Laurel Tavern is a British-style bar located in Studio City, California surrounded by local shops. It attracts an upper middle and upper class crowd who come for casual drinks and conversation rather than happy hours or sports viewing. The bar serves craft beers on tap as well as wine and cocktails, with a predominantly female bartender staff. On Sunday afternoons specifically, the crowd is mostly white males ages 27-50 who maintain a certain distance between each other while seated at the bar. Tipping is expected and usually amounts to double the tax on the bill.

1. The Culture of DrinkingAn observation of American Bars Jancarlo Cortez Anthropology 102 Dr. Leanna Wolfe

2. Laurel Tavern is located on 11938 Ventura Boulevard Studio City, CA 9160. It is surrounded by local independent shops such as restaurants, Coffee shops, printing shopsand retail stores

3. This British style bar attracts an audience who is of upper-middle and upper classes. Because of the crowd it attracts they do not offer happy hour but do offer appetizers such as fries and other tasty delicious treats.

4. In order for one to receive service, one must go to the bar and present a valid photo id to be served alcoholic beverages. But if one decides not to drink but is hungry, one does not need to present an id. You are often asked questions such as what type of beer would you like and if you would like to keep a tab open (meaning if you would like to keep your credit card on hold for the remainder of your stay).

5. Their bartenders are predominantly women. Laurel Tavern contains thirteen beers on tap, available at all times from noon to closing time. They also serve wine and mixed alcohol beverages. Quality beer is served as oppose to generic beer such as Bud light, Budweiser, and Heineken.

6. On a Sunday afternoon, business is often slow because there isn’t enough social interaction at the bar. The setting they create for social interaction is low-lighting and ambient 70s music. Typically, one goes to Laurel Tavern on a Sunday afternoon for a casual drink with a friend or relative to talk about private matters.

7. Majority of the bars located in Los Angeles give you the option of choosing the cup size. Laurel Tavern provides you with only one size glass. The beers that tend to go well with these type of glasses are craft beers such as Hefeweizen and IPAs. When ordering a beer the term one uses is a “pint” or “stein.”

8. Sports is a definite when a game is occurring on a Sunday afternoon. Laurel Tavern displays their most important games on the projection screen and all other sporting events on their plasma T.V.

9. The crowd that this bar tends to attract on a Sunday afternoon are white. There isn’t much of a diversity on this day. The staff is predominantly Latino/Hispanic. The dress code isn’t enforced. Many of the individuals attending this place are coming from the gym, the beach, or just wanting to go out to have a beer. Spacing between males is 2/3 stools as oppose to females, which is 1 stool, when sitting next to a male or female. The age groups range from 27-50+

10. A prime example of what type of crowd it attracts may be based upon on how well maintained their bathrooms are. The bathroom is kept clean and is always in stock with soap and paper hand towels. They check their bathrooms once every hour.

11. Appetizers are an essential commodity when drinking an alcoholic beverage on a Sunday afternoon. They serve from house fries to miniature hamburgers. They also serve buttermilk and hickory sauce to go along with you light meal.

12. Because there aren’t any waiters, tipping usually depends on the quality of service the bartender provides. Women are often tipped more than men. Tipping usually depends on the tax, which may vary. Rule of thumb, you must pay double the tax depending on your bill.