McLadden’s

November 26, 2018November 26, 2018 / The Bar Bible / Leave a comment

Located in the heart of West Hartford Connecticut in Blue Back Square, McLadden’s is a bustling bar with a lot to offer to the younger crowd looking for a fun night out. This bar is one of my favorites in this area; I always go every time that I am in West Hartford because it never disappoints. It is decently sized with a large bar and some booths and tables set up if you would rather sit and chat with your friends for a more relaxed evening.

If you are anything like me and love to dance at the bar, McLadden’s also has that to offer! There is a small “dance-floor” in front of the a stage, dance floor is in quotes because it technically isn’t one but if you try hard enough you can make it one (aka I do this every time I go). There is usually live music playing sing-along songs, think Piano Man, Sweet Caroline, and basically any song that drunken people can scream the lyrics to.

The drinks at this bar are not bad, it is usually $8 for a mixed drink, which you may think is pricey but they come in very large glasses (yes glasses, bold choice, I know). Their shots are decently priced as well. They are pretty large and almost look like doubles so it is definitely worth your money. Clearly you won’t have a hard time getting drunk at this bar, and if want to pregame you can but it is definitely not necessary!

Overall, I highly recommend this bar. I’m a huge fan of live bands and McLadden’s always has the best performers that know how to work a crowd. This bar has a fun, homey atmosphere that is very warm and welcoming. Most importantly the drinks are strong and cheap, my favorite.

Hannah Kate

Brignole Vineyards

October 30, 2018October 30, 2018 / The Bar Bible / Leave a comment

I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but recently vineyards have become increasingly trendy, it seems everywhere I look there are girls posing with glasses of wine dressed in sunhats and flowy skirts. It suppose vineyards are just the hottest new place to be at the moment. I, myself, have been to a couple of vineyards here and there and one of my favorites by far is Brignole Vineyards in East Granby, Connecticut.

Only having been established for about three years now, this vineyard already has quite a large following and is always packed whenever I go. The building is just beautiful with real wood everywhere, a dramatic double door entrance and a double patio with views of the vineyard. There are numerous varieties of wine, and you can even do a tasting if you aren’t sure what you want to drink. The staff is very friendly and helpful if you don’t know anything about wine, like myself, and they will definitely point you in the right direction.

It should be noted that Brignole is BYOF, bring your own food. Which to some, that may sound like a bad thing but I think it’s a great idea. Get all your friends together and each bring a different dish, antipasto, some chips and dip, whatever your heart desires. It is also convenient for people with food allergies; you won’t even have to worry about what you can eat on the menu because there is none! If you really are feeling lazy and don’t want to bring your own food or are just going to the vineyard spontaneously, they usually have some food trucks available, which is a great option for some.

Overall, I continue to be impressed with this establishment. From the friendly staff, to great wine and atmosphere, it’s a nice country chic environment to relax with friends and get your wine on. Did I mention it is open year round? Catch me here winter, spring, summer and fall.

Hannah Kate

Huskies

October 16, 2018October 26, 2018 / The Bar Bible / Leave a comment

Huskies Restaurant and Bar is located in Storrs, CT on the University of Connecticut’s campus. It is a spacious bar with a pool table located in the front of house and a large bar and dance floor in the back, so you shouldn’t have to worry about waiting in line too long or not getting in at all. Bonus: the first 100 people only pay a five-dollar cover while the rest will have to pay seven.

So, if you are not a fan of spending a lot of money when you go out, such as myself, then this is definitely the spot for you. It has events from Thursday- Saturday nights that are called “Nickel Nights” where you can get four drinks for one dollar. Yes, you read that right; you only need one dollar to make four times as many bad decisions, a total steal! When you walk in, the bouncer will give you one plastic cup that you have to keep throughout the night and you won’t be given a new one when you get a new drink, so make sure you don’t lose it!

I would say that the first 30 minutes spent at this bar consisted of my friends and I chugging as many vodka cranberries as fast as physically possible, thankfully it was nothing new for us veterans of the craft. Since the cups are pretty tiny you needed at least three to feel like you were drinking a full cocktail. At one point, random people were just asking if I wanted to hop in on their drink order, because why not get your full dollars worth? You can meet a lot of new people this way and it’s just a fun environment to be in.

Would I come back? Obviously, next question. It cheap, spacious, fun AND the DJ plays great songs to sing to, mostly current songs but some throwbacks mixed in, which I always appreciate. Huskies definitely gets a 10/10 in my book.

Hannah Kate