Layin' LOW

A typical night on the town for senior Ali McCoy, like many of her fellow peers, consists of a three-bar rotation. First, McCoy and her crew hit up the notorious upper-class joint, Nick's English Hut, for a round of "Sink the Biz." Next, after checking her account balance at the ATM outside of Tacos Don Chuy, McCoy braves the cold in line for Upstairs in hopes for a taste (or two) of their AMF drink. The bartender announces last call and after the bouncers shoo away last-minute stragglers, McCoy and her friends make their way over to Kilroy's to close out the evening on Kirkwood. The jukebox cranks out the latest Top-40 hits while students maneuver their way through "the birth canal" to compete for the attention of a busy bartender. Many seniors find this routine to be as mundane as brushing their teeth in the morning and going to class -- they've got it down pat and it seems so natural that it seldom gets questioned. \nHowever, many IU upperclassmen are venturing off the beaten path and trading in their noisy bar days for a more laid-back and low-key night out with good friends over good drinks. Many older IU students agree that they prefer bars with a more diverse range of clientele that offers ambiance, undeniable drink specials and a more personable staff. \nSenior Jenny Adams frequented Crazy Horse, located at 214 W. Kirkwood Ave. next to the Irish Lion, every other week last semester. Adams likes Crazy Horse because of its older clientele and laid-back atmosphere. "It's a place to kind of chill and talk to your friends and actually hear them instead of shouting over them," she said. Adams also enjoys the warm and soothing ambiance of the bar. The antique-adorned brick walls and Victorian-style copper ceilings combined with dim lighting and street lights circa-1920 gives Crazy Horse a unique feel. "It is very nostalgic of an earlier IU. Everything looks historic," she said.\nThe bar even encourages its customers to help it to make history by participating in their "Around the World in Eighty Beers" program. Any participant who guzzles the 80 beers from all corners of the world that the Horse has on tap within six months will be immortalized on a gold plaque displayed on the wall and awarded a T-shirt. \nManager Brian Radamacher said the bar gets the most students on Wednesday and Thursday when the bar's most popular drink specials take place. Wednesday's are half-priced bottles of wine and Thursdays are $3 Long Islands, Manhattans and martinis. Senior Katie Whiting traded in 15-cent drafts at Bluebird for half-priced wine at Crazy Horse on Wednesday's in order to avoid underage drinkers and have casual conversation with her friends. Whiting said she enjoys being able to find a seat and interact with the courteous and friendly bartenders at the bar. But most of all, Whiting enjoys the older crowd. "I prefer bars that don't take meal points," she said.\nExit Crazy Horse and a couple of paces to the left is another low-key establishment called the Alley Bar. The newly opened garage-sized bar holds a small jukebox in the corner with crushed peanuts scattered on the floor. Seniors Kristin Welling and Rob Stein came to explore the bar after a friend drove by and suggested they check it out. \n"It's small, so we've gotten to be good friends with the bartenders and bouncers," said Welling. \nStein, who describes the bar as similar to a European pub, finds its quaintness to be appealing. "It's easier to get a drink because there is never a crowd," he said. \nEmployee Dominic Hill describes the Alley Bar, which is owned by the same owner of Upstairs on Kirkwood Avenue, as a "third-shifter" bar because it is open until 3 a.m. Hill said the bar only sells beer and daiquiris and that prices usually range around $3.50 for a 32-oz beer and $1.75 for bottles.\nAnother "third-shifter" bar open until 3 a.m. is the Video Saloon located on 105 W. Seventh Street across the street from the Bluebird. Affectionately called "the Vid" by regulars, this relaxed bar receives an eclectic clientele, receiving most of the student crowd in the wee hours of the morning, according to manager Kristina Armur. The saloon usually sees an increase in traffic when other bar staff get off work and after students have circulated through two or three bars prior. Armur describes the place as casual and a place to hang out with friends rather than people-watch. Although "the Vid" does not have any drink specials, Armur claims it is one of the cheapest places to go in town. Domestics go for $1.75 and pitchers range around $5.50. Another reason people venture to "the Vid" is to mingle with the staff. "We have a really great staff, the bartenders are friendly and outgoing," said Armur. "Everyone that comes in comes to see them a lot."\nSenior Sabeen Pirani ventures to the Office Lounge on East 3rd Street in order to escape the hustle and bustle of the more crowded student bars. Pirani, who drops by the lounge at least once a week, claims she not only enjoys the lounge because the drinks are stronger, but also because the atmosphere is laid-back. "It is a change of pace more than anything else," she said. Pirani also enjoys karaoke nights at the Lounge which take place on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. \nAnother perk to the low-key bar scene for many students is the authentic pub grub and unique drink choices. The Irish Lion, located next to the Crazy Horse, has mahogany wood-paneled floors and an oak-back bar that invites customers to escape to a pub that takes you as close to Ireland as Bloomington will allow. Open until 3 a.m., the Lion offers authentic pub food such as mutton pies and fish and chips and serves 57 single malt scotches and 11 Irish whiskeys. An array of European and Irish imports including Guinness, Harp, Pilsner Urquell, Murphy's Irish Stout, Schneider-Weisse and Newcastle are also offered according to the restaurant's Web site. \nAnother low-key favorite is the Upland Brewery, located at 350 W. 11th St., home to the largest micro-brewery in Indiana. Not as known to students because of its obscure and hidden location, the brewery serves primarily the Bloomington business crowd and the occasional out-of-town beer aficionado. However, manager Nick Kapke said that students come in because they heard of the brewery from friends. The dimly lit establishment offers a more personal setting and Kapke's description of the treatment of regular customers paints a picture for the kind of atmosphere the brewery affords its clientele. \n"We have regulars who come in and I can have a beer poured for them before they even sit down," he said. "We get people who are not interested in mass-produced beer like Miller Light and Bud Light." \nKapke said most first-time customers try their sampling platter which consists of seven 5-ounce glasses of each of the home-brewed beers including Upland Pale Ale, Amber Ale, Bad Elmer's Porter, Weizen, India Pale Ale, Belgian Wheat Ale and the seasonal ale.\nThere are more choices than ever for IU's upperclassmen. Seniors like Ali McCoy can begin to stray from the typical crowd and see a side of Bloomington that locals love. After that, they can leave IU fully knowing what Bloomington has to offer.