Ah, to be over twenty-one and allowed to indulge on the social lubricant in a most superfluous way! Drink up, boys and girls, because this is the only time in your lives when this much alcohol will be acceptable. Let’s make the most of it, shall we? Downtown Kalamazoo has some excellent drink specials on the weeknights, and the establishments are within walking distances of each other, even stumbling walking distance! So take off your money-belt and relax a little as the cheap alcohol comes flowing your way.
Monday and Tuesday
Inside Shakespeare's Pub
Who knows if the bard himself was a heavy drinker? Shakespeare’s Pub at 241 E. Kalamazoo Avenue seems to think he was. This bar’s extensive beer selection is probably the best in town, offering a wide variety of local micros (especially Bell’s, Short’s, and Dark Horse Brewing Company) and some eclectic brews that you’d be hard pressed to find on tap anywhere else. This is the only bar I’ve ever been to in Michigan that serves Dogfishhead 90 Minute IPA (supposedly the “best IPA in America”) on tap. Go to Shakespeare’s on Monday for $2.50 pints; if you order 90 Minute IPA and consider that a single bottle at Tiffany’s Wine and Spirit Shoppe is $4.50, you’re saving an average of 20¢ per ounce. And everyone knows that beer is better on tap. Tuesday night boasts $1.50 half-pints, erroneously considered by Thomas Fink to be the worst drink a man can order at a bar. This special’s not quite as good as Monday’s, but the huge seating area is almost always empty, so you can enjoy your free (unlimited!) popcorn, trivia, and good conversation without the impediment of your normal college bar. The food’s not bad either.
Wednesday
Some Dude Outside Olde Peninsula Brewpub
Wednesday is all about Olde Peninsula, 200 E. Michigan Avenue. I enjoyed the $2.00 pint special for the first time at the end of Summer 2009 and am very happy that it’s continued into the new year. While Shakespeare’s may have the extensive beer selection, Olde Peninsula makes a number of home brews, including the only fruit beer I drink regularly (raspberry!). The food is of course excellent and reasonably priced, which makes this brewpub the Wednesday spot between 8 pm and last call at midnight. My only complaint: get rid of the live music (or at least turn it down)!
Thursday
Thursday…this one’s a tough call. It’s a toss-up between Green Top Tavern (250 E. Michigan Avenue) and Harvey’s On the Mall (416 S. Burdick Street). Green Top definitely has my vote on atmosphere: you’re not going to find the college frills at this restaurant and bar, but some surly blue-collars and probably no one under the age of 35. I don’t know about you, but that’s my kind of place, especially when you’ve got between 3 and 4 companions. Green Top’s Thursday special is more beer, with $7.00 pitchers of Old Style and $2.50 tall drafts. Nothing fancy in the beer department, just some local micros and domestics. Harvey’s On the Mall sports a lot of Thursday specials: $3.00 call liquors, $3.00 import bottles, and $3.00 Miller Lite 20 ounce drafts. Plus the bottled beer of the month is Sierra Nevada Torpedo at $3.75, which is a little pricey but still a good find in Kalamazoo; I remember being complimented on my choice of Torpedo at Tiffany’s last year because of its rarity in the city. Harvey’s is a huge place with decent food, worth going every night of the week for some other excellent drink specials and sports.
Friday
See What I Mean?
I hate to say it, but Monaco Bay (300 E. Michigan Avenue) is the place to be on Friday nights. Where Green Top Tavern avoids the college look, Monaco Bay, which is just down the street, sports it with gusto. The huge neon sign and loud entrance dwarfs the surrounding storefronts. Once inside, take a seat and order a couple $2.50 well drinks, listen to the pianos, and don’t order any food; it’s overpriced and unsatisfying. After that, find a party!
For more information on Kalamazoo Drink Deals, check out http://www.kzoobardeals.com/. They’ve got the lowdown on places downtown and nearer to the college campuses if you don’t feel particularly adventurous.
