Saratoga Spring's infamous strip of bars and clubs, Caroline Street, was once called "the trendiest line-up of bars this side of The Atlantic ocean."
Just kidding. No one has ever called it that. But Caroline Street can be great; depending on the bar, the weather, your mood, and the Skidmore student to Saratoga townie ratio. Here are, in my not-so-humble opinion, the Top 10 bars in Saratoga Springs:
1. Desperate Annies (DA's)
If you’re the type of person who has a cigarette everyday, on the dot, at 11am outside Burgess, then you will forever have a reserved seat at DA’s. Also if you: have a beard, a sleeve of tattoos, or a Skidmore ID!
Desperate Annie’s likes to think it’s a dive bar, but they just replaced their jukebox with an electronic machine and also, it’s not really a dive bar if sometimes it seems like every one in the whole fucking world is inside. DA’s is like that friend you don’t really like hanging out with. In fact, you’re pretty tired of him or her. Yet somehow, you keep crawling back.
Usually because he or she just offered you a free gin & tonic. That's lukewarm.
2. Clancy's Tavern
Why haven’t Skidmore students taken over this bar yet, like
they’ve done with DA’s? Probably because the floors are covered in urine and spit--but isn't that part of the college experience? If you’ve ever wanted to see a bar fight, or have a 12
year old come up to you outside and ask to bum a cigarette, this is
your bar. And it's pretty great...
3. The Parting Glass
They serve beer in a giant glass boot, so that’s a plus. Also, if you’ve ever wanted to eat corned beef while being pee-yourself-drunk, this is the place. If you’re lucky, a live Irish folk band will pluck away on some wacky instruments in the corner! (Honestly, this is my favorite bar in Saratoga. Truth.)
4. The Alley
Now this is a straight-up townie bar. The main draw is the karaoke on Tuesday and Friday nights, but I go for the cheap Miller Lite’s. Also, because “Mark the Shark” (the MC of the karaoke) makes me feel like I’m drunk at my Bat Mitzvah.
5. Gaffney's
A bar that truly lives up to the “Health, History, Drunk Men In Polos” town motto. Also, Gaffney’s wants you to believe that it’s all about their ~ambiance~ and outdoor patio. But it’s really all about their free popcorn.
6. The Bourbon Room
Saratoga.com claims, “you’re bound to find something that
will keep you coming back again” at The Bourbon Room. Yeah, if what you’re
looking for is that dick from your history class on the hockey team, looking
for love in the back of a Freshman girl’s tonsils.
7. Saratoga City Tavern
My English professor once told me that this place has "the best view in Saratoga Springs." It's a true statement--if you're 6 drinks deep.
Notoriously hard to get into if you look like you still breastfeed, it's worth the wait if only for The Boom Boom Room--Saratoga's version of a European nightclub. Except anyone can get in. Even overgrown-man children who were probably breastfed for too long.
8. TIn & Lint (T&L)
There once was a rumor that "American Pie" was written on a napkin at this bar. There also once was a rumor that the world was square, so we've all been wrong at some point...
Thrillist just named it one of the "Greatest Bar Names in America," but I just know it as the easiest bar to get into if you're underage. If you've ever wanted to hear Freshman girls chirping over Vodka Cranberries, this is the spot.
9. The Reserve
Yeah, no, don’t go here. I know the long-line and neon
flashing lights look tempting, and honestly, it’s pretty fun for the first 10
minutes if you’ve had 12 shots, but if
you’re female you will inevitably end up getting hit on by a man with muscles
three times the size of his head, or get herpes. So just don’t do it. Go join a
grind line somewhere else. (Honestly, this place can be really fun.)
10. Peabody's
Apparently, the local sports-bar used to be more popular with Skidmore students. I can't imagine what drove them away...the over-priced wings, the greasy bar-tops, the bouncer that kicks you out for shouting anything more obscene than "damn," the classy patrons that smell like the bottom of a pitcher of Keystone? I can't figure it out.
11. Druthers Brewing Company
Some things just happen. If you stare at the sun too long, your eyes get damaged. Good people have terrible things happen to them. Dogs bark and cats meow. And if it's a Tuesday night, Druthers will be overrun with Skidmore students. Don't question it, embrace it. And "turn up" on Tuesdays for 3$ beers!
So there you have it. The Top 10 places to get weird in Saratoga Springs. This article may have had a critical tone, but in the end, I love each and every single one of these bars because they are unabashed and unafraid to be themselves: just like Skidmore students.
