I decided to take my first official fieldnotes at the English Cellar Alehouse since I was in the area and Spats was pretty dead. I stepped in on a quiet Monday night and saw a few fellow Brown University students at the pub. Many of these students I have seen at other venues around the area and are constant members of the bar scene, if you will. Another reason I chose the Alehouse was that, from my experience, it has a bigger early weekday scene than the rest of the bars around the hill.
There was music playing in the background – not too loud, but definitely enough to set a relaxed, but lively atmosphere. There were framed quotations about libations peppered throughout the pub, mostly along the main wall though. There was a baseball game on TV, which seemed to negate the “English Accent” that the English Cellar Alehouse was trying to give off. I felt like I was in more of a dive bar in America than a pub in England, but, as I mentioned, it was a very inviting place, mildly reminiscent of some of the places I’ve been to when I’ve visited Yale. It was dimly lit and there were inviting red booths where I bumped into one of my friends and joined her table.
My friend asks our waitress for her “beer list” – a list with all of the beers that the Alehouse has, along with checkmarks on the ones that she’s already had. This list seems to create a loyalty amongst the customers, as the customer wants to keep coming back and get more checks on their list. Before the English Cellar Alehouse was at this location, there was the Liquid Lounge. Being the newest bar on Thayer Street, the beer list is a great way to jumpstart the customer loyalty necessary for a bar to succeed. It seems to have succeed, as the general consensus is that Liquid was fun, but it wasn’t a place where you could just relax with a beer after school or work, as it was more sleazy than anything else.
The location is very convenient for everyone that I talk to, everyone seems to walk past it during the day and it inspires them to pop in for a quick beer after school or work. Right off of Thayer Street, it is in the middle of the bustling street and very convenient to students both on campus and off.
The waiters/waitresses are very friendly and knowledgeable about their beer. Sadly, they didn’t have the pumpkin ale in stock that I had in mind, but my waitress did offer two suggestions, both pumpkin, which I chose between. It’s not as bustling as it would be on a weekend, but the fact that can be both a relaxing place to have one beer, or a busy weekend place to have multiple shows how versatile it is. I left after 45 minutes as I had another engagement to get to, but it was a very nice place to pop into for a drink or two. Perfect for a calm Monday night.
Simon's Comments
ReplyDeleteMatt, I think your initial set of fieldnotes is a great start for your ethnographic project. As an English Cellar dweller myself, I too have noticed the change in the vibe from Liquid Lounge to the vibe that it is now. Some questions that you may want to address could range from the décor to the demographic that the pub appeals to. I agree that the framed quotes on the wall add a bit of authenticity to the English Pub vibe that they are trying to achieve. Also, the replication of an old English phone booth is deliberately positioned so that when you walk in it is the first thing that you see. Why is it positioned there? Does it add authenticity to the vibe that they are trying to achieve? With that said, what is the vibe that they are trying to achieve? I too have a beerlist at the Alehouse and agree that it does create a sense of loyalty in the customers. Maybe address the fact that after you have twenty-five different beers you receive a prize. Does this successfully make customers want to come back and drink there rather than a Spats or a Viva? The Alehouse is not as widely known as Spats is, which means that only people in the know drink there. Do they purposely try to go under the radar? The atmosphere that the Alehouse creates with many different sports games being played is deliberate. Do they want to be known as a sports bar? Are they trying to attract a ‘sporty’ crowd? Also, I would observe other bars in the College Hill area, specifically the GCB (grand center bar). What demographic does that specific bar appeal to? Is it successful, why or why not? I might also interview a student that has been to both Liquid Lounge and the English Cellar Alehouse. I would ask how the vibe has changed, if they like the renovation, and why or why not?
Matt, strong first set of fieldnotes. I'm especially interested in something you noticed at the beginning of your note, when you described some of the Ale House's customers as "constant members of the bar scene." It seems to me that there is a greater group of customers, mainly Brown students, that do a sort of bar circuit. I would be interested in finding out which of the customers of the Ale House are strictly patrons of the Ale House, or if they only frequent a few bars. What drives their decisions in choosing a bar? Is it driven by the quality of the bar or students' loyalty to it, driven by social factors - wherever they hear will have the biggest crowd on a specific night. Another question that is interesting to think about is the decision making process that drives students to choose a bar over drinking somewhere on campus? Why go to a bar when drinking on campus is easier, and above all, cheaper? Great job, and keep digging
ReplyDeleteGood preliminary set of notes with a clear personal voice. I like that you've paid careful attention to the atmosphere of the bar and the English alehouse vibe that it's attempting to create. Who were the other customers at the bar, apart from the Brown students whom you recognized? Did you speak to any of the patrons? What were your impressions of the music apart from that it was not loud and created a relaxed atmosphere? It would be interesting to hear more about music's role in creating the scene or crafting the 'English' atmosphere. Who chooses the music? Try to get out of your comfort zone more and engage with some of the other patrons.
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