leading to the restrooms, is a curious bookshelf.

This bookshelf reveals a secret entrance to our speakeasy, and it can be accessed with the four digit code: 1212!

Come inside, play blackjack for prizes and shop Drink Deck’s line of bar enthusiast’s travel guides to Portland, Chicago, New Orleans and London!

The first 40 purchases of 2 or more copies will receive a free copy of our iPhone app to Portland!
Special event only pricing: 1 Drink Deck for $20 & each additional deck just $10!!

We’ve got a line up of complimentary craft cocktails from Oregon Spirit Distillers and two locally made beers from BridgePort Brewing and Migration Brewing for your imbibing pleasure.

If you’ve built up some hunger after a few drinks & some shopping you are welcome to grab a seat in the speakeasy, or at the main bar, and play your Circa 33 card for $10 off that night!

See you soon PDX!

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Shop Local London!

Support small local businesses with unique products this Holiday Season! Drink Deck destination guides will be available at the following upcoming events this week and weekend.

Thursday, December 6th from 19:00-22:00 at The Stables Market FREE EVENT

Friday, December 7th thru Sunday, December 9th at ExCeL London We’ve Got 15 Free Tickets! Email us, Tweet at Us or Post on our FB Wall to win.

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Cyber Monday Selfish Gifter Special!

We’ll send you a free copy of our iPhone app to keep for yourself when you gift a Drink Deck destination guide!

We’ve got a deck of cards come destination guide chalked full of over $500 in savings for cities like Chicago, St. Louis, New York, London, Boston, Portland and more! Give the gift that keeps on giving, featuring the best independently owned food and drink bar scenes!

Starting Cyber Monday Drink Deck & Friends is offering free shipping on all orders, and get $10 off when you order 2 copies of Drink Deck or a Drink Deck and another destination guide!

Happy Holidays everyone!

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Po Boy Fest Time in NOLA!

Tens of Thousands of food fanatics are about to descend upon Oak Street in Uptown for the 2012 Po Boy Fest! Come visit your friends with Drink Deck New Orleans in the front yard at Squeal Bar-B-Q where we’ll be providing you with a great chance at picking up the ideal gift for the Holidays – Drink Deck New Orleans: the bar enthusiast’s travel & discount guide. It’s the gift that keeps on giving! And if it’s just a gift for yourself you can feel good knowing that you’re saving over $520 on food and drinks when you go out on the town to spots like Squeal Bar-B-Q .

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Are you ready to RUMble!? Pair of RUMblin tickets to giveaway!

Fancy sampling the delights of La Mauny and Trois Rivières rum? Well now’s your chance! We have one pair of tickets to give away  for the next edition of RUMblin on Thursday 29th November!

RUMblin’ is a new and exciting event one can only describe as a “taste immersion experience”, designed to showcase the versatility of rum expressed in cocktails, canapés, ice-creams and sorbet.

 

In 2012 the event has been produced in conjunction with Cottons Islington Restaurant whose amazing canapes have been a constant hit with punters. The pièce de résistance however, is the rum ice-cream and sorbet made by Galindo’s Ice Cream. The bespoke flavours only available through RUMblin’ events have punters coming back time and time again as they truly showcase the flavours in the rum!

November 29th is their Winter Warmer edition featuring two Martinique favourites La Mauny and Trois Rivieres RHUM! The best of the Agricole world showcased RUMblin’ Style!

Your ticket entitles you to:

  • One drink of your choice (either a rum cocktail, neat shot or rum mixer)
  • An assortment of sumptuous rum flavoured canapés, specially prepared by Cottons Islington’s exectuove chef Andrew Mcintosh
  • A choice of rum flavoured icecream or rum flavoured sorbet

 

Terms & Conditions

  • One lucky winner will be selected at random from the list of sign-ups (all sign ups between the 14th – 26th November will be counted). Sign up here
  • The winner will be contacted by email 
  • The winner will be presented with 2 tickets
  • This competition is open to over 18′s only. Proof of eligibility must be provided on request
  • No travel costs are included within the prize. Winners must manage all travel arrangments
  • Prizes are not transferable, must (where applicable) be used on the dates specified and may not be redeemed for cash
  • If the winner of the prize cannot be traced after all reasonable efforts having been made by Drink Deck, then Drink Deck may dispose of the prize as it thinks fit without any liability to the winner for having done so.

 

We are ready to RUMble!! Are you?!?!

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The Double Down Special!

It’s Holiday gifting time! Don’t stress, Drink Deck & Friends are here to help.

Everybody goes out at least a few times a year! And we’ve got the perfect gift that not only gives food & drink recommendations, but also saves money at top locally owned and operated bars and restaurants in great destinations like New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and London!

When you order one Drink Deck destination guide and any other product from Drink Deck & Friends you will get $10 off your order; thus “a double down special”!

Even better: enter your email address from our online store and get FREE SHIPPING!

Here are the other products available on our site:

So, this year skip the bottle of wine or box of chocolates and give a gift that keeps on giving, a gift that supports locally owned & operated bars and restaurants!

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Drink Deck NOLA Haunts for Halloween

New Orleans is a spooky town, even when it’s not Hallows eve! Any town with this much history, especially history involving pirates and the like are bound to have some ghosts! Now not all the stories of ghost hauntings in NOLA are old in fact! Here are a couple stories from Drink Deck friendly spots that we’d like to share. So if you find yourself looking for something to do this Halloween why not put on your Halloween get up and take your Drink Deck out for a spooky bar crawl in the French Quarter!

Here are two haunted spots to visit:

The Jimani Lounge: The year was 1973 and the gay lifestyle was not yet as accepted as it is today. One man, a bar owner, named James Massaci, Sr. had demonstrated a rare tolerance and acceptance, allowing local gays to use the second story of his building as a bar and nightclub they called the Upstairs Lounge. It was through the door on the second story above The Jamani on the night of June 24th, 1973 that an angry bar patron tossed a Molotov cocktail, causing an explosion and subsequent fire that consumed the Upstairs Lounge, claiming 32 lives.

George “Bud” Matyi was a local entertainer who played at bars and restaurants around New Orleans at the time. Although he was “out” to his close friends most people never knew that Bud was gay, but he took this in stride. Playing piano at the Upstairs Lounge above The Jimani, Bud could be among friends in a comforting and open atmosphere. The night of the fire Bud actually made it out of the building, but went back in to help others escape! In the end he parished, and they found him dead under the piano. To this day George “Bud” Matyi can be seen walking around the building vanishing in and out of the space. Here’s the full story if you’d like more information.

A plaque outside The Jamani pays tribute.

Lafitte’s Blacksmith’s Shop: Regardless of when you are in New Orleans or for how long you’ve lived there, the old building at 941 Bourbon St is a must for any bar enthusiast! It just so happens that there’s life in that old brick and mortar, some of it supernatural! In fact, Lafitte’s oozes with genuine haunted New Orleans atmosphere like flickering candles, dark woodwork, old fireplaces and a musty brick courtyard. The one ghost in particular that everyone hopes to see is that of the pirate Jean Lafitte who once used the location as a front for a burgeoning smuggling business. The building was built sometime before 1772, and is one of the few remaining original “French architecture” structures in the French Quarter.

There have been reports of hauntings in this old bar for years.

  • A mirror in the upstairs area is said to be haunted by the spectre of a woman some say it is Marie Laveau Or Madame Delphine Lalaurie.
  • The fireplace grate in the downstairs bar, rumored to be the actual last resting place of some of Lafitte’s gold, is said to be haunted by the ghost of the pirate Lafitte killed with the charge to protect the treasure for eternity.
  • Staff and patrons have been alarmed by the sight of two ghostly red eyes staring at them through the grate and the atmosphere around the fireplace is said to be decidedly chilled and unwholesome.
  • Several witnesses have actually reported seeing the man himself, The Notorius Ghost of Pirate Jean Lafitte, scowling from a dark corner, twisting his black moustache in his gloved hand. Several people who have seen the ghost say that as soon as it is aware of them, it will vanish into thin air.  Some say they smell the presence of a ghostly strange tabacco blend when he is near.
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We Are Not Alone | Drink Deck & Friends!

No this post isn’t about alien invaders from outer space. It’s actually about making your Holiday online shopping experience more convenient! We made some phone calls, dropped some emails and got introduced to a few folks in other destinations across this great land of ours that are doing similar things; namely creating curated card decks featuring savings at top independent bars and restaurants! And thus we proudly present to you “Drink Deck & Friends“, a partnership offering a great way for you to gift something unique that keeps on giving! Present it to your clients in Chicago, your sister in St. Louis, your brother in Boston, your niece in New York City, your friends in Philly and your partner in Portland! Check out all our new destinations at Drink Deck & Friends!

In addition, we’ve created a package offer with The Cheeky Card in Chicago and The Chinook Book in Portland!

Below you will find a little more information on how our friends The Diner’s Deck, City Dining Cards and The Discount Deck – St. Louis operate!

Happy gifting everyone!

52 NYC Restaurants
Every card is a $10 gift certificate

• Every card features a fun, informative description of a restaurant.
• Every card is a $10 Gift Certificate at the restaurant it describes.

Terms and Conditions:
• Each card is redeemable only once
• $30 minimum purchase required
• Limit one card per party
• Discount may only be applied toward food portion of bill
• Cannot be used toward alcohol, tax or tip and may not be combined
with any other discounts or promotions, including
prix-fixe menus and some brunch menus
• Valid for dine-in only
• Valid Now thru December 31, 2013

 

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A Money Back Guarantee: Drink Deck iPhone app!

With tons of free travel and bar/restaurant recommendation apps out there it can be tough parting with $30US/ £20UK for an app, but we’re so sure you will love Drink Deck for iPhone that we’re putting our money where our mouth is! If you’re not 100% satisfied after downloading and using our app, we’ll refund your money!

So why would I download Drink Deck in Chicago, Portland, New Orleans or London?

  • Well, the savings for one! Imagine spending 100 bucks on food and drink and getting 30 off your bill, even during happy hour. That’s what Drink Deck does for you, use the app 1-3 times and it pays for itself!
  • Secondly, you get free updates any time we make a change to the app!
  • Finally, our satisfaction guarantee: we’ll refund your money if you aren’t pleased!

Oh and if you previously had the Drink Deck app for any of our destinations and you’ve redeemed some cards you’ll notice that the newest version gives you a clean slate of all 52 cards, our gift to you!

Now on to what’s new in the most recent update:

The snazzy new splash screen shows your destination’s skyline.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s easier to navigate venue genres, neighborhoods and the venue list. :

 

 

The map view shows your location AND the Drink Deck Venues in the vicinity!:

We’ve enhanced the scroll feature & card touch points, making it easier to see the venues and to call or view their web site. :

 

Tap the share button on a card to text, email or share your location & savings with friends on social media! :

 

So what are you waiting for? Download Drink Deck for your iPhone today and start going out smart!

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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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Spring Sale Ends 5/2!

$15 for over $520 in savings at Chicago's best food & drink spots!

Here’s More Information

chicago travel guide

52 Ways To Save!

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Crowdfunding for the Diner’s Deck

Greetings loyal followers of Drink Deck! We’ve begun a new project to bring you our 1st edition of the Diner’s Deck, and have chosen to kick things off with a destination guide – deck of cards to the burgeoning foodie scene of Portland, OR!

Portland Diners 3D

52 cards, 52 restaurants, 52 ways to save! It’s going to be very similar to the concept behind the Drink Deck, but this time featuring 52 awesome restaurants. We need your help to make this project a reality, and in return for your contribution you will receive the Diner’s Deck Portland for a $20 donation or the Diner’s Deck Portland AND a Drink Deck Destination Guide to the city of your choice (Portland, New Orleans, Chicago or London) for a $30 donation.

Here’s a link where you’ll find more information on supporting the cause of promoting 52 of the best independently owned & operated restaurants in PDX! We’re launching our campaign over the next 27 days, so please don’t delay – donate today!

Thank you,

Will Glass, founder – the Drink Deck & the Diner’s Deck

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