It's like having a black belt in drinking.

[fancycwabs]

One of the local bars has an ongoing promotion where if you drink 200 "different" beers (a draft and bottled version of the same beer counts as "different" for their purposes) they'll put your name on a plate on the wall and give you a hundred dollar bar tab. Over the course of the past year and a half, I've been gradually pursuing this honor, as a monument to my alcoholism. Because drinking 200 beers in a year and a half definitely qualifies one as an alcoholic.

I finished my 200th beer (Unibroue's Fin Du Monde, if you're interested) last Friday, and last night they had my plate unveiling/swigging off that bar tab celebration.

Here's a general shot of the restaurant--it's not quite as cozy and friendly as the picture would suggest, but it's close. Observe the decorative collectible plates adorning the ceiling--they also cover most of the walls that aren't occupied by beer signs, mirrors, dart boards, and other bar necessities.


At the upper perimeter of the wall, there's a line of plates comprising the "Ring of Honor," the place of glory reserved for those who drink the required number of beers. The first plate is dated March 2006 (the place opened in February, and there's a three-beer-per-day limit to discourage benders in the attempt to get on the wall), by a guy who probably started his quest at another location. Once the goal's been reached, plates are placed on the wall, but shrouded--like so:

(It also shows more of the decorative plates covering the walls), and when the proper moment comes, with appropriate speechifying be barmaids etc., the shroud is pulled off to reveal:

Cwabs indeed.

Before this rigamarole was uncovered, Mrs. Cwabs wondered if plates were shrouded if the recipient passed away.

Comments

[strangebiller.livejournal.com]

Having my name on the wall of a bar as a legendary drinker is definitely on my to-do list.

[hatgrlstargazer.livejournal.com]

Congrats! The bar in my college town featured a similar deal, called the "world beer tour". I don't recall the number of beers, might have been 100, and they were as the name implies mostly international. The prize for completing the tour was not quite so lofty, I think it involved a t-shirt. I should ask a more beer-inclined fellow alum. Anyway the "tour" was popular among grad students (most undergrads don't have enough time between their 21st birthdays and graduation to complete it).

Very nice plate, and it looks like a very pleasant bar, too.

[fancycwabs.livejournal.com]

Here you get a t-shirt just for signing up. Although they weren't paying attention when I signed up, so I missed out.

I'm using this as an opportunity to lay off the beer for a good long while and maybe shed a few pounds.

[fancycwabs.livejournal.com]

They just introduced Yuengling in Memphis a few weeks ago. I'm up to about 20.

[redtheblue.livejournal.com]

Congrats on officially being recognized as a seasoned drunkard! If I ever got a Thursday off I would have used it for that, definitely.

[bigbrownhound.livejournal.com]

Oh, you'll HAVE to tell Mom and Dad. They'll be so very proud.

No, really, congratulations!

I hold the title for the fasted and most severe mood swings. No t-shirt and no $100 bar tab.

[grendelyn.livejournal.com]

oooh is it Old Chicago or a local place?

If the former, I've got a good few souveneirs from there... crazy crazy world.

[fancycwabs.livejournal.com]

It's called The Flying Saucer (http://www.beerknurd.com/) (can you catch the goatse reference in the intro animation?). It's a chain out of Texas, I believe, but located primarily through the southeast. It's not bad as bars go, but it lacks a certain intimacy that the local places around here have.

[annicat.livejournal.com]

YaY! congrats!

[piemancer]

*cries*
Melq, how did i miss this happening? I'm so sorry! A pox, a pox on my All Saints related stress levels! Cripes, seriously, it is so sad when a job stresses you out so much that you can't celebrate your friend's impressive victory.

Congratulations, my friend! I'm so proud!