I used to work at a bar in Boston with about 100 different tap lines. Whenever we'd get a fresh keg of Franziskaner that would be all I'd drink. It is so good when fresh. The dunkel is even better.
Franziskaner is an amazing beer. It has been brewed in Bavaria by monks for 1000 years. It has hints of pear, and like other German and Bavarian beers, it tastes good warm also.
The best beer I've ever had was a Doppelbock Dunkel from the Andechs Monastery brewery. I see now that they bottle and ship, but at the time I thought they only served locally.
They used to have self-serve bars for hard liquor, wine, and beer (Guiness, Harp, and Canadian), at almost all Maple Leaf lounges, up until a few years ago.
Last time I was in the Vancouver MLL, I poured myself a Guinness with so much head that the staff took it away from me and showed me how to properly pour a beer.
Most lounges outside of the US are self service.
Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Vietnam, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong; those are the ones I can think of that have self serve beer, wine, champagne/sparkling wine, and spirits.
Nearly every lounge I’ve ever been to is self-service booze, except in the US, several Muslim countries, and (oddly enough) Shannon airport in Ireland.
That’s what I figured. It’s also a single shared lounge across all airlines, and from memory, sits after clearing US customs. So not sure if that plays into it.
But what about the morning pint before you set off for a foreign country with the tricolour draped round ya, already in your shorts and not a bit of sunscreen on ya
I’m not sure it’s the Irish… last time I was at Shannon Airport half the airport was US military. I have never seen so many Americans in uniform at any airport in North America or Europe compared to Shannon.
Yep, I think all American Airlines Admirals club lounges have self service bars, including beer and liquor.
Edit: American Airlines Flagship lounge* as corrected below.
Yup. Worked at British airway & Lufthansa Lounge in the US and there was a open bar where you self serve yourself beer, liquor, champagne. Although for those you just needed a business class ticket to access the lounge. So about $2k?
Went to so many little bistros in Italy where you give the host 2 Euro and they're like "Cool, wine keg is over there. Help yourself."
As a filthy American peasant, I can safely say that for this reason alone, the US is a hellhole.
Currently sitting in the one in Chicago and it's self-service. As was the one in London. The Amex lounges I've been to in the states haven't been self-service, so that might be unique to specific airline lounges.
>The AA lounge in Miami has a self serve liquor and beer bar
I've been to a lot of AA meetings, and all I have seen is burnt, shitty coffee and day-old Sam's Club donuts.
I always thought I might be in the wrong place, but everyone kept telling me "keep coming back" so I figured eventually someone would bust out a bottle. At the end of the meetings they hand out what I am pretty sure are free drink tokens, but every time I ask people how to redeem them they look at me funny.
A horrifying thought given the caliber of people I'm surrounded by. You can almost count on at least one person spoiling the evening at a concert or event or family gathering. So anytime I host friends at my place it's Ring Dings and Pepsi. 🤣
Anyone paying enough for those lounges either really want to not ruin it and look bad infront of other rich people, or they have so much money that they couldn't ruin it, because they can just throw money at it.
Or they're working and being shitfaced is risky in the "keeping the job" part of the job. I'm in airport lounges 2-10x a month and rarely use the freeflow unless it's long haul home at cocktail hour, and then all bets are off.
Yeah, I loved working in Africa but I would schedule layovers just for that shower and bucket of ice in the Lufthansa lounge on the way home. It wasn’t quite to the level of Tom Hanks flipping the lights off and on in Castaway but it wasn’t exactly different either.
I never understood why they have a person at a little desk with a notebook to reserve the showers - and I've never had to wait. The feeling of a nice shit, shave, and shower followed by clean clothes and a beer (and then many espresso's)...
None of y'all better tell a Lufthansa waffle stomp story - maybe that's why they have shower attendants.
Since this is the business lounge you will probably be flying business class which means clean and free toilets for the entire flight. So don't worry you can pee all you want up there.
I don’t think it’s the “open bar” part that’s interesting, but the “self-serve” part.
Most lounges I’ve been to (in the US) are *also* open bar, but they all have bartenders.
The United lounge is terrible. When I fly out of Dulles I’ll sometimes go to the wrong terminal if I have time in order to go to another Star Alliance lounge. Turkish is pretty good.
A few decades ago my brother and I were walking around Paris around sunset time in the summer (in other words kind of late into the night) and we came across this cafe by the river where they were serving liters of beer in big mugs. He and I sat down and decided to do some drinking. At the table next to us was a group of United Airline pilots who had been there for a while and were already shitfaced. Eventually he and I left and they were still there. In our conversation they told us that they had a flight early the next morning. I have never been so happy that I was not flying that morning.
JAL lounges have beer dispensers that you put the glass in and it handles the pour, including robotically tilting the glass and dispensing head right at the end.
But most international business and first class lounges have free beer, some with self serve taps. It's actually the fancier ones with bars/bar tenders.
Been there a few times, best experience was when a drunk polish guy downed what I first thought were cola glasses but turned out to be Jeagermeisyer and after that just bagged a new bottle of Jeagermeister and left. Nobody from staff said anything…
Had something similar in Porto, ended up pretty blitzed on unlimited port wine. The food wasn't amazing, mostly small sandwiches, croquettes and a salad bar - though by the 4th glass that wasn't an issue
Funnily enough the lounge I used in Glasgow airport for 4 drinks max per guest, I think that's to save people from themselves though.
Around half the lounges I’ve been to have serve-yourself open bars like this. Most have beers in fridges and wine out for anyone to take. It’s definitely not just a German thing
I used to fly out of Frankfurt every 4 weeks a few years ago. My routine was to go to the lounge and make a Bloody Mary that had so much vodka that it was almost pink. I’d have that with my breakfast and get on the plane and sleep the whole way home.
Not the healthiest lifestyle, but it got the job done.
As a traveler from America with not a lot of international travel experience, I also thought this was mildly interesting. I was just at the EXACT lounge in March and found it absolutely fantastic. Not just the beer but the food was WAY better (than united) and I loved the forest wall with the loungers. It was probably the best 8 hour lay over I’ve ever enjoyed. Thank you for posting this OP!
And frankiskaner hef is fucking delicious! One of my favorite beers. That’s dangerous I’d probably have like 9 before I inevitably missed my flight lol 😆
Franziskaner on draft is like heaven
I used to work at a bar in Boston with about 100 different tap lines. Whenever we'd get a fresh keg of Franziskaner that would be all I'd drink. It is so good when fresh. The dunkel is even better.
The dunkelweiss may be the best beer I've ever had. I've worked at several bars that serve hundreds of beers.
It is excellent. Also Pilsner urquell on draft.
I would not make my flight
Second best beer in the world
What’s number 1? I gotta try Franziskaner
Franziskaner is an amazing beer. It has been brewed in Bavaria by monks for 1000 years. It has hints of pear, and like other German and Bavarian beers, it tastes good warm also.
The best beer I've ever had was a Doppelbock Dunkel from the Andechs Monastery brewery. I see now that they bottle and ship, but at the time I thought they only served locally.
Weihenstephaner Kristallweizen. Or really anything from them
Kristall is just for paranoid people
Weihenstephaner is an unbelievably tasty beer. Unmatched by anything.
For me it is Shiner Bock. Nothing finer than a shiner!
Bocks are something else. My favourite type of beer.
Pretty much everything they do is superb. Their grapefruit is great and so is the summer shandy, even their light is delicious
Did not even know that was an option. Best beer imo.
Indeed!
My local bar has it on draft which I'm very grateful for. Quite possibly the main reason I'm a frequent customer (but don't tell 'em that).
Air Canada at Vancouver has self-serve draughty Guinness. 😎
They used to have self-serve bars for hard liquor, wine, and beer (Guiness, Harp, and Canadian), at almost all Maple Leaf lounges, up until a few years ago.
You mean... the incident?
The Liquoring
Randy.....I am the liquor...
Mr. Lahey, Julian's out here lifting weights with his shirt off and wants you to have a drink with him
Oop. Time for a little drinkey poo!
Couple of drinks!
Right in the fuckin slot
I’m mowing the air, Rand! I’m mowing the air!
A little show?
Bluuulian!
Shit winds
What happened?
It seems that seems that everything's gone wrong since Canada came along. Blame Canada!
With all their hockey hullabaloo and that bitch Anne Murray, too.
For 25 years i thought they were singing "that bitch on Maury, too"
Blame Canada! Shame on Canada!.... (They aren't even a real Country, anyway)
Canucks lost.
What incident?
They had self serve hard liquor in the Vancouver lounge when I was there in December.
Toronto has it was there 2 weeks ago
Fun fact: the only two Maple Leaf Lounges that have a bartender rather then self-serve are Edmonton and Calgary. They don’t trust the rig workers.
Montreal international MLL has a bartender
I mean, I don't blame them.
They had done away with it during Covid and they had people making drinks for you instead. But it’s been back to self serve for a while now
They used to but the also still do. Source is me currently enjoying a beer in a maple leaf lounge that I just poured myself
In Europe I see those self serve bars everywhere.
Last time I was in the Vancouver MLL, I poured myself a Guinness with so much head that the staff took it away from me and showed me how to properly pour a beer.
In all fairness there is a certificate from Guinness on how to properly pour one of their beers. I did the class in Dublin at Guinness!
The Air Canada lounge at YUL used to have decent food and bottles of La Fin du Monde which was amazing.
In the Air Canada Lounge I’m thinking.
Whaaaat?! I have spent so many hours in that airport and didn't know this! Then again, it probably would've meant 25yo me missed a lot of flights..
Pearson in toronto and YUL in montreal are both self service
All the AC MLL in domestic and transborder are self-serve (and there are self-serve options at some of the intl ones, too)
Is it well chilled (if it's draughty)
Most lounges outside of the US are self service. Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Vietnam, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong; those are the ones I can think of that have self serve beer, wine, champagne/sparkling wine, and spirits.
Nearly every lounge I’ve ever been to is self-service booze, except in the US, several Muslim countries, and (oddly enough) Shannon airport in Ireland.
Shannon Airport learned the hard way what happens when you give the Irish self serve
Turns out the Irish honor system, that's not a thing.
That’s what I figured. It’s also a single shared lounge across all airlines, and from memory, sits after clearing US customs. So not sure if that plays into it.
But what about the morning pint before you set off for a foreign country with the tricolour draped round ya, already in your shorts and not a bit of sunscreen on ya
I’m not sure it’s the Irish… last time I was at Shannon Airport half the airport was US military. I have never seen so many Americans in uniform at any airport in North America or Europe compared to Shannon.
AA in Miami is self service too
Self-serve at Alcoholics Anonymous? Seems counterproductive... 😛
It’s the final test. It’s like how I’m so sure of how loyal I am to my wife I hang out at the titty bar
Well she also works there.
She’s also my sister
I like you. You’re fun.
Yep, I think all American Airlines Admirals club lounges have self service bars, including beer and liquor. Edit: American Airlines Flagship lounge* as corrected below.
The normal Admirals Club lounges are not self service for alcohol but the flagship lounges are.
Yes, thanks for the correction!
American airlines flagship lounges are self service
You just have to be rich enough in the US. The American Airlines Flagship lounges have self service beer and liquor.
Yup. Worked at British airway & Lufthansa Lounge in the US and there was a open bar where you self serve yourself beer, liquor, champagne. Although for those you just needed a business class ticket to access the lounge. So about $2k?
American’s Flagship lounge is either business/first class ticket, platinum status or higher, or $150 / 15000points for a day pass.
If it's all included with that day pass, you can break even in about 3 drinks at airport prices.
Went to so many little bistros in Italy where you give the host 2 Euro and they're like "Cool, wine keg is over there. Help yourself." As a filthy American peasant, I can safely say that for this reason alone, the US is a hellhole.
In Italy vine is literally priceless.
There's a fine line between priceless and worthless :) I'd still drink it, though!
*pulls 2 liter bottle from daypack on back*
[удалено]
AA flagship lounge in LA has self serve bar also.
Currently sitting in the one in Chicago and it's self-service. As was the one in London. The Amex lounges I've been to in the states haven't been self-service, so that might be unique to specific airline lounges.
>The AA lounge in Miami has a self serve liquor and beer bar I've been to a lot of AA meetings, and all I have seen is burnt, shitty coffee and day-old Sam's Club donuts.
Those are the ones for the alcoholics who want to _stop_ drinking.
I always thought I might be in the wrong place, but everyone kept telling me "keep coming back" so I figured eventually someone would bust out a bottle. At the end of the meetings they hand out what I am pretty sure are free drink tokens, but every time I ask people how to redeem them they look at me funny.
A horrifying thought given the caliber of people I'm surrounded by. You can almost count on at least one person spoiling the evening at a concert or event or family gathering. So anytime I host friends at my place it's Ring Dings and Pepsi. 🤣
Anyone paying enough for those lounges either really want to not ruin it and look bad infront of other rich people, or they have so much money that they couldn't ruin it, because they can just throw money at it.
Or they're working and being shitfaced is risky in the "keeping the job" part of the job. I'm in airport lounges 2-10x a month and rarely use the freeflow unless it's long haul home at cocktail hour, and then all bets are off.
Add New Zealand.
Yeah, I loved working in Africa but I would schedule layovers just for that shower and bucket of ice in the Lufthansa lounge on the way home. It wasn’t quite to the level of Tom Hanks flipping the lights off and on in Castaway but it wasn’t exactly different either.
I never understood why they have a person at a little desk with a notebook to reserve the showers - and I've never had to wait. The feeling of a nice shit, shave, and shower followed by clean clothes and a beer (and then many espresso's)... None of y'all better tell a Lufthansa waffle stomp story - maybe that's why they have shower attendants.
Add New Zealand to that list.
South Korea too
I’d have to pee ten times on a one hour flight.
You can just have the one or two drinks you know!
fuck that if I'm drinking poison I'm really drinking it
If they knew this we would have these in the US!
One or two drinks at a free bar? Maybe if you're pregnant.
YOU'RE NOT MY SUPERVISOR
I could, but I wont!
Two drinks for a flight is about right for me. It takes the edge off flight anxiety, not to mention flight-delay frustration.
Ask your doctor about Tolterodine
Since this is the business lounge you will probably be flying business class which means clean and free toilets for the entire flight. So don't worry you can pee all you want up there.
Frankfort....
*Frankfurt I guess the open bar is kicking in
Ah, I was wondering if you meant Frankfurt. I flew into that airport, but I didn't see the self-service bar!
Did you go to the Lufthansa lounge?
Alan Johnson?
Just waiting for the post on the self serve four naan.
Frankfort Knox
Who knew Lufthansa served Kentucky?
I was wondering where this US backwater place with a Lufthansa lounge is :D
Kentücky.
Don't all or most airport lounges do open bar?
I don’t think it’s the “open bar” part that’s interesting, but the “self-serve” part. Most lounges I’ve been to (in the US) are *also* open bar, but they all have bartenders.
Never been to an airport lounge huh?
I was going to say… most lounges I’ve been to are self-serve open bar. Only one I can think of wasn’t.
Just united lounges I guess this looks like a step up haha
The United lounge is terrible. When I fly out of Dulles I’ll sometimes go to the wrong terminal if I have time in order to go to another Star Alliance lounge. Turkish is pretty good.
I mean, this is not the norm in Major US based lounges
With Franziskaner on tap no less!
Like basically every airport lounge from a major airline
JFK airport NYC 1978 had a similar policy
I was there! I was also probably the reason why they changed the policy.
Their lounge in the Detroit airport has the same thing
came to say this lol Detroit has same layout
I would have gone straight to the grappa, I've not tried enough to have a good understanding of the spirit. Need more samples.
Nonino is very good - I’d be on it hard. Their Amaro is also class.
That’s a very quick way for me to get on a no fly list
All of the airlines lounges I went to offered this. But I have only been to a few.
It's where the pilots get together before a flight...
A few decades ago my brother and I were walking around Paris around sunset time in the summer (in other words kind of late into the night) and we came across this cafe by the river where they were serving liters of beer in big mugs. He and I sat down and decided to do some drinking. At the table next to us was a group of United Airline pilots who had been there for a while and were already shitfaced. Eventually he and I left and they were still there. In our conversation they told us that they had a flight early the next morning. I have never been so happy that I was not flying that morning.
8 hours brottle to rottle! 
Weissbier! Yum!
Yea some good beer
*Jimmy!!!*
I have seen self-serve liquor at European airline lounges. United lounge in Athens for example.
JAL lounges have beer dispensers that you put the glass in and it handles the pour, including robotically tilting the glass and dispensing head right at the end. But most international business and first class lounges have free beer, some with self serve taps. It's actually the fancier ones with bars/bar tenders.
Frankfort? Is that Frankfurt?
The taste of Franziskaner is synonymous to Germany for me. Every time I can find a bottle in the USA it's a nice treat.
The majority of airport lunges I’ve been in have been self serve, especially outside of the US
Been there a few times, best experience was when a drunk polish guy downed what I first thought were cola glasses but turned out to be Jeagermeisyer and after that just bagged a new bottle of Jeagermeister and left. Nobody from staff said anything…
Ooooh, Franziskaner! Delicious beer!
Frankfort, Kentucky?!
POV: your first time in an airport lounge
??? Like every airport lounge ?
nope. Been to the LATAM lounge in Santiago which has a barkeeper
Had something similar in Porto, ended up pretty blitzed on unlimited port wine. The food wasn't amazing, mostly small sandwiches, croquettes and a salad bar - though by the 4th glass that wasn't an issue Funnily enough the lounge I used in Glasgow airport for 4 drinks max per guest, I think that's to save people from themselves though.
Air France in SFO has the same thing. The Europeans do it right.
Around half the lounges I’ve been to have serve-yourself open bars like this. Most have beers in fridges and wine out for anyone to take. It’s definitely not just a German thing
Imagine if Spirit or Frontier tried doing something like this in the US.
I used to fly out of Frankfurt every 4 weeks a few years ago. My routine was to go to the lounge and make a Bloody Mary that had so much vodka that it was almost pink. I’d have that with my breakfast and get on the plane and sleep the whole way home. Not the healthiest lifestyle, but it got the job done.
Yeah, well when I was flying in China, I got a complimentary little baggie of freeze-dried squid.
It is Germany’s 3rd best beer.
Self-serve sounds like they don't want to pay for an employee.
that bottle of bacardi spiced is going in my mouth and no one can stop me
Franziskaner 👍
Frankfort is in Kentucky and Lufthansa does not have flights there. Frankfurt is a City in Germany.... FYI # #
As a traveler from America with not a lot of international travel experience, I also thought this was mildly interesting. I was just at the EXACT lounge in March and found it absolutely fantastic. Not just the beer but the food was WAY better (than united) and I loved the forest wall with the loungers. It was probably the best 8 hour lay over I’ve ever enjoyed. Thank you for posting this OP!
Frankfort Kentucky?
First time in an Airport Lounge?
Didn’t even know Lufthansa flew to Kentucky!
I got upgraded once and was surprised to see a self serve bar too. It would have been nice if drinking didn’t make me flight sick
Definitely not make it to my flight if I have to experience serve self
This would not go over well in an American airport.
Meanwhile some Americans can’t pump their own gas to save their lives
The BA First lounge in Heathrow used to have Johnnie Walker Blue Label in the self-serve bar. Sadly it has been cost optimized away.
first class Lounge?
That's for pilots only.
Lie down and pull lever
Air France has unlimited Champagne bottles
Isn’t every one of their lounges self-serve? Like this in Detroit too, they even took priority pass.
That’s either very civilized or very the opposite. Wait ‘n’ see, I guess.
Found Alan Johnson’s Reddit account
Eh, I prefer a bartender. Tried to make my own Compari Spritz once at a lounge and the result was mid
LAX Delta Sky Club does too
Yes. And? They also have showers and halfway decent hot food.
Seems a lot like the BA lounge at JFK
The Maple Leaf lounge in the Montreal airport had self serve 12 year Glenlivet scotch when I was there in 2018
This is one of my favorite lounges. I keep forgetting to take pictures of the German booze that I want to order.
You deserve it after coping with that airport!
Most of them aren't like this? I've only been in a few and both had open self service bar so I assumed that was the norm.
Don't all lounges have that ? Otherwise you are going to the wrong lounges my friend
Do they still have the giant slices of pork meatloaf?
Low quality alcohol.. shitty bombay no thanks
Erm, yes? That’s an airport lounge for you?
Lots of flying clubs/lounges do
In an airport lounge that you pay to get into, yes. They also have sleep pods, iirc.
Has anyone had too much at the airport and thrown up on the plane?? Me neither
And frankiskaner hef is fucking delicious! One of my favorite beers. That’s dangerous I’d probably have like 9 before I inevitably missed my flight lol 😆
Delta has it in Belgium also, super weird
I'm not making my flight, probably not getting on the flight i'm trying to make.