ESL Dialogue and Vocabulary A Drink at the Bar

There are a number of phrases used when drinking at a bar or pub, or in a private home. Here are some of the most common to start off the evening: Cheers!Heres to your health.Bottoms up (informal, used with shots)Prost/Salut (sometimes people use foreign expressions with the same meaning) These are more idiomatic ways  to say Cheers   Heres mud in your eye.Heres to your health.Down the hatch.Bottoms up! Toasting Someone or Something Its also common to use the phrase Heres to ... or A toast to ... and include the name of the person or thing you are toasting. In more formal occasions, we also  use the phrase  Id like to make a toast to ... and include the name of the person or thing you are toasting, as well as include a wish beginning with May he/she/it.... Person 1:  Heres to our new contract!Person 2:  Here, here!Person 1:  A toast to Mary!Person 2:  Cheers!Person 1:  Id like to make a toast to Jim. May he live long and prosper!Person 2:  May he live long and prosper! Idiomatic Phrases   There are a number of idiomatic phrases that are used when drinking (of course!). A number of these  expressions are slang, others are more common. Be on the wagon to not be drinking, trying not to drink alcohol  Be pissed as a newt to be very drunkPaint the town red to go to different bars, drink and have a good time in a cityWet your whistle to have a drinkBe three sheets to the wind to be very drunkBe under the influence to feel the alcohol, usually meaning to be drunk Examples Lets paint the town red tonight.Im afraid Im on the wagon this week. I need to lose some weight.Id like to wet my whistle. Is there a bar anywhere near here? How to Say Someone Is Drunk Any of these words below can be used to describe someone who is very drunk. Tipsy, on the other hand,  means to feel the alcohol, but not be very drunk: PlasteredHammeredWastedPissedInebriated Examples Jim was plastered at the party last night.Dont come home pissed!Wow, man, youre hammered!Im feeling a little tipsy tonight. Other Words For Drinking To quaff to drink (old fashioned)To gulp to drink very quickly often used with beerTo drink like a fish to drink a lot of alcoholTo sip to take small drinks of something, often used with wine or cocktails   Examples He quaffed his drink while chatting with his mates.I gulped down a beer after I finished mowing the lawn.Jim drinks like a fish. Acronyms DUI Driving Under the Influence, used as a criminal charge  BYOB Bring Your Own Bottle, used when telling someone to bring alcohol to a party   Examples Peter was arrested on a DUI.The party is BYOB, so bring anything you want to drink. Other Words Used With Alcohol When ordering wine, you can ask for a glass of red, white, or rose.A cocktail is a mixed drink, often made with strong liquor and fruit juice or another mixer.Liquor is strong alcohol such as vodka, gin, or tequila.A house or well drink is a cheaper brand sold by the bar or restaurantPint is a measurement used with beerA shot is used with straight alcohol, not mixed.Draft beer is pulled from the tap, as opposed to coming from a bottle or a can.Booze/hair of the dog / the sauce are all idiomatic names for hard liquorHangover refers to the headache a person gets the morning after drinking heavily. A Practice Dialog Between a Bartender and a Customer After a stressful day, Mr. Jackson relaxes at the bar. The bartender, Mark, responds to a few complaints while he serves Mr. Jackson his favorite cocktail. Mr. Jackson: Bartender, could I have a drink? Whats taking so long?!Bartender: Excuse me, sir. Yes, what can I get you?Mr. Jackson: Id like a whiskey sour.Bartender: Certainly sir, Ill get that straight away.Mr. Jackson: What a day! My feet are aching! Wheres an ashtray?!Bartender: Here you go sir. Did you have a busy day?Mr. Jackson: Yes, I had to walk all over town to get to meetings. Im exhausted.Bartender: Im sorry to hear that, sir. Heres your drink. That should help.Mr. Jackson: (takes a long sip) Thats what I needed. Much better. Do you have any snacks?Bartender: Certainly, here are some peanuts and some savory crackers, and a napkin.Mr. Jackson: Could I have a stir stick?Bartender: Coming up... Here you are.Mr. Jackson: Thanks. You know, Im sorry to say this, but these snacks are awful.Bartender: Im terribly sorry about that, sir. What seems to be the matter?Mr. Jackson: The peanuts are stale!Bartender: I apologize sir, Ill open a fresh can immediately.Mr. Jackson: Thanks. So rry to be in such a bad mood.Bartender: Thats quite alright. Can I get you another drink? This ones on the house.Mr. Jackson: Thats kind of you. Yes, Ill have another whiskey sour.Bartender: Right away, sir. Do you have any preferences on the whiskey?Mr. Jackson: Hmmm, whats that bottle over there?Bartender: Thats Jack Daniels, aged 12 years.Mr. Jackson: That sounds good. Id also like to smoke. Is that possible?Bartender: Unfortunately, we dont allow smoking in the bar. Youll have to step outside.Mr. Jackson:  No worries. I can wait. So how long have you worked at this bar?Bartender: Its been about three years now. I love the challenges of this job.