World Cup: Hangover Edition

The day after Spain won the World Cup title over the Netherlands in a 1-0 victory, the city's soccer bars were quiet.  Instead of beer, clients and bartenders sipped ice water and coffee, looking tired.

With games starting at 7:30AM, bartenders closing at 4 a.m. often had to open early the next morning.  Among our very small survey sample, bartenders were more than happy to see the end of the month-long celebration of the world's biggest sport.

Many bartenders didn't want to be identified with their complaints for fear of retribution from their bosses.  But, in contrast to other events like the World Series, Kelly (who didn't want her last name used), a bartender at Murphy and Gonzalez, said customers tended to be cheap and rowdy. 

And although bars are busier than usual during the World Cup, establishments double or triple their staff to meet the volume, so tips are spread thin as well.

Daniel Guttentag was one of the few bartenders with good things to say. "It's much more peaceful than the NBA games," he said of the World Cup.  "When the Boston Celtics lost in the NBA tournament," Guttentag said, "a fan threw a beer glass and exploded the television."