The beats of Cassidy and R. Kelly's "Hotel," are bumping in Kilroy's' Sports Bar as a group of girls playfully argue, laugh and talk. Their conversation is interrupted when a waiter arrives with a tray of several small glasses. The girls applaud him as he passes them out. He has what the girls want. It's shot time.\n"Lemon drops for the table," says freshman Jenna Goldschmidt. "I bought them because these are my girls. They take care of me."\nShots, shots, shots and more shots. It's an ever-present theme on college campuses everywhere. Going out to the bars, making toasts and celebrating life can make for a good night, and with shots like the "Leg Spreader" and "Sex on the Beach," a million and one stories with endless lewd connotations are sure to follow. Just ask your bartender.
PUNISHING PLEASURE\nPeople create stories. Whether good or bad, alcohol adds to them. Bartending at the Bluebird Nightclub for over three years, Spencer Mahoney has been involved in more drama than the Baldwin brothers. \n"The worst thing I've probably ever seen was this girl puke," he says, laughing. "She had a bunch of friends around her and she tried to put her hands in front of her face and all that did was squirt it out of her fingers, all over like three sorority girls' faces. It was disgusting."\nChances are Mahoney was partially responsible for the production. His signature shot, the "Dirty Frenchman," consists of Bacardi 151, cream and lime juice. He calls it his "penalty shot," and is willing to add Tabasco for those who feel frisky. \n"The 151 is really, really strong and it burns your mouth because it's such a high proof," he says. "And the lime juice curdles the cream instantly and makes it really thick and sloshy so it kind of sticks to your teeth."\nOther "penalty shots," which make you say "ouch," include "Prairie Fire," which is tequila, Wild Turkey, 101-proof whiskey and Worcestershire Sauce; the "Cement Mixer," containing Baileys Irish Cream and lime juice and the "Chillie Willie," which requires people to snort Rumpleminz through a straw. \nIt may sound crazy, but when people really want to get insane, they have the option of doing "mat shots." These senseless acts of self-brutality are a lot like rubber bullets -- they don't kill you, but chances are you might get wounded. The drunken person squeezes all of the extra "juice" out of the Bacardi mats on the bar, into a shot glass and proceeds to swallow all of the left over waste. Despite the appeal, Mahoney says he'd never touch one.\n"Fuck no, man," he says. "I got standards."\nIf standards are what it takes to say no, then apparently a lot of people have them. Mahoney says most people pass on the "mat shots" in favor of "Red-Headed Sluts," "Jäger Bombs," "Royal Flushes" or "Red Snappers." These are common shots at most bars, especially for celebrating a birthday.
PARTY LIKE IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY\nAlthough it's not anyone's birthday, sophomore Meghan Haynes and her friends Susie Phillips and Jenna Goldschmidt party like it. Through a round of "Lemon Drops" and other drinks, the girls unite in celebration. Gold, who funded the shots, says they need no excuse to have fun.\n"The special occasion is that I felt like buying them shots," she says.\nThough Phillips enjoys the "Lemon Drop" she has been treated to, she says she is a big fan of the "Red-Headed Slut." \n"I like it because it tastes good and I appreciate the name of it," she says. "After I take a 'Red-Headed Slut,' I'm ready to get a piece of ass."\nBoth Phillips and Haynes both agree in their hate of "Blow Job" shots. While Haynes says they're too sweet and she doesn't like sweet shots, Phillips has other reasons.\n"My least favorite is the 'Blow Job' because obviously I don't do that shit. Holler," she says.
STEP UP TO THE WHEEL\nAlthough she is strong in her words, if Phillips stepped up to Sports' patented shot wheel, she might not have any choice. Equipped with an arrow and over 20 shots, this is a unique attempt at incorporating the nostalgia of "The Price is Right" into the Bloomington night life. At the buyers' request, the bartender plays Bob Barker, spinning the wheel. Whatever shot the arrow lands on, the buyer has to take. That includes the risk of getting the bartender's choice, notoriously sickening shots like the "Cement Mixer," or more acceptable shots like the "Red-Headed Slut" or "Alabama Slammer."\nWhile the "Red-Headed Slut" combines Jägermeister, peach schnapps and cranberry juice; the "Alabama Slammer" mixes amaretto, Southern Comfort, gin and orange juice. Although Haynes has no idea what's in it, she says it's her favorite shot for other reasons.\n"I'm from Georgia," she says. "You have to keep it in the dirty south."
21 SHOTS FOR 21 YEARS\nThe desire to take birthday shots, some even trying to down a glorious 21 shots, is spreading like the bubonic plague. People are catching the fever and then paying the consequences. Junior Matt Schneck says he spent his 21st at Sports, took on the birthday challenge and, well, things got fuzzy after that.\n"I puked in my room," he says. "I woke up with this giant puke stain on my floor."\nBut despite the result of the stain and the pain, Schneck says he held no regrets. \n"It was my 21st," he says. "I wasn't pissed at myself."\nLike most alcohol-related problems, rationalization is what gets people in trouble. This 21st birthday, 21-shot motto is no exception. But as a bartender, Mahoney says it's easy to see when someone shouldn't be drinking \n"Usually if they're having trouble speaking or standing up," he says. "You can usually just tell by their eyes. They get all glassy-eyed."\nAnd although he doesn't do it often, if he feels it's necessary, he won't hesitate to cut someone off. As the provider of alcohol, he's legally bound to do so.\n"It really doesn't happen that often," he says. "But legally we can't serve anyone who's intoxicated. If anyone gets arrested outside we're held liable for serving them alcohol"
